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New Delhi: A batch of
about 15 girl students, who have made history by taking admission
in an institution which has for the last 300 years been a male
bastion, will be felicitated by Jamia Millia Islamia Vice
Chancellor Najeeb Jung Friday.
The Anglo Arabic School has made history by admitting girls for
the first time in its over 300 year existence. Having started off
as Madrasa Ghaziuddin around 1692, the school had remained an
all-boys school thus far.
The school in the capital's Ajmeri Gate area has produced the
likes of Liaqat Ali Khan, the first prime minister of Pakistan,
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, founder of Aligarh Muslim University, J.N.
Dixit, former national security adviser and foreign secretary,
among many other luminaries.
In a significant move, the managing committee of the school, in a
meeting held on March 26, decided to open its doors to girls.
However, this decision was not considered favourably by the staff
of the school, which is predominantly male, and it seemed at the
time that this decision would not be implemented.
However, a PIL filed by an M.Phil. student of JNU, Fatima Alvi,
was considered favourably by the Delhi High Court recently and the
school as also the Directorate of Education, Delhi government, and
police were directed to ensure that this decision be implemented.
Following the high court order, the school management swung into
action and has so far admitted over 15 girls in Classes 6 to 11.
The number is expected to increase in the comings days. Mehvish
Rehmani, Darakshan Fatima and Gulafshan Fatima were the first
applicants to secure admissions in the institution in Classes 11
(Commerce with Maths) and Class 7 respectively.
Azra Razzak at Jamia Millia Islamia, who is also secretary, Delhi
Education Society, under the aegis of which the school runs, said:
"We are expecting more girl students in the coming days. At
present, we have three women teachers in the 80-member strong
faculty. We are planning to recruit more."
Atyab Siddiqui, honorary manager, said that former president A P J
Abdul Kalam's visit was especially encouraging when he asked the
school to consider admitting girls too.
Jung, who is also chairman of the school and president of the
Delhi Education Society, will be felicitating these young students
at a get-together on June 1 at 4 p.m. in Yasser Arafat Hall of the
university.
Jung has been a votary of women's reservation in parliament as
well.
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