Jamia VC, historian among Padma winners

New Delhi:

Jamia Millia Islamia

vice-chancellor

Najma Akhtar

was conferred the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, on Tuesday.

Akhtar, who had assumed charge in 2019, had scripted history for being Jamia’s first woman VC.

Soon after the list of awardees was announced by the government, Akhtar told TOI, “This recognition is a matter of huge honour for every woman. I might be older to some and younger to some but ultimately, we are all the same. The fact that the President and the Prime Minister had decided to appoint me as the first woman VC at a central university like Jamia had also meant a lot.”

“Jamia is now among one of the best universities and it’s a desirable place to be. We are constantly working for ordinary people. This is an honour my university has earned, I’m only its representative,” Akhtar said. She said the recognition will only compel her to work harder and take education further.

“The work done by the university in the field of education, health and development was not only for itself, but for communities in the neighbourhood too and today, that has received recognition,” Akhtar added.

Renowned history and policy scholar JK Bajaj, who specialised in the study of Indian society, was also awarded the Padma Shri in the field of literature and education.

Reacting to the announcement, Bajaj said, “This is a recognition for the work my colleagues and I have been doing at the Centre for Policy Studies to comprehend the country from an Indian perspective. It feels good to know that quiet, systematic, scholarly and foundational work is also getting public recognition in today’s India.”

The Centre for Policy Studies is a social science research institute that is ideologically aligned with the RSS. Headquartered in Chennai, its work is concentrated on the issue of demographics, society, agriculture and history, among others.

Tara Jauhar, writer and educationist who dedicated her life to propagating the teachings of Sri Aurobindo, was also among those who were awarded the Padma Shri.

Engineer, academician and technocrat Dilip Shahani was honoured with the Padma Shri by the government for playing an instrumental role in India’s electronic voting machine platform.