Syed Zahoor Qasim

Sayed Zahoor Qasim
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Born31 December 1926 (1926-12-31)
Rakswara, United Provinces, British India
Died20 October 2015(2015-10-20) (aged 88)
Delhi, India
Alma materMajidiya Islamiya Intermediate College Allahabad
Aligarh Muslim University
University College of North Wales
Scientific career
FieldsMarine biology

Sayed Zahoor Qasim (31 December 1926 – 20 October 2015) was an Indian marine biologist. Qasim helped lead India's exploration to Antarctica and guided the other seven expeditions from 1981 to 1988.[1][2] He was a Member of the Planning Commission of India from 1991 to 1996. He was the Vice Chancellor of Jamia Milia Islamia from 1989 to 1991 and an Honorary Professor of universities including Aligarh Muslim University, Madurai Kamaraj University, Anna Malai University, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and Jamia Millia Islamia. He was awarded the highest civilian awards Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.

Early life

Qasim was born in Rakswara Gram Allahabad presently Kaushambi in 1926. His ancestor were rulers of Kaushambi.[3] He began his schooling from Majidiya Islamiya Intermediate College Allahabad, and then moved to Aligarh Muslim University, where he obtained a B.Sc. degree in 1949 and a M.Sc. degree in Zoology in 1951. He stood first in the order of Merit for which he was awarded the University Gold Medal. For several years, he was a lecturer in the Department of Geography at Aligarh Muslim University before proceeding to the United Kingdom for higher studies in 1953. In 1956 he completed his D.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from University College of North Wales. He was the Director of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, Kerala from 1971 to 1974. On 20 October 2015, he died at the age of 88.[3]

Awards and honours

References

  1. ^ KAUR, NAVNEET (17 May 1999). "An ocean of experience and the will to be a pioneer". NEW DELHI: Indian Express. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  2. ^ Agnihotri, Amit (22 November 2002). "Meet the first Indian to set foot on Antarctica". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Renowned marine biologist Syed Zahoor Qasim died". Jagranjosh.com. 21 October 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.