| Rasheeduddin Khan | |
| Birth Date: | 11 September 1924 |
| Occupation: | political scientist, author, professor |
| Alma Mater: | Nizam College University of Madras Delhi University |
| Nationality: | Indian |
| Subject: | Political science, Federalism |
| Spouse: | Leela Narayan Rao |
| Children: | 2, including Kabir |
Rasheeduddin Khan (11 September 1924 – 25 April 1996) was an Indian author, educator, and parliamentarian.
Khan was born into a Pathan family from Kaimganj in the Farrukhabad district of Uttar Pradesh. His family moved to Hyderabad when his father, Ghulam Akbar Yar Jung, was appointed a judge in the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad.[1]
He was educated at St. George's Grammar School (Hyderabad). He went on to get his master's degree from Nizam College which was then affiliated with the University of Madras. He completed his doctoral studies at Delhi University.
From 1970 to 1989, he held the positions of Founder Chairman and Professor at the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. In addition, he played the role of Founder Director at the Centre for Federal Studies, Jamia Hamdard.[2] [3]
He served as a member of the Rajya Sabha for two terms: 1970 to 1976 and 1976-1982,[4] representing India at the United Nations and other international forums. As a member of the Rajya Sabha, he held a position on the Public Accounts Committee during the years 1981-82, under the chairmanship of Satish Chandra Agarwal.[5]
Khan was recognized for his unwavering advocacy for a federal system of governance, establishing himself as a prominent scholar on the subject in the subcontinent. He expressed reservations regarding the social and cultural underpinnings of Indian federalism and the influence of politics on centralizing the country's federal system. He advocated for constitutional reforms that he believed were necessary to safeguard cooperative federalism from deteriorating into disintegrating federalism in the country.[6]
According to Khan, the core essence of Indian federalism lies in regionalism. He contended that India can be best described as a multi-regional federation, and he rejected the notion that nationality and ethnicity alone can sufficiently explain the country's socio-cultural diversities. Khan emphasized that India's regions possess unique social, cultural, historical, linguistic, economic, and political characteristics. Therefore, he suggests that regional identity should be viewed as a holistic representation of the diverse nature of Indian society.[7]
He was married to Leela Narayan Rao, and together they had two children named Anusha Khan and Kabir Khan.[8]
Khan passed away in 1996 at the age of 72 from natural causes.