Padma Award encourages to perform better, Jamia VC after winning Padma Shri
India Today
Jamia Millia Islamia Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar said that her Padma Shri motivates her to perform better.
Jamia Millia Islamia Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar, who was awarded the Padma Shri award, said that the award was conferred upon her as a recognition of the work done by her to take Jamia Millia Islamia to greater heights during the past one year. The last year also saw the university receiving a grade A++ accreditation by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NACC).
Najma Akhtar assumed the position of the vice chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia in April 2019, the year which also saw protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act later in December.
Jamia Millia Islamia became the epicentre of anti-CAA protests after police entered the university campus and allegedly attacked students studying inside the library on December 15, 2019.
Speaking to the news agency PTI about the event, Najma Akhtar went on to say, "It was an unhappy situation across the country. It was not my fault (what happened at that time). I did what was expected from me."
"Not many others might have done what I did. I had to take care of my students at that time and that is what I did," she added.
The serving vice chancellor also holds the distinction of being the first woman vice-chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia.
Speaking on whether her role as the VC will pave the way for other women to assume leadership roles she said, "It has already started paving way. After several years of independence, no government showed confidence in a woman. It was for the first time that the current government chose a woman."
