On December 10, Jamia Millia Islamia University vice chancellor Talat Ahmed was conferred with the 26th Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar Award for his contribution to the field of education.
The award, which was instituted by the Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar Academy in 1989, is given out every year to individuals for extraordinary contribution in fields such as politics, journalism, social work, etc.
The award was conferred upon Ahmed at a ceremony presided by Naseem Ahmad, chairman of the Minority Commission.
Ahmad, a renowned earth scientist who has earlier served as the VC of Kashmir University, took over as the 14th vice chancellor of Jamia earlier this year. The 59-year-old academician has over 65 research publications to his credit.
He completed his PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University and pursued post-doctoral research at the University of Leicester and Cambridge University in the UK and the Nagoya University in Japan.
Prior to his stint at Kashmir University, Ahmed taught Geology at Delhi University. He has been involved in studies related to aerosol and glaciers in the Himalayas. He has also initiated efforts to set up School of Earth Atmosphere and Planetary Sciences at Jamia Millia Islamia.
Among others who bagged the award this year include Syed Anwarul Huda, DGP and the vice chairman and managing director of the AP State Police Housing Corporation, Khawaja Mohd Haleem, former UP minister, actor and director Tom Alter, Hakeem Aslam Jawed, a Unani physician and journalist Shakeel Akhtar.