Jamia Millia Islamia gets new VC, President Murmu appoints JNU professor Mazhar Asif after year’s gap

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday appointed Mazhar Asif as the vice chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia, according to Union Ministry of Education officials.

Asif is currently a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) School of Languages.

“The president, in her capacity as the visitor of Jamia Millia Islamia, has appointed Professor Mazhar Asif, School of Languages, JNU, as the vice chancellor of Jamia for five years from the date on which he enters upon his office or until he attains the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier,” a ministry official said.

Asif, a JNU alumnus, was a member of the drafting committee for the new National Education Policy, 2020.

The Jamia vice chancellor post fell vacant in November 2023 when previous VC Najma Akhtar’s tenure came to an end.

Asif has served as a member of the Executive Councils of both the JNU and the Maulana Abulkalam Azad National Urdu University.

He has also held leadership roles in national education initiatives, such as the National Institute of Open Schooling and the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language.

Asif has nine books published in Persian, English, and Assamese, including a comprehensive Persian-Assamese-English dictionary.

He has presented more than 20 research papers at national and international conferences, reflecting his active engagement in academic discourse.