Former Controller of Examination Jamia Millia Islamia and Chemistry Department Professor Khalid Iftikhar passed away today at Al-Shifa hospital today, according to university staffers who knew him. He was hospitalised for the last one week undergoing treatment for severe pneumonia and was on ventilator, said a university professor.
Former Controller of Examination Jamia passes away months before retirement, tadfeen timing herehttps://t.co/5UlKJqj5Al pic.twitter.com/k2Vg9s4fqm
— theokhlatimes (@theokhlatimes) January 10, 2023
His Namaz-e-Janaza will be held today at 3:00 pm at Jamia Jama Masjid, according to university sources.
He was 65 years old and his retirement was due in June 2023, said Azad Khan, who did PhD under Professor Iftikhar. His death has left Jamia fraternity in shock. “It is a great loss and we mourn his death,” said Prof Professor Majid Jamil. Born in Azamgarh in UP, the deceased Professor studied at Aligarh Muslim University.
Azad told the OT that Professor Iftikhar was hospitalised in December 2021 when there was Covid wave in India and was discharged after a few days and since then he faced many health complications. A Jamia staffer said he was shocked to know about the development as he had seen him just a few days ago on the campus and he was a healthy person.
Professor Iftikhar had joined Jamia in 1985 and served the Department of Chemistry as Head during 2015-17 and Jamia as Controller of Examination during 2010-14. He also served the JTA as Secretary from 2002-04.
“Professor Iftikhar was a great teacher of group theory and NMR as well as finest researcher of Lanthanide Chemistry. Professor Iftikhar has published more than 100 research papers in very reputed international journals without any external help. His research was very well recognised and significantly cited among scientific fraternity. I had a very close association with him as we have jointly organised a series of RAC conferences from 2007-17 for almost 10 years where I found him very supportive. He will be remembered for a long time in Jamia history for his teaching, research and administrative capabilities,” wrote Chemistry Professor Taukeer Ahmad in a message being widely circulated in the virtual world of Jamia.
He has left behind three sons, a married daughter and a wife.
