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A. R. Kidwai

Personal Profile

A. R. Kidwai
  • Birth Name:
    Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai
  • Date of Birth:
    July 1, 1920
  • Zodiac Sign:
    Cancer
  • Place of Birth:
    Uttar Pradesh
  • Sex:
    Male
  • Nationality:
    Indian
  • Education:

    Jamia Millia Islamia University

    University of Illinois, USA

    Cornell University, USA

     

  • Hobbies:
     Academic and scientific activities, social service and gardening

Family

A. R. Kidwai
  • Father:
    Late Shri Ashfaqur Rahman Kidwai
  • Mother:
    Late Shrimati Nasimunnisa
  • Spouse:
    Late Shrimati Jamila Kidwai

Career

A. R. Kidwai

Trivia

A. R. Kidwai
  • He led Government of India Delegation to Saudi Arabia on the occasion of Haj in 1994 and in June 2004 he was invited to deliver a key-note address at European Conference on Internationalization of Scientific Research and Development at Helsinki.
  • Dr. Kidwai is a widely traveled personality who participated in a number of scientific, technological and educational conferences in different foreign countries like USA, U.K., Germany, France, Finland, Sweden, Japan and extensively toured South and West Asian countries.
  • He worked for re-organization of the Institute of Prakrit and Jainology at Vaishali (Bihar), he initiated its revival as a leading centre for higher studies and research in Jain Histroy and culture.
  • Dr. Kidwai initiated development of (i) the Nav Nalanda Mahavihara as an international centre for advanced studies in Pali language and Buddhist studies, (ii) the historic areas of Vaishali, Nalanda and the International Buddhist Enclave at Bodh Gaya, as part of the “Buddhist Circuit” for tourists and piligrims visiting Bihar. He was awarded, Honorary Doctorate, Vidya Vajaspati by the Institute of Tibetan Studies, Sarnath in 1997 in recognition of his contribution to Buddhist studies.
  • As a student Dr. Kidwai took part in all freedom movements initiated by Mahatma Gandhi from 1930 onwards, took active part in the historic August 1942 Quit India Movement;
  • He was attended the Congress Session in Bombay, was associated with the underground socialist leaders Shri S.M. Joshi, Shri Ashok Mehta and Shrimati Aruna Asaf Ali; played active role in the publication of the Congress News Bulletin and broadcasting news through Azad Radio in Bombay.
  • As Chairman of the Committee for Mahatma Gandhi’s 125th Birth Anniversary Celebration in Bihar he initiated a programme of marking out villages and ashrams where Mahatma Gandhi actively worked for the education and awakening among the downtrodden people.
  • A special programme of development and construction of the monuments related with Mahatma Gandhi at Sadaqat Ashram, Patna, Motihari, Bettiah and Bhiterwa was undertaken in co-operation with Gandhi Sangrahalaya, Patna.
  • These centtes were linked into a “Gandhi Circutt” so that the younger generations could visit them to get inspiration. A centrer for Gandhian Studies was set up at Bhagalpur University.
  • Dr. Kidwai initiated special schemes and projects for employment generation for the educated unemployed in urban centres and rural employment through integrated farming and self-employment schemes in Bihar with the active involvement of the Department of Institutional Finance and Commercial Banks.

Biography

A. R. Kidwai
Last Updated: Thursday, September 24, 2009

A.R. KidwaiDr. Kidwai, the present Governor of Rajasthan, from his young days has been a devoted student who has always been associated with his studies with rapt attention. It is evident from an array of educational qualifications that denote this person of versatility. Each degree earned by him speaks eloquently of his profound knowledge or his grasp over the very discipline. He is a B.A., M.S., along with Ph. D. and had been educated at three internationally acclaimed institutes of Jamia Millia Islamia, University of Illinois and Cornell University, both in U.S.A.   Being a distinguished scientist and also a researcher in the fields of Organic and Natural Products, Chemistry and Biochemistry he has been associated with the filed of education for the last 35 years at a stretch.

But it is to be noted that he is famous not only as an Educationist but has also been widely acclaimed for his leading role in the drive regarding the eradication of several problems of the Higher Education. Especially in the fields of Science and Technology, Research, Education Technology, Non-formal method of Education and Vocational Education. In this respect it is worth mentioning that during his tenure as the Governors of Bihar and West Bengal he acted as the ex-officio Chancellor of all Universities in the two states where he was found taking an active interest in the smooth functioning of the University Education.

It was again due to his efforts that there was an effective approach for modernizing the Madrasas Education though the integration of the entire process with both modern education and technical training. Again it was due to his insistence the well-known Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library in Patna was modernized with facilities of Information Technology as an important reference library for advanced studies and research. However his most significant contribution in the realm of administrative measures in the discipline of education was the replacement of the English language as the only medium of examination or the All India examination.

Other than this he from his childhood has been an active participant in the national freedom struggle initiated by Mahatma Gandhi from 1930 onwards. He also participated considerably in the August 1942 Quit India Movement and various others. Dr. Kidwai is also a widely traveled personality who participated in a number of scientific, technological and educational conferences in different foreign countries.

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