By PNS News Agency New Delhi
A condolence meeting was held today in the conference room of FTK CIT, Jamia Millia Islamia, to condole the death of Dr. Syed Zahoor Qasim, former Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia who passed away last night in Max Hospital after a prolonged illness. His Namaz-e-Janaza was held in Jamia Mosque after the Namaz-e-Zuhar today and he was buried in the graveyard of Jamia.
Dr. Syed Zahoor Qasim was Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia from 1989 to 1991. He will be remembered as a prominent Indian marine biologist who helped lead India’s exploration to Antarctica and guided the other seven expeditions form 1981 to 1988. He was a Member of the Planning Commission of India from 1991 to 1996. He was an Honorary Professor of universities including Aligarh Muslim University, Madurai Kamaraj University, Anna Malai University and Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai.
Dr. Syed Zahoor Qasim was born on December 31, 1926 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. He began his schooling from Majidia Islamia Intermediate College Allahabad, and then moved to Aligarh Muslim University, where he obtained a B.Sc. degree in 1949 and a M.Sc. degree in Zoology in 1951. He stood first in the order of Merit for which he was awarded the University Gold Medal. For several years, he was a lecturer in the Department of Zoology at Aligarh before proceeding to the United Kingdom for higher studies in 1953. In 1956 he completed his D.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from University College of North Wales.
His father was Late Syed Zamir Qasim. He is survived by his wife Nawabzadi Begum Sahiba Rampur, and three daughters.
He was conferred the Awards and Honours as:
- Padma Shri (1974)
- Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award (1978)
- Lal Bahadur Shastri Award (1988)
- Padma Bhushan (1982)
- Ocean logy International Lifetime Achievement Award, UK( 1999)
- First National Ocean Science & Technology by GOI (2003-04)
- Asian Society Gold Medal (2005)
- Life Time Achievement Award, India Science Congress (2008)