New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) is set to establish a full-fledged Department of Library and Information Science, marking the first significant development in this field at the university since 1985. This move comes after the Union Ministry of Education sanctioned six teaching posts for the programme, according to a statement from the university’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Saima Saeed, reported the Times of India.
“This is a remarkable expansion, as JMI has been offering the Bachelor of Library and Information Science (B.Lib.I.Sc.) course for four decades without permanent faculty,” Saeed noted. She added that the new appointments would bring renewed energy to the highly demanded programme.
JMI Vice Chancellor Professor Mazhar Asif emphasized the importance of libraries in the academic fabric of universities. “Libraries are vital for research and knowledge advancement, particularly in the digital era,” he said. He highlighted the need for a robust department to train skilled librarians equipped to meet modern challenges.
He also stated that the proposed department would play a crucial role in preserving and digitising the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), thereby contributing to national heritage.
Professor Asif, along with Registrar Professor Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Education Minister, the Ministry of Finance, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) for supporting the proposal. They described the move as a milestone that would enhance the university’s academic infrastructure and promote the growing discipline of library sciences.
The CPRO pointed out that the development would significantly boost the 105-year-old institution, whose Central Library was established in 1920, the same year as the university’s founding.
