The University reminisces the nationalist struggles of their founding members 105 years later after coming into existence
Chicago – November 1, 2025
Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) marked its 105th Foundation Day this week with the revival of its signature Talimi Mela, a six-day educational and cultural festival that returned to the campus after more than seven years at the heart of the campus situated in New Delhi. The celebration, themed “Education Beyond Classrooms,” blended academic discourse with art, music, and cultural expression across the university’s central stretch from M.A. Ansari Auditorium to the Faculty of Engineering.
Founded in 1920 in Aligarh during the freedom movement, Jamia Millia Islamia was established by leaders like Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Hakim Ajmal Khan, and Dr. Zakir Husain to promote self-reliant, indigenous education free from colonial control. Supported by Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore, it embodied India’s composite culture and values. Relocated to Delhi in 1935, Jamia later became a Central University in 1988, symbolising the nation’s ideals of unity, secularism, and academic excellence.
Union Minister for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the event alongside Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mazhar Asif, calling Jamia “a symbol of India’s unity in diversity and a living reminder of its freedom-era ideals.” He also paid homage to the institution’s founders and released a special revived print edition of Jamia’s newsletter Jauhar, back in circulation after eight years.
Each day of the Talimi Mela features academic seminars, art and science exhibitions, sports competitions, theatre, qawwali, and a daily All-India Mushaira, with evenings capped by musical performances. A National Education Policy (NEP) workshop, alumni meet, and social service activities—such as health and blood donation camps—are also part of the lineup.
Vice-Chancellor Asif described the milestone as “a celebration of Jamia’s thought, tradition, and cultural spirit that has shaped modern India.”
The festivities, which began on October 29 and continue through November 3, mark Jamia’s most extensive Foundation Day celebrations since before the pandemic—rekindling the university’s century-old legacy as both a seat of learning and a beacon of composite culture.
