After hoisting the national tricolor flag and accepting the salaami (salute) of the NCC cadets, the Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Lt. General Zameeruddin Shah announced that he will leave office on May 16, this year. He said that he tried his best to bring the university on the top during his tenure and he will continue his efforts till his last day of office. He further added that universities are known for their research and with the blessings of the Almighty, the research that AMU has done in Nanotechnology, Solar Energy and Waste Water Recycling are appreciated worldwide.
He also said that it was his dedication to the university that it now has a number of academic blocks, swimming pools, smart class rooms, halls of residence, roads, playgrounds, etc. The renovation of Jama Masjid, Strachey Hall and University Museum had also begun and after a long wait, the Cath Lab was established in his tenure.
A meeting of the executive council of AMU was held on January 28 under the chairmanship of Lt. General Zameer Uddin Shah to recommend a panel of five persons to the university court for the appointment of the next Vice Chancellor. The panelists are Dr. Abusaleh Shariff (Executive Director and Chief Scholar of US-India Policy Institute, Washington DC), Professor Javed Akhtar (Registrar, former Controller of Examination and former Dean, Faculty Of Management Studies, AMU), Professor Mazahir Kidwai (Vice Chancellor of IIMT University, Meerut and former Vice Chancellor of Jivaji University, Gwalior), Dr. Shahid Jamil (CEO, Welcome Trust and DBT India Alliance and recipient of Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Award) and Professor Tariq Mansoor (Principal and Chief Medical Superintendent, JNMC AMU).
Undoubtedly, AMU is one of the best University of India besides its historical importance. General Zameeruddin Shah has served the University well and made many new constructions on the campus. However, despite his strict conduct there was a murder on campus in September 2015 leading to a student’s loss of life. In an another incident a of student M. tech lost his eyesight in a shootout on the campus. Besides the two, other violent condemnable incidents happened on campus.
The road into the University is free and open for all civilians and vehicles except the heavy vehicles. The gates of all residential halls and hostels are also commonly open. Therefore, the security of campus is a critical issue for the next Vice Chancellor. Another big issue, I think, is the allotment of the hostels because new students of various courses are compelled to live outside from the campus due to lack of space in hostels. To run continuously the construction and renovation work will also be an important issue. It is also known to all that AMU centers in Kishanganj and Morshidabad are facing many difficulties. Therefore, pressurizing the government for the betterment of these centers will be a challenge for next Vice Chancellor.
The meeting of the University Court will be held on February 4, 2017 at 11 am at the NRSC Club, AMU, Aligarh to recommend a panel of at least three persons out of which one person shall be appointed by the President of India in his capacity as the Visitor of the University.