Chaudhary Wali Mohammad

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Chaudhary Wali Mohammad

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Professor Chaudhary Wali Mohammad (1886-1968)

By As'ad Faisal Farooqui, Fikr-o-Nazar (June,2021).

An eminent physicist and educationist

Chaudhary Wali Mohammad was born at Ferozepur Punjab on 18 August 1886. He did his early education from Lahore. When in 1907, MAO college started science classes under the guidance of Prof. E. Harrison, he was the first to join as a teacher of physics. He was later sent to Cambridge by MAO College administration for higher education. He completed his tripos from Cambridge. He was the pupil of eminent physicist J. J. Thompson. He did his PhD from Gottingen University in 1912 and after coming back joined MAO College at Aligarh as a professor of physics. He was specialized in spectroscopy, magneto-optics and wireless operations.

At MAO College he served as the Senior Professor of Physics. In May 1919 he was appointed first Indian Principal of MAO College, Aligarh (now Aligarh Muslim University); but soon just after two months he got new assignment as Deputy Secretary, Education Department, Government of India. He was Member, Indian Education Service and was instrumental in drafting the Bills of Aligarh Muslim University, Lucknow University, Dacca University and Nagpur University. He was the founding head and Professor of Department of Physics, University of Lucknow ( 1921- 1945). He also served the Vice-chancellor, Osmania University, Hyderabad (1946-49). He was the founding fellow of Indian National Science Academy (INSA).

Prof. Chaudhary Wali Mohammad did research on the hyperfine structure of spectral lines with a Littrow mounting spectrograph, a rare acquisition for an Indian university at that time. He was one of the earliest to introduce ‘wireless’ in the postgraduate course in physics in an Indian university. Set up a low-power medium-wave radio transmitter in the department for his research on ionospheric reflection. He served as the President, Physics and Mathematics Section, Indian Science Congress in 1914.

Apart from his core subject i.e. physics, he also took interest in the development of library science as a professional subject. He served the librarian of Lytton Library, MAO College and instrumental in the development and construction of Tagore Library of Lucknow University. He was the President, All India Library Association.

He used most of his funds and properties for the cause of science education. There are Wali Mohammad Trust at Aligarh Muslim University for the scholarship of science student, Edith Evelyn-Wali Mohammad Gold medal at Lucknow University for the student who topped in M.Sc. Electronic and Edith Evelyn-Wali Mohammad Trust at London for the scholarship deserving pakistani science student for higher studies in science subjects at United Kingdom. The common thing is that they all were started by one person Chaudhary Wali Mohammad himself, which showed his sincerity toward science education. He died on 24 June 1968 at Aligarh.

B

The following corrections have been suggested:

1. He proceeded for study abroad not on arrangements by the MAO College but by a Scholarship either by the Government of the United Provinces or the Government of India (I forget the specifics which are there in a file on cadre review of the Indian Educational Service kept in the National Archives of India.

2. On return he was reappointed in the MAO College, as Professor but was inducted in the Indian Education Service and was posted to the Government College, Ajmer and then to the Canning College Lucknow for a year each.

3. He joined MAO College on Deputation in 1919 as Senior Professor and officiated as its Principal, for a couple of months following the departure of Mr Towles. The Trustees while accepting the resignation of Towles appointed Dr Ziauddin Ahmad as Principal (Board of Trustees had not met for about two moths following the abrupt exit of Towles in the midst of students' agitation over Treaty of Versailles and other issue. It may not be out of place to explain that holding of charge and being appointed are two different things.

4. Dr Wali Mohammad was indeed appointed VC Osmania University in 1946 but he could barely survive for two to three months due to the disturbed conditions and he had to be replaced by Dr Raziuddin Siddiqui in early 1947, he did not remain VC in Hyderabad till 1949.