About Jamia Millia Islamia - JMI

Jamia Millia Islamia was originally established at Aligarh in United Provinces, India in 1920. In Urdu language, Jamia means ‘University’, and Millia means ‘National’.The story of its growth from a small institution in the pre-independence India to a central university located in New Delhi—offering integrated education from nursery to research in specialized areas—is a saga of dedication, conviction and vision of a people who worked against all odds and saw it growing step by step.

Under the colonial British rule, two dominant trends joined hands and contributed towards in the birth of Jamia. One was the anti-colonial Islamic activism and the other was the pro-independence aspiration of the politically radical section of western educated Indian Muslim intelligentsia. In the political climate of 1920, the two trends gravitated together with Mahatma Gandhi as a catalyst. The anti-colonial activism signified by the Khilafat and the pro-independence aspirations symbolised by the non-cooperation movement of the Indian National Congress helped to harness creative energies and the subsequent making of Jamia Millia Islamia. Responding to Gandhiji’s call to boycott all educational institutions supported or run by the colonial regime, a group of nationalist teachers and students quit Aligarh Muslim University, protesting against its pro-British inclinations.

Born out of political crisis, it seemed for a while, Jamia would not survive the heat of the intense political struggle for the independence of India. It participated in the Bardoli resolution and sent volunteers across the country to motivate people to fight for the freedom of the country. The colonial British government soon imprisoned many of its teachers and students. In 1922, Gandhiji called off the non-cooperation movement. Even as its teachers and students were being released, Mustapha Kemal Ataturk declared the end of the Khilafat in 1924.

Suddenly Jamia saw itself in a great crisis. Some thought it had achieved its mission, as others believed that the institution had lost its raison d’etre with the end of the non-cooperation and the Khilafat movements. Even the little financial assistance, that the Khilafat had been giving it, also dried up. As even prominent people started deserting it, Jamia’s total collapse virtually became an imminent possibility.

As the crisis loomed large, Hakim Ajmal Khan, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari and Abdul Majeed Khwaja—the first trio—supported by Gandhiji shifted Jamia from Aligarh to Karol Bagh, in New Delhi in 1925.On 1 March 1935, the foundation stone for a school building was laid at Okhla, then a non-descript village in the southern outskirts of Delhi. In 1936, all institutions of Jamia, except Jamia Press, the Maktaba and the library, were shifted to the new campus. The basic emphasis of Jamia was on evolving innovative education methods. This led to the establishment of a teacher’s college (Ustadon ka Madrasa) in 1938. In 1936, Dr. M.A. Ansari passed away. On 4 June 1939, Jamia Millia Islamia was registered as a society.

After the attainment of Independence, Jamia continued to grow as an academic institution with a difference. In 1962, the University Grants Commission declared the Jamia a ‘deemed to be University’.By a Special Act of the Parliament, Jamia Millia Islamia was made a central university of India in December 1988.

Infrastructure

Jamia Millia Islamia is historically one of the most important nationalist institutions in India today. There is probably no other Indian institution which had to survive so much political opposition in its making without loosing it's identity. Even the degrees awarded by Jamia were not considered valid in the time of the British. Jamia was accorded the status of a central university by a special act of the parliament in December 1988.

The university was established by nationalist Muslims and is secular in character. Its campus is located in South Delhi. There are no colleges affiliated to the university anywhere else. The university provides a large number of courses at school, undergraduate and postgraduate level. In the list of its Faculties, i.e. Education, Humanities & Languages, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Engineering & Technology, the Faculty of Law, was added in 1989. Many new courses and programmes at UG and PG levels have since been added.

Besides this the university has a number of centers of learning and research, like Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC), Academy of Third World Studies (ATWS), Information Technology (IT), etc. Separate hostel facilities for boys and girls are also available.

Departments

1. Department of Arabic
2. Department of English
3. Department of Hindi
4. Department of History and Culture
5. Department of Islamic Studies
6. Department of Persian
7. Department of Urdu
8. Adult and Continuing Education and Extension
9. Economics
10. Political Science
11. Psychology
12. Sociology
13. Social Work
14. Commerce and Business Studies
15. Physics
16. Chemistry
17. Mathematics
18. Geography
19. Biosciences
20. Computer Science
21. Bio-Technology
22. Educational Studies
23. Teacher Training and Non-Formal Education
24. Civil Engineering
25. Mechanical Engineering
26. Electrical Engineering
27. Electronics and Communication Engineering
28. Applied Sciences and Humanities
29. Computer Engineering
30. Jamia Polytechnic
31. Law
32. Department of Architecture
33. Dentistry
34. Department of Painting
35. Department of Sculpture
36. Department of Applied Art
37. Department of Art Education
38. Department of Graphic Art
39. Department of Art History and Art Appreciation

Facilities and Campus

Hall of Residence - This is the name for Hostel. Hall of Residence (Boys), Hall of Residence (Girls). Hostel facilities are available for students coming from different parts of the country and the world. Each year limited number of seats are available in student hostels; in working women hostel applications are invited twice in a year or whenever there are vacancies. Admission in student’s hostels is granted to the most meritorious ones across various Faculties, Departments and Centers.

Dr Zakir Husain Library - It is named after the ex-President of India, (Late) Dr. Zakir Husain in 1973. It is the Central Library of the Jamia Library System, which includes the Faculty and Center Libraries. Stocking a rich collection of over 3.28 Lacs learning resources in all major discipline taught in the University and spread over an area of 23,038 sq. feet, the library caters to the academic needs of the University students, staff & research scholars. It has two spacious reading rooms of 1800 sq. feet each. The collection consists of books, periodicals, pamphlets, manuscripts, photographs & Electronic Resources. The stack areas are spread over four floors and the reference section has a separate hall of 9000 Sq. ft. Besides, the Rare Book Collection is also housed separately in a hall of about 10,000 Sq. ft. area. The Periodical Section is housed in a newly constructed separate wing, and has a two-story stack area and a Reading Area of about 11,000 Sq. ft. The library provides open access to users; except Rare Books Section; Manuscripts and Archival material where closed access is observed. The Text Books Section also observes closed access system.

The library has fully computerized its most actively used collection, which is now available to users through OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue) with network access across the campus-wide LAN. The Digital Library provides electronic access to thousands of E-journals through 15 major databases in various areas of Sciences, Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities, Engineering & Law. The library has a dedicated Internet Area where students are encouraged to make use of E-Journals, with regular Orientation Programmes. The library has also been functioning as a referral center on Islamic Studies, Urdu language & literature, and receives requests for its bibliographic information from all over the country. A number of scholars visit the library for its reference & consultation.

Sports - Jamia Millia Islamia is known for promoting sports and games among the student youth. The Sports activities in Jamia are organized through a University Sports Committee which is chaired by a senior university professor. Jamia offers sports facilities in games such as Badminton, Cricket, Foot-ball, Hockey, Basket-ball, Table tennis, Boxing, Handball, Athletics and Shooting etc. In order to facilitate the proper conduct of these games clubs in these have been constituted and each club is headed by a university teacher.

Jamia offers special concessions and relaxation in admissions to outstanding sports persons.Over the years, Jamia Millia Islamia has grown in stature and has produced several sports persons who have been representing India in various international tournaments.

Other Facilities

NCC and NSS - Jamia Millia Islamia, offers National Cadet Core (NCC) and National Service Scheme (NSS) activities on the campus to stimulate interest and create a sense of participation in matters of National Defence and orient the student youth to community service.

University Placement Cell - Batches of students appearing in their final examination of various courses are available for Campus recruitment. Organizations are welcome to make pre-placement talks, which provide an opportunity for the organizations to showcase their corporate requirements and the job profiles.

Jamia Community Centre - Jamia Community Centre (JCC) is a facility for the employees of Jamia Millia Islamia for organizing and hosting their occasions. JCC is furnished with two lawns, two huge halls, dressing rooms for bride and groom, bathrooms, office space and a kitchen, store and washroom with electricity and adequate water supply. The JCC can be booked for various occasions on request by filling up the forms available at the office of JCC. Forms are available online as well.

Jamia Schools - Jamia also specialises in imparting elementary and secondary education.

1. Jamia Senior Secondary School (Morning Shift)
2. amia Senior Secondary School (Self-financing /Evening Shift)
3. Jamia Girls Senior Secondary School (New Urdu Medium School)
4. Jamia Middle School (Morning Shift)
5. Jamia Middle School (Self-financing / Evening Shift)
6. Mushir Fatima Jamia Nursery School
7. Balak Mata Centres

Jamia Women’s Health Club - For maintaining health

Extra Curricular Activities

Jamia Millia Islamia promotes co-curricular activities among the students through the subject associations of the departments. The Subject Association of all the departments regularly organizes academic activities such as students' seminars, extension lectures, debating competitions etc. The associations also endeavor to associate themselves with the community development works as it may be undertaken by a concerned Dept. or the University as such.

Information compiled from: Jamia Millia Islamia - JMI - Website