Jamia Milia Islamia University had four important positions unfilled for months, with “interim” administrators in charge

The four principal positions of Jamia Millia Islamia University have been officially vacant for more than six months, and the institution is being governed by “officiating” administrators. The Vice Chancellor, Registrar, Finance Officer, and Controller of Examinations are among these crucial roles.

On November 12, Najma Akhtar, the outgoing vice chancellor, relinquished her position and appointed Eqbal Hussain as the acting vice chancellor.

According to an official announcement, Hussain is expected to hold the position of interim vice chancellor until a replacement is named. In April 2019, Akhtar was named vice chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, a position he would hold for five years, or until he was seventy, whichever came first.

Hussain’s appointment, meanwhile, was contested and even made it to the Delhi High Court. According to the Jamia Act, Naib Shaikh ul Jamia’s tenure will be determined by the executive council and cannot exceed five years, or until the Vice Chancellor’s term of office expires, whichever comes first. He will also be eligible for reappointment.

In a September 14, 2023, order, the Registrar’s office explicitly said the Pro V-C’s tenure would last until the current Vice-Chancellor’s term ended, or until she turned 65, or until further order, whichever comes first.

Additionally, the ruling had specified that the Pro V-C’s post would end when the Vice-Chancellor’s tenure ended.

Eqbal Hussain’s legal case is still ongoing. Following an urgent scenario resulting from court challenges ongoing against the University disputing the age of retirement for the job of Registrar as allowed by Statute 5 (2) of the JMI Act, 1988, Jamia University recently appointed another officiating Registrar on March 28.

These extra duties of the Registrar were given to Professor Nazim Hussain Jafri, the last officiating Registrar, in 2022. On March 28, 2024, Mohammad Hadis Lahiri, a former deputy registrar, was named the acting registrar, according to the official announcement.

Jafri began working at Jamia in January 2020 in the role of Controller of Examinations. Jafri also has a lengthy history of unresolved legal proceedings against him. The sources claim that when the selection committee deemed no one qualified, Dr. Nazim Hussain Al-Jafri was appointed by the university’s previous vice chancellor on an ad hoc basis to the position of professor in the Department of History and Culture.