Will take steps to preserve AMU's minority character: VC

Asserting that the minority character of AMU is very close to the hearts of people associated with it, Vice Chancellor Zameeruddin Shah today said they will take all necessary steps for its preservation.
Addressing the 63rd Annual Convocation of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) here, Shah said the university has embarked upon a very ambitious programme for the modernisation of madrassa education in the country.
"AMU was established by Muslims of India and was proud of its role in the task of nation building. The minority character of our institution is very dear to our hearts and we will take all necessary steps for its preservation," he said.

The VC also stated that the University was receiving laurels in the sphere of cutting edge technology.
"The Department of Nanotechnology, for instance, had achieved amazing success during the past year," he said.
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Later at another function, the AMU Vice-chancellor said Muslims in India "are more than fifty years behind the rest of the country" in the field of education.
At the Sir Syed Academy to felicitate those students who were awarded degrees, Shah said that if Muslims lag behind others they will only slow down the country's march to progress.
AMU has been playing a critical role in helping Muslims in playing their due role in Nation building, he said adding that the institution was presently giving special emphasis to school education.

He said the Head of the Bohra sect Sydena Mufaddal Saifuddin who is also Chancellor of AMU had today assured the university that "all funds for the restoration of the heritage buildings of the STS school the institution's main school would be borne by him "
Shah appealed to the university's alumni in India and all over the globe to donate generously to help AMU become India's premier institution of higher learning.