JMI has been coming off with flying colours in achieving the latest educational aims and ideals set by the nation and the community
Clarion India | Mohd. Aasif
NEW DELHI – On Thursday, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) completed 100 years of its foundation after making a humble beginning at Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh on 29 October 1920.
The Centenary Foundation Day Celebrations were held at the Dr. M.A. Ansari Auditorium forecourt where Vice Chancellor, JMI, Prof. Najma Akhtar and the chief guest of the function Hamid Ahmed, CEO Hamdard Laboratories & Chancellor, Jamia Hamdard University, were presented with a Guard of Honour by NCC cadets. After the Guard of Honour both hoisted Jamia Flag followed by a melodious song ‘Ye Jamia Ka Parcham..’ sung by Jamia school students.
Mohd Mursaleen, Principal of the Jamia Middle School, welcomed the Vice Chancellor, the Chief Guest and other dignitaries inside the Ansari Auditorium as Foundation Day Inaugural Function is traditionally organised by Jamia Middle School.
Jamia Tarana (Anthem) was sung by senior students of the school followed by a short film on Jamia containing sound bytes of its famous alumni and important personalities, including former cricketer Virender Sehwag, filmmaker Kabeer Khan, Kunwar Danish Ali, MP, Lok Sabha, Javed Ali Khan, MP, Rajya Sabha, senior TV journalists Rajdeep Sardesai and Ravish Kumar, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, Justice (Retd.) MSA Siddiqui, Former JMI VC Shahid Mehdi (Rtd. IFS), Indian hockey player Devesh Chauhan, among others.
Considering the Covid-19 situation, a very limited gathering with strict social distancing was allowed inside the auditorium.
Hon’ble Chancellor, JMI and Manipur Governor Dr Najma Heptulla addressed the audience through her recorded video message congratulating the central university for achieving the milestone.
Speaking on the occasion JMI Vice Chancellor Prof. Najma Akhtar said, “Jamia Millia Islamia is a unique institution. Since it believes in philosophy of action, it casts sloth and laziness aside. This is the reason that it has been coming off with flying colours in achieving the latest educational aims and ideals set by the nation and the community”.
She said that Jamia had always worked to the best of its capacity with the optimum use of existing human and material resources for ultimate improvement in all its parameters while looking up to its students and learned and dedicated teachers and non-teaching staff for its up-gradation and consolidation for further improvement of quality and pursuit of excellence.
Right from its inception, Prof. Akhtar said, the university has embraced the idea of co-education and healthy mixing and growth of both genders together. “Jamia likes to think of a society where women will have all the opportunities to fulfill their aspirations and cultivate their interests, unchecked by any kind of discriminatory practices. They will be groomed and trained so that they can take leadership positions in different spheres of life”, she said.
Talking about academic and research achievements of the university she told the gathering that the UGC had granted the university permission to open four departments in the newly emergent areas of foreign languages, hospital management and hospice studies, design and innovation and environmental sciences.
Prof. Akhtar also said that due to Covid-19, the centenary celebration had been organised with minimal attendance but it would continue for a whole year, adding that the programmes which had not been included would be carried out once the Covid situation was controlled.
As part of the celebration, a cultural program in which students of various Jamia schools performed and an exhibition titled’ Making of the University’ displaying rare manuscripts, photographs, documents, books and letters highlighting the great history of the university as well as a Mushaira & Kavi Sammelan were also organised.