Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai Explained

Akhlaq Ur Rehman Kidwai
Order:13th
Office:Governor of Haryana
Term Start:7 July 2004
Term End:27 July 2009
1Blankname:Chief Minister
1Namedata:Om Prakash Chautala
Bhupinder Singh Hooda
Predecessor:O.P. Verma
Successor:Jagannath Pahadia
Office2:Governor of Rajasthan
Status2:Additional charge
Term Start2:21 June 2007
Term End2:6 September 2007
1Blankname2:Chief Minister
1Namedata2:Vasundhara Raje
Predecessor2:Pratibha Patil
Successor2:Shilendra Kumar Singh
Order3:15th
Office3:Governor of West Bengal
Term Start3:27 April 1998
Term End3:18 May 1999
1Blankname3:Chief Minister
1Namedata3:Jyoti Basu
Predecessor3:K. V. Raghunatha Reddy
Successor3:Shyamal Kumar Sen
Order4:10th
Office4:Governor of Bihar
Term Start4:14 August 1993
Term End4:26 April 1998
1Blankname4:Chief Minister
1Namedata4:Lalu Prasad Yadav
Rabri Devi
Predecessor4:Mohammad Shafi Qureshi
Successor4:Sunder Singh Bhandari
Term Start5:20 September 1979
Term End5:15 March 1985
1Blankname5:Chief Minister
1Namedata5:Ram Sunder Das
Jagannath Mishra
Chandrashekhar Singh
Bindeshwari Dubey
Predecessor5:Jagannath Kaushal
Successor5:Pendekanti Venkatasubbaiah
Birth Date:1 July 1921
Birth Place:Baragaon, Barabanki, United Provinces, British India
(now in Uttar Pradesh, India)
Death Place:New Delhi, India
Education:Jamia Millia Islamia
University of Illinois
Cornell University
Spouse:Jamila Kidwai (deceased)
Children:6
Blank1:Religion
Data1:Sunni Islam

Akhlaq Ur Rehman Kidwai (1 July 1921  - 24 August 2016) was an Indian chemist and politician. He served as Governor of the states of Bihar, West Bengal and Haryana. Also, he worked as Governor (as an additional charge) of the state of Rajasthan. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament, from 1999 to 2004. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award.

Early life and education

He was born in 1921 in Baragaon village of Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh to father, late Ashfaqur Rehman Kidwai and mother, late Nasim-un-nisa.[1] [2] He was married to the late Jamila Kidwai, and had six children, two sons and four daughters.

He studied BA at Jamia Millia Islamia University, 1940, M.Sc. at University of Illinois, US, 1948 and PhD at Cornell University, US, 1950.

Political and public career

Dr. Kidwai started his professional career as the professor and head of Department of Chemistry and dean of Faculty of Science at Aligarh Muslim University, India. Kidwai then went on to become the chairman of Union Public Service Commission-UPSC, Government of India from 1974 to 1977. He was Governor of Bihar twice, from 1979 to 1985 and 1993 to 1998 and Governor of West Bengal from 1998 to 1999.

In addition, he was chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, from 1983 to 1991 and has also been the director of the Jammu & Kashmir Bank.[3]

Kidwai was a member of the Rajya Sabha from January 1999 to July 2004. He was the Governor of Haryana from 7 July 2004 to 27 July 2009.[1] After Pratibha Patil's resignation as Governor of Rajasthan in June 2007, he was asked to take over that position as well,[4] serving as Governor of the state until S. K. Singh took office on 6 September 2007.[5]

In addition to his political career, he has been a champion for promoting research and development and elevating the status of women by education and self-reliance. He served as the chairman of the Institute of Marketing and Management, New Delhi and president of Vocational Education Society for Women.

Kidwai served as a member of the following national committees, organizations and institutions:[1]

Awards and honors

On January 25, 2011, Kidwai was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award.[3] The award was for his contribution towards Public Affairs.[6]

Death

He died on August 24, 2016, in New Delhi after a long illness, aged 95.[7] He was buried at the Jamia Milia Islamia graveyard.

Notes and References

  1. http://legislativebodiesinindia.gov.in/States/haryana/gov.htm Biographical information on Kidwai
  2. http://governor.bih.nic.in/Governors/ARKidwai.htm Biographical information on Kidwai
  3. http://news.oneindia.in/2011/01/25/ar-kidwai-chosen-for-padmavibhushan-aid0126.html A R Kidwai chosen for Padma Vibhushan
  4. http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=378479&sid=REG "Pratibha Patil`s resignation accepted"
  5. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200709061551.htm "S.K. Singh takes oath as Governor of Rajasthan"
  6. https://web.archive.org/web/20121108184957/http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/26/stories/2011012658351400.htm List of Padma Awardees
  7. http://theindianawaaz.com/pm-sonia-cms-condole-a-r-kidwais-death/ "PM, Sonia, CMs condole A.R. Kidwai’s death | The Indian Awaaz"