Who is Naima Khatoon, first woman V-C of Aligarh Muslim University?

The prestigious Aligarh Muslim university (AMU) has got the first woman vice-chancellor in its over 100 years of history. Naima Khatoon, AMU alumnus and principal of the university’s Women’s College, has been appointed to the post for five years.

Khatoon’s appointment received approval from President Droupadi Murmu as well as the Election Commission in view of the model code of conduct being in place for the Lok Sabha elections.

Khatoon takes charge from her spouse Professor Mohammad Gulrez, who was officiating as pro vice-chancellor. Her candidature for the post had been challenged in the Allahabad High Court last November since the committee shortlisting the names was headed by Prof. Gulrez. The petition was dismissed.

Khatoon, after completing her doctorate in political psychology from AMU, had joined the same department in 1988 as lecturer. She was promoted as professor in 2006. She continued on the post till appointment as principal of the Women’s College in 2014.

Khatoon was a lecturer at the National University of Rwanda for an academic year. She has held several administrative positions at AMU, including provost in both Abdullah Hall and Indira Gandhi Hall, deputy proctor and director of the Residential Coaching Academy.

Khatoon did her doctorate research at AMU and the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi. She has given presentations on her study at the Hollings Center in Boston, University of Alba Iulia in Romania, Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University and the University of Louisville.

The Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, founded in 1875, became AMU in 1920 through the Aligarh Muslim University Act. Completing 100 years in September 2020, AMU is one of India’s oldest universities. In 1920, Begum Sultan Jahan was appointed its chancellor—the only woman to have held the post in the university.

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