Syed Khalique Ahmed | India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI—Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be releasing a postal stamp on the Aligarh Muslim University via video conferencing at the centenary year celebrations of the university on December 22.
PM, who will be the chief guest at the centenary year celebrations, will be accompanied at the virtual function along with Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank.
President Ram Nath Kovind has also been invited to be the chief guest at a programme to be held in February as a part of the centenary year celebrations.
However, the university authorities are silent whether any invitation was given to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath or the latter refused to attend the university function even through video-conferencing.
AMU Public Relations Officer Umar Peerzada said that the alumni associations of the university, which is present in 108 countries, will also be celebrating the centenary year through webinars, seminars and symposia.
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, who wanted to set up a university in India on the pattern of Oxford and Cambridge universities, set up the Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh in 1875, which was elevated to a university when Aligarh Muslim University Act was passed in 1920, almost 22 years after the death of Sir Syed. AMU is among the oldest universities in India.
According to university officials, a time capsule that was buried in the premises of the university 143 years ago was likely to be dug out on the foundation day of the MAO College that may reveal many other things which are not known about the university. AMU officials say that there are plans to bury another capsule on the foundation day containing details about the achievements of the university during the last 100 years with regard to contributions of the university in promotion of education and research in India.
According to AMU website, prominent alumni of the university included Bharat Ratna Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, former prime minister of Bangladesh Mansoor Ali, former President of Maldives Mohammad Amin Didi, former Delhi Chief Minister sahib Singh Verma, former J&K Chief Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, former President of India Dr. Zakir Hussain and former vice-president of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari.
