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Shri Mohd. Hamid Ansaril |
Mohammad Hamid
Ansari (born April 1, 1934) is the current Vice President
of India. He is a former chairman of the National Commission
for Minorities (NCM).[1] He is also an academician, a career
diplomat, and a former Vice-Chancellor of the University. He
was elected the 13th Vice President of India on 10 August 2007
and took office on 11 August 2007.
Childhood:
Ansari was born in Kolkata on April 1, 1934 though his family
belongs to Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh. He is the grand nephew
of former Congress President and freedom fighter Mukhtar Ahmad
Ansari. He studied at Shimla's St. Edwards High School, the
St. Xavier's College of the University of Calcutta and at the
Aligarh Muslim University.
Ansari started his career as a civil servant in the Indian Foreign
Service in 1961. He was Permanent Representative of India to
the United Nations, Indian High Commissioner to Australia and |
Ambassador
to the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
He was awarded the Padma Shree in 1984. He was also the Vice-Chancellor
of the Aligarh Muslim University from May 2000 to March 2002.
He is known for his role in ensuring compensation to the victims
of the Gujarat riots and pushing for a complete re-look into
the relief and rehabilitation for riot victims since 1984.
Other Activities:
Ansari is a renowned West Asia scholar and has written trenchantly
on the Palestinian issue and taken positions inconvenient to
the Indian official line on Iraq and Iran. He questioned India’s
vote in the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran’s nuclear
programme where India voted against Iran. He said that though
the Indian Government claimed to have acted on "its own
judgment," this was not borne out by facts.
Ansari was the chairman of a working group on "Confidence
building measures across segments of society in the State,"
established by the Second Round Table Conference of the Prime
Minister on Jammu and Kashmir in 2006. The report of the working
group was adopted by the Third Round Table in April 2007. Among
other things, the report advocates recognizing the right of
Kashmiri Pandits to return to “places of their original residence.”
This right, it argued, should be recognized without any ambiguity
and made a part of state policy.
Ansari became the chairman of India's National Commission for
Minorities (NCM) on 6 March, 2006. In June 2007, Ansari, in
his capacity as NCM chairman, upheld the decision of India's
premier educational institution, St. Stephens College, to earmark
a small percentage of seats for Dalit Christians. Ansari resigned
as NCM chairman soon after his nomination for the post of India's
Vice President.
VICE PRESIDENT ELECTION-2007
On July 20, 2007, Ansari was named by the UPA-Left, the ruling
coalition in India, as its candidate for the post of Vice President
for the upcoming election. When asked, Ansari said he felt "humbled"
over the UPA-Left decision naming him as their candidate. "I
am humbled by the confidence reposed in me". Ansari refused
to say more when asked about his prospects in the August 10
election.
Ansari secured 455 votes, and won the election by a margin of
233 votes against his nearest rival Najma Heptullah in the Vice-President
Election.
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