Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is an Indian public central university. It was originally
established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875. The Muhammadan
Anglo-Oriental College became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920. The main campus of AMU
is located in the city of Aligarh. Spread over 467.6 hectares, AMU offers more than
300 courses in both traditional and modern branches of education. In addition to this
it has its three off-campus centres at Malappuram (Kerala), Murshidabad (West Bengal) and Kishanganj
(Bihar). The university comprises all castes, creeds, religions and genders, and is an Institute
of National Importance provided under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution at its
commencement.
== History ==
=== Foundation ===
It was established as Madrasatul Uloom Musalmanan-e-Hind in 1875. The college started on 24 May 1875.
The Anglo–Indian statesman Syed Ahmad Khan founded the predecessor of AMU, the Muhammadan
Anglo Oriental College, in 1875 having already established two schools. The movement of Muslim
awakening associated with Syed Ahmad Khan and M.A.O. College came to be known as Aligarh
Movement. He considered competence in English and "Western sciences" necessary skills for
maintaining Muslims' political influence, especially in Northern India. Khan's image
for the college was based on his visit to Oxford and Cambridge and he wanted to establish
an education system similar to the British model. A committee was formed in the name
of the foundation of a Muslim College and people were asked to fund generously.
The 7th Nizam of Hyderabad,HEH Mir Osman Ali Khan made a remarkable donation of Rupees
5 Lakh to the institution in 1918. The then, Viceroy and Governor General of
India Lord Northbrook gave a donation of Rs 10000 and the Lt. Governor of the North-Western
Provinces contributed Rs 1000. Whereas, by March 1874 the fund for the college stood
at Rs 153492 and 8 anas.. His Highness Sri Maharao Raja Mahamdar Singh Mahamder Bahadur,
G.C.S.I.,the late Maharaja of Patiala contributed Rs.58,000. His Highness the Maharaja of Vizianagaram,
K.C.S.I also made donations. Shambhu Narayan, Raja of Benaras donated Rs 60.In the beginning,
the college was affiliated with the University of Calcutta for the matriculate examination
but became an affiliate of Allahabad University in 1885. In 1877, the school was raised to
the college level and Lord Lytton laid the foundation stone of the college building.
=== Transformation into university === Around 1900 A.D. efforts began to make the
college its own university. The Aligarh Muslim University Act of 1920 made it a central university.HH
Sir Mohammad Ali Mohammad Khan and the Aga Khan III also played a major role in realising
the idea of Syed Ahmed Khan by collecting funds for building the Aligarh Muslim UniversityIn
1927, a school for the blind was established by Sahibzada Aftab Ahmad Khan and, the following
year, a medical school was attached to the university. By the end of the 1930s, the university
had developed an Engineering faculty. Syed Zafarul Hasan, joined the Aligarh Muslim University
in early 1900s as head of Philosophy Department, dean Faculty of Arts.
Movement]].
=== Women's education ===
Women's education started at the university with the establishment of the Girls School
on 19 October 1906. The All India Muhammadan Educational Conference had started a movement
to establish girls education from 1896 onward. The school became intermediate college in
1929 and on 1930 it was made a constituent college of the university and the name was
changed to Women's College. Since then it caters to the female undergraduate students
of the university.In late 2014 the university's vice-chancellor Zameer Uddin Shah turned down
a demand by female students of the college to be allowed to use the Maulana Azad Library,
which was male-only. Shah stated that the issue was not one of discipline, but of space
as if girls were allowed in the library there would be "four times more boys," putting a
strain on the library's capacity. Although there was a separate library for the university's
Women's College, it was not as well-stocked as the Maulana Azad Library. National human
resource and development minister Smriti Irani decried Shah's defense as "an insult to daughters."Responding
to a petition filed by a Human Rights Law Network intern, the Allahabad High Court ruled
in November 2014 that the university's ban on female students from using the main library
was unconstitutional, and that accommodations must be made to facilitate student use regardless
of gender. The High Court gave the university until 24 November 2014 to comply.
=== Minority status === Aligarh Muslim University claims itself as
a minority institute guaranteed under Article 29 and 30 of the Constitution of India. However,
Allahabad High Court has struck down provisions of Aligarh Muslim University Act stating that
AMU is not a minority institution. In April 2016, the Indian government advised the court
it would not appeal the decision.
== Organisation ==
The university's formal head is the Chancellor, though this is a titular figure, not involved
with the day-to-day running of the university. The Chancellor is elected by the members of
University Court, a body with members drawn from all walks of life. The university's chief
executive is the Vice-Chancellor, appointed by the President of India on the recommendation
of the Court. The Court is the supreme governing body of the University and exercises all the
powers of the University, not otherwise provided for by the Aligarh Muslim University Act,
the Statutes, the Ordinances and the Regulations of the University.On 11 April 2015, Mufaddal
Saifuddin was elected Chancellor and Ibne Saeed Khan, the former Nawab of Chhatari state,
Pro-Chancellor. Habibur Rahman, former vice chancellor of Agra University, was elected
Honorary Treasurer.On May 17, 2017, Tariq Mansoor assumed his office as 39th Vice-Chancellor
of the university.
== Academic profile == Aligarh Muslim University is a fully residential
university having 13 faculties, 7 constituent colleges (5 colleges academic programs), 15
Centres, 3 Institutes, 10 schools. Recently the university opened faculty of International
Studies.
=== Rankings === Internationally, AMU was ranked 801-1000 in
the QS World University Rankings of 2018. The same rankings ranked it 238 in Asia and
161-170 among BRICS nations. It was ranked 601-800 in the world by the Times Higher Education
World University Rankings of 2018, 158 in Asia and 157 among BRICS & Emerging Economies
in 2017. It was ranked 17 in India overall by the National Institutional Ranking Framework
in 2018, 10th among universities and 49 in the management ranking.Among engineering colleges,
the Zakir Hussain College of Engineering & Technology, the engineering college of the university,
was ranked 17 by India Today in 2017 and 35 by the National Institutional Ranking Framework
among engineering institutes in 2018.The Faculty of Law has ranked 2nd in India by India Today
in 2017. The Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, the medical school of the university, has
been ranked 8th by India Today in 2017.
=== Libraries ===
The Maulana Azad Library is the library of the university. It consists of a central library
and over 100 departmental and college libraries. It houses royal decrees of Mughal emperors
such as Babur, Akbar and Shahjahan are highlights of the collection.The foundation of the Library
was laid in 1877 at the time of establishment of the Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College by
Lord Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton, the then Viceroy of India and it was named
after him as Lytton Library. The present seven-storied building was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru,
the first Prime Minister of independent India in 1960 and the Library was named after Abul
Kalam Azad popularly known as Maulana Azad, the first Education Minister of the independent
India.The Social Science Cyber Library was inaugurated by Pranab Mukherjee, the President
of India on 27 December 2013. In 2015 the Cybrary was accredited with the
International Standard Organisation certification and in October 2016 registered in Limca Book
of Records.
== Student life ==
=== Aligarh Muslim University Students' Union
===
Aligarh Muslim University Students` Union or AMUSU is the university-wide representative
body for students at the university.
=== Traditions === Sherwani is worn by male students of the university
and is a traditional attire of the university. It is required to be worn during official
programs. The university provides sherwani at a subsidized price. Sherwani is a unique
tradition of Aligarh Muslim University. In early 2013, Zameer Uddin Shah came into prominence
by insisting that male students have to wear sherwani if they wanted to meet him.
=== Clubs and societies === Sports and cultural activities are executed
by various clubs available in the campus. Notable ones include the oldest, Cricket club
, Horse riding club. and AMU Drama Club.
=== Old Boys Association === Old Boys Association was established in the
year 1898. It has been statue in AMU, Act 1920.
== Notable alumni ==
Throughout its history a sizable number of university alumni, popularly known as Aligs,
have become notable in many varied fields, both academic and otherwise, ranging from
Zakir Husain, 3rd President of India; Pashtun independence activist Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan;
the former Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari;André Weil the French mathematician
of the 20th century; Anwara Taimur the first and the only woman to be the Chief Minister
of Assam. Sheikh Abdullah, and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed both former Chief Ministers of Jammu
and Kashmir. Sports persons like Dhyan Chand, Lala Amarnath and Zafar Iqbal are some among
the many alumni of the university.
== University in literature and other media ==
The Aligarh Muslim University is the setting for numerous works of fiction. Films set in
the university include Mere Mehboob, a 1963 film directed by H. S. Rawail and starring
Rajendra Kumar, Sadhana, Ashok Kumar, Nimmi, Pran, Johnny Walker and Ameeta. The 1966 film
Nai Umar Ki Nai Fasal was also filmed on the campus. Aligarh 2015, a film on Ramchandra
Siras a gay professor from the university, has been released and received a warm response
worldwide