BeyondHeadlines News Desk
New Delhi: Shaikh Fakhruddin Taherbhai Khorakiwala (F T Khorakiwala), incumbent chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, the only minority university in India, passed away in Mumbai on Tuesday, following an illness. He was 93 years old. He has been the chancellor of the varsity since 2002.
Mourning his death, Vice Chancellor Najeeb Jung said: “This is an irreparable loss to the university. The whole Jamia Millia Islamia biradari (family) stands together in grief and offers its deepest condolence to the bereaved family members.”
Khorakiwala, a native of Palanpur, Gujarat, studied in Mumbai and graduated from the Government Law College in 1941. He was awarded the Padmashree, the fourth highest civilian award in the country, by the Government of India for his contributions.
Khorakiwala was the chairman of the Akbarally Group of Companies. He had also served as the Chairman Emeritus of Wockhardt Ltd. He was the founder and president of the Indo-Arab Society. He has been the president of various institutes and organizations like Indian Merchants Chambers, The Associated Chambers of Commerce, the Indo-Swiss Society, Saifee Hospital, Council for Fair Business Practices etc.
The late chancellor was also the sheriff of Mumbai in 1993 and was instrumental in setting up Mohalla Committees, which had played an important role in maintaining communal harmony in the city.
