19/05/2026
The First MBBS Batch of AMU (1962–1967)
***Please Tag those known to you****
On 2nd October 1962, thirty-nine students were enrolled in the very first batch of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), Aligarh Muslim University. It was the beginning of a journey that would shape not only our lives but also the future of medical education at AMU.
This rare group photograph was taken at a farewell for Dr. Abbas A. Khan, then Demonstrator in Anatomy, who left in 1963 to join AIIMS as Registrar in Orthopedics.
Seated (L to R): Tajuddin Shamsi* (Demonstrator Anatomy), Dr. Bhaskan Saran Pandey*, Wajihul Hasan* (Demonstrator Physiology), Prof. J. N. Prasad*, Prof. Chandra (Physiology, later HOD Orthopedics, AIIMS), S. M. H. Naqvi* (Principal), a guest, Prof. B. A. Khan*, Abbas Ali Khan*, Prof. D. Kumar* (Anatomy), Shahla Raza* (Demonstrator Biochemistry), Afzal Mureed (Demonstrator Biochemistry), M. B. Khan* (Demonstrator Anatomy).
Standing – 1st Row (L to R): Baseer Khan*, M. C. Saxena, myself (Mohsin Raza), Shafeeq Rao*, Madhu Lata Sharma, Nilofer Bano, Shail Bala, Zaibun Nisa, Tahira Siddiqi*, Shobha Kapur, M. K. Narula, Hira Lal, C. V. Singh, Anwar Khan*, Idrees Ansari*.
Standing – 2nd Row (L to R): H. M. B. Barainwala, K. K. Mathur, Saquib Khan, Kharbanda, Thomas, Mustabeen Faruqi*, Kalra*, Hafiz Ahmad, Ganpat Mathur, S. N. Chawla, Aziz Ahmad*, Ayaz Ahmad, Manjeet Singh, Arun Kumar*, Om Prakash, Yash Pal, Sohail Azmi, Salahuddin*, Shyam Behari Agarwal*, Abdul Khaliq*, M. Faruq, M. Mobashir, Ch. Rafatullah Khan*, Badrudduja Khan*.
In total, there were 39 students—20 externals and 19 internals. Only one girl, Miss Qaiser Omar, was selected from AMU but she chose to join Lady Hardinge Medical College, Delhi. The “*” marks those who are no longer with us. May Allah grant them eternal peace.
The college was inaugurated in the Physics Lecture Theatre (P1, now Biochemistry Department). Vice Chancellor Col. B. H. Zaidi presided, with Prof. Hadi Hasan as Chief Guest and Surendra Kumar of Tiger Lock fame as Guest of Honour. Prof. Hadi Hasan’s speech is still fresh in memory—he began with “Rose among flowers, Peacock among birds…” and went on with twenty-five such metaphors, concluding with: “Your Vice Chancellor, Col. Zaidi, is all of these for you.” Sadly, the AMU Gazette has no record of that historic address, not even in Prof. Rahat Abrar’s archives.
In those early years, no Medical Council was willing to register us. My dear friend Manjeet Singh, whom we fondly called Manjeeta, managed to secure provisional registration from the Punjab Medical Council in Ludhiana. Only then were all of us granted permanent registration in Punjab. For years, AMU graduates were officially registered in Punjab until JNMC gained full recognition. In 1964, the institution was formally renamed Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College.
I still recall how I received my registration—Punjab ka dil is indeed big. My number was 10345, but with the later division of Punjab into Punjab and Haryana, it became untraceable. Somewhere among my papers, I still have the Urdu newspaper clipping announcing our MBBS results. If needed, I will gladly search for it.
Warm regards,
Dr. Mohsin Raza
MBBS (1962–1967), First Batch
Moderator, World of Aligs
