History
UDLC, as it was known previously was established in 1973. Wasi Ahmad Nomani was appointed as the first student secretary of the club. The club in reality is the extension of the oldest literary Society of Aligarh Muslim University, the “Mohammadan Anglo Oriental College Literary Society” founded by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. In 19 August 2015 it was rechristened as the University Debating & Literary club (UDLC). The club is very vibrant and organizes many literary programs throughout the year. After the success of the very first AMU ‘Lit Fest 2.0’ where UDLC had guests of National & International repute. UDLC recently introduced parliamentary form of debating, and inviting teams from all over India.
The University Debating and Literary Club has produced vibrant speakers and writers such as;
- Wasi Ahmad Nomani
- Arif Hamdi Khan
- Malik Afzal Yousuf
- Najam-ul-Jafri
- Paigham Afaquee
- M. Ahsraf
- Ubaid Siddiqui
- Mairajuddin
- Abdu Raheem A.
- N. Rahman Naqvi
- M. Afzal
- Husain Ahmad Siddique
- Jamshed A. Siddique
- Suhail Ahmad Kidwai
- Munnawarul Haque
- Zafar Iqbal
- Tariq Wali
- Zafar Nawab
- Mohibul-ul-Haque
- Raheel Ahmad
- Asif Iqbal
- Akbar Nawab
- Faizan Jaleel
- Anuj Kumar
- Farhan Kafil
- Nazia Y. Izuddin
- Adil Jahangir
- Irfan Khan
- Wajiha Khan
- Faraz Khan
- Yasir Abbasi
- Samra Fatima
- Maria Salman
- Shad Ahmad Khan
President
On 7th July, 2020 Dr. SadafFareed was appointed as President University Debating and Literary Club. Her mentorship and guidance to club have been invaluable. Dr. SadafFareed is Assistant Professor in the Women’s College, AMU. Dr. SadafFareed is an Assistant Professor in English at the Women’s College, Aligarh Muslim University. Her major academic interests are Gender Studies, Diaspora Writings, Dalit Literature and Translation Studies. Dr. SadafFareed has three books to her credit. These are Parsi Diaspora: Expatriate Experience and Nostalgic Discourse, Literary Criticism: An Overview and A View on Postmodern Feminist Writings. She has been a part of SWAYAM and ARPIT programmes of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
She had also worked at Salman bin Abdul Aziz University (now Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University), K.S.A. and at Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Lucknow Campus. She was an ICSSR Post-Doctoral Fellow too.
She has several national and international publications to her credit and has been an active participant in various seminars and conferences of repute. Dr. SadafFareed has been actively contributing articles to some reputed Newspapers also. Her writings specially focus upon contemporary Muslim-women and child issues. She has also participated in TV discussions relating to these and other issues.
Secretary (2022-2023)
Ms. Aafia Rizvi
Activities
UDLC keeps its members active by conducting forums all week round, where students, experienced in respective fields, train the members in those skills. The forums that are conducted are:
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Recitation Forum: Where members learn to improve their recitation skills, they are trained to be more influential while reciting poetry and prose, through formally conducted sessions.
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Public Speaking Forum: This forum is meant to give a new dimension to the speaking potential of the students thereby enhancing their overall personality. The forum is certainly important for enabling students to give expression to their thoughts and engage in healthy interactive sessions with their co-speakers. These sessions foster doubts and stimulate questions amongst the speakers thereby awakening their critical ability and creating a sense of awareness amongst the speakers and the listeners. This marks the inevitable significance of this forum. Importantly, members are trained in English, Hindi & Urdu respectively.
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Beginners Public Speaking Forum: In this forum the focus is on the member’s grammar and pronunciation as they are introduced to public speaking. Where, the members who have issues with grammar and pronunciation are introduced to public speaking. The main aim is to improve the speaking skills of beginners.
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Alternative Debating Forum: This forum focuses on the latest styles of debating such as Parliamentary debating & Model United Nations formats which have become popular among students and universities. Most competitive events across India now organize competitions based on these formats. While training members in these formats of debating this forum aims to maintain AMU’s status as a vibrant university with a rich history of debate and discussion, while remaining in tune with the latest developments.
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Creative Writing Forum: This forum is a platform which brings together literary minds of the university in the creative process of writing. The forum is a group of talented poets, essayists, and prose writers analyzing, comparing and improving their works, while holding discussions on the emerging and ever changing trends in contemporary writing. Each writer brings something new to the forum, belonging to different cultural and regional backgrounds, imparting the forum a heterogeneous environment, exactly the kind that is needed for the creation of artistic and original works of writing.
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Journalistic Writing Forum: This forum deals with the non-fiction writing with a special emphasis on journalism. Here, writing techniques are taught to the members through various exercises and assignments.
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Quiz Forum: This forum brings forth the general knowledge and current affairs awareness of the students. For bringing out the best of the members, it relies on informal quizzing sessions and various quiz making techniques to make them the future quiz masters.
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Group Discussion Forum: This forum is not only aimed at honing speaking skills of students but also to develop habit of listening, critical and analytical thinking. Its objective is to inculcate interpersonal and leadership skills among students in situations of crisis management, negotiations, teamwork & collective decision-making.
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Bait Bazi Forum: This forum is one of its kinds in the country. It has been inculcating test and craving for best Urdu poetry (Ash’ar) and neck to memorize and recall them in the alphabetic order during the competitions. Though considered a dying art Bait Bazi still finds its place in many hall functions of Aligarh Muslim University, celebrating the sweetness of Urdu along with the power of human intellect to recall timely and appropriate couplets. People who attend Bait Bazi often recall it as one of its kind experience.
Key Achievements
2013-14
Yuva, Cultural Festival organised by G. B. Pant University, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand
National Debate Competition
Consolation Prize (English)-Lubna Irfan
Consolation Prize (Hindi)-Sufia Khalid
Mirass, Annual Cultural Festival organised by Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
National Debate Competition
Second Prize (English)-Humah Khan and Lubna Irfan
Third Prize (Urdu)-Haroon Rashid Zargar
I Lead India; National Students’ Enclave on Indian Politics organised by Times Now
Fawaz Shaheen represented AMU after qualifying two rigorous levels of screening process. He was involved in debating and discussing Indian Politics on the topic “The Political Class in India has Failed to meet the Aspirations of its Youth” with stalwarts such as Kiran Bedi, Prof.Yogendra Yadav, Harsimrat Kaur Badal (Member of Parliament), Sachin Pilot, Former Union Minister and others. The event was telecast live on the channel Times Now and is available on Youtube as well.
All India Sir Syed Memorial Debate organised by Aligarh Muslim University
Third Prize (English)-Lubna Irfan and Md. Zama Sheikh
Third Prize (Hindi)- Abhishek Sharma and Nizam Haider
Second Prize (Urdu)-Haroon Rashid Zargar and Syed Masoodul Hasan
Kamalnayan Bajaj Memorial Inter- University Events organised by Shiksha Mandal Wardha, Maharashtra
Third Prize (Elocution)- Abhishek Sharma
First Prize (Powerpoint Presentation)- Abhishek Sharma
Second Prize (Cultural Performance)- Abhishek Sharma
2014-15
The Great Debate North Zone Debate Competition organised by Janki Devi Memorial College, University of Delhi in association with British High Commission, New Delhi
Second Prize (English)-Fawaz Shaheen and Riad Azam
2nd Amity National Law debate 2015 organised by Amity Law School, Noida
Best Speaker (For) – Wajahat Monaf Jilani
Abhivyakti Debating Society, Satyawati College, University of Delhi
National Debate Competition
Best Team (English)- Fawaz Shaheen and Lubna Irfan
Best Speaker (English)- Areeba Shabbir
Yuva, Cultural Festival organised by G. B. Pant University, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand
National Debate Competition
First Prize (Hindi)- Abhishek Sharma and Nizam Haider
Best Speaker (Hindi)- Abhishek Sharma
Consolation Prize (English)- Imroz Alam
I Believe National Debate Competition organised by Amity University, Lucknow
Second Prize (English)- Fawaz Shaheen and Wajahat Monaf Jilani
Model United Nations Competition organised by Lakshmi Narayan Mittal Institute of Information Technology, Jaipur
Second Best Delegate Prize- Wajahat Monaf Jilani
Sardar Gurucharan Singh Memorial National Debate organised bySardar Bhagwan Singh Post Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Research, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
First Prize (English)- Humah Khan
Second Prize (English)- Areeba Shabbir
Best Team (English)- Humah Khan and Areeba Shabbir
National Debate Competition organised by Satyawati College, University of Delhi
First Prize (Urdu)- Haroon Rashid Zargar
Shyama Kohli Memorial Debate organised by Miranda House, University of Delhi in February, 2015
Best Speaker (Against) – Wajahat Monaf Jilani
All India Sir Syed Memorial Debate organised by Aligarh Muslim University
Second Prize (English)- Lubna Irfan and Hiba Kakul
Best Speaker (Hindi)- Abhishek Sharma
Best Speaker (Urdu)- Shehrayar Alam
Mirass, Annual Cultural Festival organised by Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
National Debate Competition
Third Prize (English)- Md. Zama Shaikh and Mohd. Asad Khan
First Prize (Urdu)- Haroon Rashid Zargar and Muhammad Suhail
Creative Writing Competition
First Prize- Sobia Abdin
Kamalnayan Bajaj Memorial Inter- University Events organised by Shiksha Mandal Wardha, Maharashtra
First Prize (Quiz)- Abhishek Sharma
2015-16
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Finalist of North India round of Great Debate 2016 Organized by British High Commission: Wajahat Jilani &Imroz Alam
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Lex MUN 2016 Organized by Faculty of Law, Allahabad University: High Commendation Award of 2nd Best Delegate for representing France in the United Nation Security Council.
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National level Inter-University Debate Competition (12-15 January, 2016) organized by G.B Pant University of Agriculture & Technology: Best Rebuttal won by Sufia Khalid.
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42nd Kamalnayan Bajaj Memorial National Inter-University Competition (8th and 9th January, 2016) organized by Shiksha Mandal WARDHA: 2nd Prize in Quiz and 3rd Prize in PPT Presentation won by Abhishek Sharma.
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Janak Kapoor Memorial Debate(20 January, 2016), organized by Delhi University – Best Team – Humah Khan and Neeraj Kaushik, Best Speaker – Imroz Alam, Second Best Speaker – Neeraj Kaushik.
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UP Inter-University Debate Competition (10 February, 2016), sponsored by UP Government, Rohilkhand – Best Team- Umair Khan and Anas Abdullah
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Jaswant Kaur Memorial Debate (11 February, 2016), Delhi University – Best Team- Kushgr Agrwal and Majid Ali Mufti
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Sardar Gurucharan Singh Memorial Debate(12February, 2016), SBSPGI organized by Dehradun Technical University – Best Team – Wajahat Jilani and Neeraj Kaushik.
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Jamia Millia Islamia Debate (16-18 February, 2016)- Best Team (English) – Humah Khan and Neeraj Kaushik, Best Speaker(English)- Humah Khan, Best Team (Urdu) – Zama Shaikh and Talha Kamal, Best Speaker (Urdu) – Zama Shaikh.
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Tata Crucible Campus Quiz 2016- Runner Up- Shahnawaz Ahmed and Saeed ur Rahman.
2016-17
Amity I Believe debate season 4 organized by Amity Business School, Lucknow
Best Team – Mohd. Umair Khan & Najm Mehdi
Best Speaker – Mohd Umair Khan
Programs Organized:
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Lecture by Ms. Rana Ayyub (Journalist and author) on the topic ‘Writing as a means of protest: Issues of freedom of expression and censorship’ on 7th September, 2016. She also read excerpts from her book ‘Gujarat files: anatomy of a cover up’.
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Model United Nations Workshop on 9th November, 2016.
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Darakshaa’n – a celebration of Urdu was organized from 7th – 15th November, 2016 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Allama Iqbal Sahab. Events included: Urdu Quiz, Essay writing, Speech, Calligraphy & Poster making competitions.
Past Secretaries
- Mr. Wasi Ahmad Nomani : 1973-1974
- Mr. Arif Hamdi Khan (joint secretary) : 1973-1974
- Mr. Malik Afzal Yousuf : 1974-1975
- Mr. Najam-ul-Jafri : 1975-1976
- Mr. Paigham Afaquee : 1976-1977
- Mr. S.M. Ashraf : 1977-1978
- Mr. Ubaid Siddiqui : 1979-1980
- Mr. Mairajuddin : 1981-1982
- Mr. Abdul Raheem A. : 1982-1983
- Mr. S. N. Rahman Naqvi : 1983-1984
- Mr. S. M. Afzal : 1984-1985
- Mr. Husain Ahmad Siddique : 1985-1986
- Mr. Jamshed Ahmad Siddique : 1985-1986
- Mr. Suhail Ahmad Kidwai : 1989-1990
- Mr. Munnawarul Haque : 1990-1991
- Mr. Zafar Iqbal : 1991-1992
- Mr. Tariq Wali : 1992-1993
- Mr. Zarar Nawab : 1993-1994
- Mr. Mohib-ul-Haque : 1994-1995
- Mr. Abdul Haque : 1995-1996
- Mr. S. Raheel Ahmad : 1996-1997
- Mr. Asif Iqbal : 1997-1998
- Mr. Akbar Nawab : 1998-1999
- Mr. Faizan Jaleel : 1999-2001
- Mr. Anuj Kumar : 2001-2002
- Mr. Farhan Kafil : 2002-2003
- Miss. Nazia Y. Izuddin : 2003-2004
- Mr. Adil Jahangir : 2004-2005
- Mr. Irfan Khan : 2005-2006
- Mr. Yasir Abbasi : 2006-2007
- Ms. Mariam : 2007-2008
- Mr. Shad Ahmad Khan : 2009-2011
- Mr. Faisal Abbasi : 2011-2012
- Mr. Shafey Anwarul Haque : 2012-2013
- Mr. Riad Azam : 2014-2015
- Miss. Lubna Irfan : 2015-2016
- Mr. Wajahat Monaf Jilani : 2016-2017
- Mr. Asif Akhlaq: 2017-2018
- Mr. Ansab Amir Khan: 2018-2019
- Mr. Abdullah Sarkar: 2019-2020
- Md. Sabeeh Ahmad (Student Convener): 2021-2022
Picture Gallery