Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh Muslim University
अलीगढ़ मुस्लिम विश्वविद्यालय

The seal of the Aligarh Muslim University
Motto Arabic: عَلَّمَ الاِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَم
'allama'l-insāna mā lam ya'lam
Motto in English
Taught man what he knew not (Qur'an 96:5)
Established 1875 (as MAO College)
1920 (as AMU)
Type Public
Endowment $18.2 million[1]
Vice-Chancellor Lt. General Zameerud-din Shah
Academic staff
2,000
Students 30,000
Location Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
Campus Urban 467.6 hectares (1,155 acres)
Acronym AMU
Colors               
Nickname AMU
Affiliations UGC, NAAC, AIU
Website www.amu.ac.in
Victoria Gate, a prominent building at the university
Maulana Azad Library (viewed from Kennedy Lawns)
Kennedy House, museum (left); auditorium (right)
Bab-e-syed, the gateway to AMU
University canteen
SS Masjid beside Strachey Hall, AMU Aligarh

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is a public university, funded by the central government of India originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875. The Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920.[2] The main campus of AMU is located in the city of Aligarh. Spread over 467.6 hectares in the city of Aligarh, AMU offers more than 300 courses in the traditional and modern branches of education. According to Times Higher Education, Asia Ranking 2014, AMU ranks 3rd among Universities in India.[3] The university comprises all castes, creeds, religions and genders.

History

It was established as Madrasatul Uloom Musalmanan-e-Hind in 1875–78,[4] The Anglo–Indian statesman Syed Ahmad Khan founded the predecessor of AMU, Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College ("MAO"), in 1877 having already established two schools.[5] He considered competence in English and "Western sciences" necessary skills for maintaining Muslims' political influence, especially in Northern India. Khan's image for the college was based on his visit to Oxford and Cambridge and he wanted to establish an education system similar to the British model.[5] HH Sir Mohammad Ali Mohammad and the Aga Khan III also played a major role in realising the idea of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan by collecting funds for building the Aligarh Muslim University[6]

In the beginning the college was affiliated with the University of Calcutta but became an affiliate of Allahabad University in 1885. Around 1900 efforts began to make the college its own university. Its range of courses was expanded and a girls school was added in 1907 before it became the Aligarh Muslim University in 1920.[5] The university was designed to train Muslims for government service in India and prepare them for advanced training in British universities.

In 1927, a school for the blind was established and, the following year, a medical school was attached to the university. By the end of the 1930s, the university had developed an Engineering faculty. Syed Zafarul Hasan, joined the Aligarh Muslim University in early 1900s as head of Philosophy Department, dean Faculty of Arts. He was a pro-vice chancellor before his retirement.

Before 1939, faculty members and students supported an all-India nationalist movement. After 1939, political sentiment shifted toward support for a Muslim separatist movement. University Students and faculty mobilised behind Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the University hence became an epicenter of Pakistan Movement.[7][8]

In late 2014 the university's vice-chancellor Zameerud-din Shah turned down a demand by female students to be allowed to use the Maulana Azad Library, which was male-only. Shah stated that the issue was not one of discipline, but of space as if girls were allowed in the library there would be "four times more boys," putting a strain on the library's capacity.[9][10][11] Although there was a separate library for the university's Women's College, it was not as well-stocked as the Maulana Azad Library.[9] National human resource and development minister Smriti Irani decried Shah's defense as "an insult to daughters."[10]

Responding to a petition filed by a Human Rights Law Network intern, the Allahabad High Court ruled in November 2014 that the university's ban on female students from using the main library was unconstitutional, and that accommodations must be made to facilitate student use regardless of gender.[11][12] The High Court gave the university until November 24, 2014 to comply.[12]

Campus

The college occupies over 467.6 hectares (1,155 acres) in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh,

The faculty of social science established a Social Science Cyber Library which was inaugurated by the President of India on 27 December 2013.[13]

Ranking

In 2012, the university was ranked 5th by India Today.[14] In 2013, the University ranked 9th in the top 10 higher education institutions in India by Times Higher Education World University Rankings.[15] In 2015 the National Assessment and Accreditation Council rated the school 3.35/A.[16]

Vice-chancellors

Muhammad Ali Jinnah's will, excerpt

The vice-chancellors of Aligarh Muslim University are:[17]

Notable alumni

Alumni of the university are popularly known as Aligarians (the more generic Aligarhiya is used to refer to inhabitants of Aligarh who have not studied at AMU.)[28]

References

  1. "Aligarh Muslim University, BHU welcome budgetary allocations". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  2. "Aligarh Muslim University". Amu.ac.in. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  3. "Academic Progression". Aligarh Muslim University.
  4. "Aligarh" in Chambers's Encyclopædia. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 1, p. 267.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 "AMU History". Aligarh Muslim University. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  6. Express Tribune. "To sir with love: Aga Khan III – a tireless advocate for female education".
  7. Mushirul Hasan, "Nationalist and Separatist Trends in Aligarh, 1915–47," Indian Economic and Social History Review, (January 1985) 22#1 pp 1–33
  8. Zakir Ali Khan, an alumni of AMU, in an Interview with The Dawn, Pakistani newspaper
  9. 9.0 9.1 Eram Agha, Girls in AMU library will ‘attract’ boys: VC. The Times of India, November 11, 2014.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Irani slams AMU V-C over women in library remark. Hindustan Times, November 11, 2014.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Allow entry of girls inside library: Allahabad High Court to AMU. Deccan Chronicle, November 25, 2014.
  12. 12.0 12.1 India court library ban on women 'unconstitutional'. BBC News Online, November 14, 2014.
  13. "President of India inaugurates XXXVII Indian Social Science Congress". Batori.in. 27 December 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  14. "Back Where It Belongs: AMU at 5th spot on India Today Universities Rankings 2012". Indiatoday.intoday.in. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  15. "India's top 10 higher education institutions". The World University Rankings. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  16. "5th Meeting of the Standing Committee (3rd March 2015): List of Institutions Recommended For Accreditation by NAAC (1st Cycle)" (PDF). National Assessment and Accreditation Council.
  17. "AUM VC's List – DeedahwarNewsViews". Sites.google.com. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  18. Aligarh Movement. "H.H. Sir Mohammad Ali Mohammad, Khan Bahadur, Raja Mahmudabad". Aligarh Movement. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  19. "Welcome to Basaha Estate". Basahaestate.in. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  20. abdullah (10 January 2012). "Former AMU Pro-Chancellor Passed Away | My AMU | Aligarh Muslim University – My Way". Myamu.in. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  21. http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/2011-January.txt
  22. ":: Ziauddin University ::". Zu.edu.pk. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  23. http://ncm.nic.in/naseem%20ahmad.html
  24. "Abdul Azis VC of Aligarh Muslim varsity". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 19 May 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  25. "Aligarh V-C's tenure ends". The Hindu (Aligarh). 18 January 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  26. "Zameeruddin Shah is new Aligarh Muslim University vice-chancellor". Times of India. 12 May 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  27. "Naseeruddin Shah's brother appointed Aligarh Muslim University Vice-Chancellor". NDTV.com. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  28. "Test for admission to courses in AMU centre". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 29 March 2011.

Further reading

External links

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Coordinates: 27°54′39″N 78°04′47″E / 27.9108°N 78.0797°E