New Delhi, February 8: Jamia Millia Islamia(JMI) today celebrated 127th Birth Anniversary of Late Dr. Zakir Husain, a recipient of Bharat Ratna, 3rd President of the country and 3rd Vice Chancellor of JMI. On this occasion, a special prayer meet was organized at his mausoleum located on the university campus. Officials of the university, students of Jamia Schools and family members of Dr Zakir Husain attended the prayer meet.
Born on February 8, 1897, Zakir Husain studied at Etawah School, obtained MA from Aligarh Muslim University. He stayed in Germany from September 1922 to February 1926 to do his PhD in Economics from the University of Berlin, under the supervision of Professor Werner Sombart, which was approved “summa cum laude” in 1926.
Along with his colleagues in Germany, Dr. Abid Husain and Mohammad Mujeeb, Zakir Husain came to Jamia in 1926. He was Vice Chancellor of JMI for 22 years (1926-48). It was his vision that held JMI together at a time of great financial and ideological crisis and he took leadership in creating the ‘Life Members of Jamia,’ who pledged 20 years of service to JMI. His personal sacrifice and untiring efforts to keep the Jamia afloat in very adverse circumstances won him appreciation of even his arch political rivals.
He left Jamia in 1948 to help Aligarh Muslim University as its Vice Chancellor. He went on to become the Governor of Bihar, Vice President of India and the President of India. Dr. Zakir Husain died on 3rd May 1969, the first Indian President to die in office.
