NEW DELHI: Noted Muslim scholar, economist, and advocate for education and social justice, Dr Muhammad Manzoor Alam, passed away early Tuesday in Delhi. He was 80.
Tributes poured in from academic, social, and religious circles in India and abroad, recalling a life that bridged scholarship and public service. Dr Alam was widely regarded as a leading figure in Islamic social sciences and minority-focused research, and as an institution builder who believed knowledge must serve society.
Born on October 9, 1945, in Rampur village of Bihar’s Madhubani district, he was educated at Aligarh Muslim University, where he earned a doctorate in economics. During his student years, he developed a lasting interest in Islamic economics, social reform, and the use of rigorous research to address structural inequality.
Dr Alam’s career spanned several countries.
He served as an economic adviser to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Finance, taught Islamic economics at Imam Muhammad bin Saud University in Riyadh, and coordinated Qur’an translation work at the King Fahd Printing Complex in Madinah.
He later represented India at the International Islamic University Malaysia and served on the Islamic Development Bank’s scholarship and advisory bodies. At home, he completed two terms as a member of the AMU Court.
In India, his most enduring contribution was as the founding chairman and chief patron of the Institute of Objective Studies, established in 1986. Conceived as a research-driven think tank, IOS sought to strengthen intellectual capacity among Indian Muslims and other marginalized communities. Under Dr Alam’s leadership, the institute completed more than 410 research projects, published over 400 books and reports, and organized more than 1,200 academic conferences and seminars.
Dr Alam also played a pivotal, behind-the-scenes role in the landmark Sachar Committee report on the social, economic, and educational status of Muslims, submitted in 2006. Senior researchers note that IOS provided critical research capacity, field data, and analytical support during the committee’s work in 2005, helping shape what became a defining document in India’s policy discourse on minorities.
His public life included leadership roles in the All India Milli Council, Ta’awun Trust, the Indian Association of Muslim Social Scientists, and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, along with advisory engagements abroad.
He wrote extensively on Islamic economics, minority rights, education, media, and interfaith dialogue.
Political leaders, journalists, and former students remembered him as a mentor marked by intellectual clarity and personal humility.
Dr Alam is survived by his wife, five sons, and two daughters. His legacy endures through the institutions he built, the research he championed, and the generations of scholars he mentored, securing his place as one of contemporary India’s most consequential Muslim intellectuals.
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