An obituary
Syed Shahid Mahdi, President of Professor Abidi Memorial Society and former Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, passed away on 22 December 2025, leaving behind a legacy of institution-building, intellectual depth, and public service that spanned decades.
Shahid Mahdi served as Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia from 2000 to 2004, a period remembered for quiet but significant transformation. Under his leadership, Jamia strengthened its academic and technological foundations.
Born in 1939, Shahid Mahdi was an alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University, where he earned a Master’s degree in History with Political Science. He joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1963, securing second rank in his batch. As a civil servant, he served the Government of Bihar in diverse and demanding roles, both in the districts and at the State capital.
Shahid Mahdi’s career later acquired a global dimension through his association with the United Nations. He was deputed to Ethiopia as a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) representative during a severe drought, where he helped mobilise substantial resources for emergency relief. He went on to serve for over a decade at the senior-most D-2 professional grade within the UN system, contributing to international development efforts.
A lifelong learner and humanist, Shahid Mahdi’s interests ranged across education, environment, agriculture, rural development, and the United Nations system. He was also deeply engaged with Urdu, Persian and English literature, comparative literature, and the fine arts. Widely travelled, he carried with him a rare blend of administrative experience, cultural sensitivity, and intellectual curiosity.
After completing his tenure at Jamia in June 2004, he continued to serve public and cultural life as Vice President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. He was also the founding member of Professor Abidi Memorial Society and guided its activities as President during its formative years.
Shahid Mahdi will be remembered not only as an administrator and diplomat, but as a thoughtful institution-builder.
