New Delhi: The Urdu Department at Jamia Millia Islamia marked its 52nd Foundation Day on Monday with a commemorative event. Although Urdu has been part of the university’s curriculum since its inception, the department was formally established on November 25, 1972.
Professor Ahmed Mahfouz, Chairman of the Department, congratulated the faculty during the event. He highlighted the department’s contributions to Urdu literature and its growing reputation in the academic world. “The Urdu world deeply respects the department’s literary services, and it is flourishing every day,” he said.
Professor Kausar Mazhari expressed pride in the department’s legacy, noting its rich academic and literary history. He praised the faculty for their continued excellence in their fields and affirmed that the department’s future looks promising.
Over the past five decades, many prominent literary figures have been associated with the department, including Professor Gopichand Narang, Professor Tanveer Ahmed Alvi, Professor Muhammad Zakir, Professor Onwan Chishti, Professor Hanif Kaifi, Professor Sughra Mehdi, Professor Shamim Hanafi, Dr. Sohail Ahmed Farooqi and others. These individuals have made notable contributions to poetry, criticism, and research.
The department has also hosted distinguished scholars like Ralph Russell, Intezar Hussain, and CM Naeem as visiting professors, while Qurat-ul-Ain Haider and Shamsur Rahman Farooqi served as Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan Chairs.
The Urdu Department has undertaken significant academic and research projects, including studies on media language, translation, and classical poetry and prose under the three-phase Departmental Research Support (DRS) programme funded by UGC. One of its major achievements is the publication of 13 books on Tagore under the Ministry of Culture’s Tagore Research and Translation Scheme. Additionally, the department has been publishing its annual magazine Armaghan since 2012 and has organised numerous national and international seminars over the years.
The meeting was attended by several esteemed faculty members, including Professor Khalid Javed, Professor Nadeem Ahmed, Professor Imran Ahmed Andleeb, Professor Sarwarul Huda, Dr. Shah Alam, Dr. Khalid Mubashir, Dr. Mushir Ahmed, Dr. Syed Tanveer Hussain, Dr. Muhammad Muqim, Dr. Shadab Tabassum, Dr. Jadid Hassan, and others
The event served as a reminder of the department’s longstanding contributions to the promotion and preservation of Urdu language and literature.
