Professor Naima Khatoon was appointed as the vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University on Monday (April 22), becoming the first woman to be given the charge of the university’s top position. The announcement was made by a notification by the AMU on Monday evening after the Union Education Ministry’s letter to the AMU.
AMU notifies appointment
“The President of lndia, in her capacity as the Visitor of AMU, has been pleased to appoint Professor Naima Khatoon, Professor/Principal, Women’s College, as the Vice-Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University for a period of five (5) years from the date on which she enters upon his office or the date on which she completes seventy years of age, whichever is earlier,” the notification from the university said.
According to the notification, the Election Commission of India gave its permission for the appointment of the VC “ect to the condition that no political mileage may be derived from it”.
“It is also stated that the Election Commission of India vide their letter dated 09.04.2024 has stated that the Commission has no objection, from Model Code of Conduct (MCC) angle, to the proposal related to appointment of Vice-Chancellor, AMU subject to the condition that no publicity shall be there and no political mileage may be derived from it,” the notification added.
Notably, the university did not have a full-time VC since April 2023 after the term of Khatoon’s predecessor Tariq Mansoor came to an end.
About new AMU VC
Khatoon, the current principal of AMU’s women’s college since 2016, faced row over her candidacy for the Vice Chancellor’s position. In November 2023, her nomination was challenged in the Allahabad High Court in which it was argued that her selection stemmed from a committee led by her husband, Mohammed Gulrez, who was then the acting VC of the AMU. However, the petition was dismissed. Subsequently, the issue resurfaced in the high court and remains pending.
An alumna of AMU, Khatoon pursued her education in Odisha before moving to AMU. There, she completed her pre-university studies and pursued psychology, obtaining her undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in 1981 and 1983, respectively. In 1989, she achieved a PhD in psychology, as documented on the AMU website.
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