Moonis Raza


Moonis Raza was an Indian academic administrator, regional planner and geographer..
Raza's tenure as Vice Chancellor of Delhi University is regarded as one of the least controversial and academically productive in the institution's history. As one of the co-founders of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, he oversaw the landscaping of its campus and named its hostels. Raza is also believed to have strengthened the liberal ethos of Jawaharlal Nehru University. He is fondly remembered by his students for "Raza's Law of Ignorance", according to which "the ratio of the known to the known-to-be-unknown always remains constant".
Raza held a large number of positions at departments and commissions operated by the Government of India. He received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Tufts University, United States, in 1991. He was a creator of and an original signatory to the Talloires Declaration, a ten-point action plan devised by the Association of University Leaders for a sustainable future.
Raza died of cardiac arrest in Boston, United States, on 19 July 1994.

Positions held

Raza authored, co-authored, and edited numerous books and articles, including Atlas of Tribal India, Atlas of the Child in India,Valley of Kashmir, and Education and the Future: A Vision.