Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Court on Monday recommended a panel of three candidates to the President, Droupadi Murmu, for appointment as the next Vice-Chancellor. This included the officiating vice-chancellor’s (VC) wife, Prof Naima Khatoon Gulrez, along with Prof Muzaffar Uruj Rabbani, former Dean, of the Faculty of Medicine, AMU, Prof Faizan Mustafa, Vice Chancellor, Chanakya National Law University, Patna, and Professor at the Department of Law, AMU.
AMU’s officiating VC Mohammad Gulrez had early recommended his wife Naima Khatoon Gulrez as the next VC. Prof Naima Khatoon is also a Professor of Psychology at AMU and Principal, of Women’s College, AMU. This, however, led to a criticism of the selection process and raised questions of “propriety and conflict of interest,” reported Times of India. Khatoon, if appointed, will be AMU’s first woman VC.
“The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Court, the supreme governing body of the university, at its special meeting held today, recommended a panel of three names to the President of India in her capacity as Visitor of the University, for the appointment of the next Vice-Chancellor,” read the official press release by the varsity.
The meeting was attended by 84 members and was presided over by the officiating VC. Prof Rabbani secured 61 votes, Prof Mustafa 53, and Prof Khatoon 50, while Prof Furqan Qamar and Prof Qayyum Husain secured 45 and 43 votes, respectively. Prof Qamar and Prof Husain figured in the panel of five names that were drawn by the Executive Council of the University at its meeting held on October 30.
The term of the previous Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor ended in June 2022. Weeks before he was to retire, the central government extended his tenure by one year on the grounds of unusual circumstances caused by the pandemic lockdown. AMU has not had a permanent vice-chancellor (VC) since April when Mansoor resigned. Professor Mohammad Gulrez has been working as the Acting VC since then.
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