In a poignant homecoming that bridged decades, Professor (Dr) Shahid Akhter — one of three recently nominated members of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Executive Council by the President of India — walked through the corridors of the Maulana Azad Library, the very institution where he once spent countless days as a young student.
The visit came shortly after the university’s Executive Council meeting, during which Vice-Chancellor Professor Naima Khatoon welcomed Prof Akhter and the two other newly appointed Visitor-nominated members. Pro Vice-Chancellor and Registrar were also present at the felicitation ceremony.
A Presidential Nod to Academic Eminence
President Droupadi Murmu, in her capacity as AMU’s Visitor, appointed three nationally respected academicians to the university’s apex governing body under Statute 16(1)(XII) for a three-year term effective January 19, 2026.
Alongside Prof Akhter, the President, however, nominated Prof Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi, and Prof Geeta Bhatt, Director of the Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board (NCWEB), University of Delhi.
Prof Pankaj Mittal, the second woman to hold the AIU Secretary General position in its 97-year history, brings a comprehensive national perspective, engaging daily with universities across the country and shaping dialogue on reforms, collaboration, and academic standards.
Prof Geeta Bhatt, an Associate Professor at Delhi University with over two decades of teaching experience, adds a vital dimension of inclusivity — her work at NCWEB has expanded higher education access for women outside regular colleges.
A Walk Through Memory Lane
Accompanied by the Registrar and fellow Executive Council members, Prof Akhter revisited the library’s grand halls where he had spent ‘hundreds of days and hours’ as an AMU student.
Describing the experience as ‘deeply nostalgic and memorable’, Prof Akhter explored preserved books, exhibition halls, and historical collections — including translations of Qur’anic verses and rare manuscripts in multiple languages.
The Maulana Azad Library, established in 1877 as the Lytton Library and renamed after India’s first Education Minister, is one of Asia’s largest university library systems. Its Manuscripts Division alone houses over 16,000 invaluable manuscripts, including a Quran fragment over 1,400 years old.
Gandhi’s Letter and Freedom Fighters’ Legacy
Among the treasures on display was a letter written by Mahatma Gandhi in Urdu — a testament to the library’s remarkable archival wealth.
The delegation viewed a postal stamp commemorating AMU’s freedom fighters, a reminder of the university’s profound contribution to India’s independence movement.
The library, which traces its origins to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s personal collection, attracts scholars from across the globe with its rare holdings in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and Sanskrit.
“It was truly a remarkable and cherished moment,” Prof Akhter further remarked.
As AMU adapts to the demands of 21st-century higher education, this infusion of national academic expertise — blending policy acumen, governance experience, and social commitment — signals a renewed commitment to the institution’s historic legacy of excellence and inclusivity.
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