HC upholds Naima Khatoon's ‘historicappointment' as AMU's 1st woman VC
Agra: Dismissing all petitions that challenged the selection process, Allahabad High Court upheld the appointment of professor
Naima Khatoon
as the vice-chancellor (VC) of
Aligarh Muslim University
(AMU) on Saturday.
Khatoon, who earlier served as principal of women's college in AMU, became the first woman to hold the VC's post in the varsity's over 100-year history.
HC division bench of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Donadi Ramesh found no procedural lapses, asserting the selection process adhered fully to the AMU Act, statutes and regulations. The court also emphasised the symbolic and progressive nature of her "historic appointment", calling it a "major stride for gender representation and constitutional values in academic leadership".
It further recognised that the "final discretion to appoint the VC lay with the 'Visitor' of the university — the President of India, and no allegations of mala fide were established at that level". The court had reserved the verdict on April 9 after hearing arguments from counsels representing the petitioner, AMU and the central govt.
The petitions were filed in late 2023 by prof Syed Afzal Murtaza Rizvi of Jamia Millia Islamia, Mujahid Beg from AMU's medicine department and retired AMU prof MU Rabbani.
They had raised objections after Khatoon, wife of then-acting VC Mohd Gulrez, was "shortlisted".
After HC's decision, Khatoon, an AMU alumna who earned her PhD in psychology from the varsity, said, "I've always had the highest regard and faith in our judiciary. This verdict is not just a personal vindication, but a strong reaffirmation of institutional processes and democratic values in our higher education system.
Let this judgment inspire confidence among all stakeholders and reaffirm our shared mission to uphold the university's legacy of knowledge, justice and progress.
"
AMU proctor, Mohammad Waseem, added, "Today's judgment emphasised that prof Khatoon's merit and qualifications were undisputed, and her appointment, as approved by the highest constitutional authority of the land, deserves respect and recognition."
In Nov 2023, controversy erupted after the AMU's executive council shortlisted "five eligible names". An AMU prof wrote to the President of India, claiming "the process of selecting a new AMU VC was not followed in a proper manner". The 'AMU court' then forwarded three names, including that of Khatoon, to the ministry of education and the President of India for selection of the new VC, and the matter also went to HC.
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