Naima Khatoon, AMU's First Woman Vice-Chancellor Appointment Draws Controversy
Naima Khatoon is appointed as the first woman Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). This is the second time in the history of the prestigious university that it will be headed by a woman. A century ago, in 1920, Sultan Jahan, the Begum of Bhopal, the founding chancellor of the university, helmed it before.
In a letter to AMU, the Union Ministry of Education said that the President of India appointed Professor Naima Khatoon as the VC of the AMU for five years. Since the appointment came during the Lok Sabha elections, a nod from the Election Commission (EC) had to be obtained. The EC has given its nod, however, asked to derive “no publicity” and “no political mileage” from the appointment.
Khatoon served the university for about four decades and also worked at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies and served as Director at the university”s Centre for Skill Development and Career Planning since 2015.
The appointment of a woman at the top position has taken many by surprise considering the conservative perception of the university. Professor Mohammad Wasim Ali, proctor of the university reportedly said that the university has never been a conservative institution, it has been a liberal in terms of women”s education. He mentioned that the university had been welcoming for the women since its inception and the women”s college in Abdullah Hall was established in 1937, when education for women was not a norm.
The selection of Prof Khatoon brewed controversy over the selection procedure since her husband Muhammad Gulrez chaired and voted the meeting of 27-member executive council (EC). However, Prof Ali, denied the claims and responded that no rules were violated as Khatoon did not participate in her elections and her husband is not a candidate. Though Prof Khatoon was a member of the executive council but she recused herself from voting for the names of the vice-chancellor.
A total of three names were sent to the government and it decided to put forward a woman”s name for the top job to the University. According to Professor Ali, she landed the job by the dint of her hard work and broke the glass ceiling purely on merit.
As per the latest NIRF rankings, the Aligarh Muslim University is among the top 10 universities in India.
