It's been a year since our father Prof. M. Zakaria Siddiqi passed away. Abbu's memories, especially those of his ever-present smile, permeate our lives every day. To push forward his legacy of service, coaching, and guidance for students, we have initiated some projects, in whatever limited fashion we can help.
Memorial Seminar on Indian Criminal Justice System
In July 2023, we participated in a National Seminar in memoriam of Prof. M. Zakaria Siddiqi, organized by the Faculty of Law, AMU Aligarh — where Abbu spent four decades of his life, retiring as Dean in 1997. The seminar focused on the Indian Criminal Justice System and featured several distinguished Indian legal academics and luminaries, most of whom were former students of our father.
Among the speakers were Prof. Faizan Mustafa, Prof. Balraj Chauhan, Prof. S. M. Afzal Quadri, Prof. Nuzhat Parveen Khan, and Prof. Anurag Deep. Faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students — many of them Abbu's former students — attended and participated.
MZS Law Scholarships for BA LLB Students
We have instituted a merit-and-needs-based scholarship for BA LLB undergraduate law students. For the inaugural 2023–2024 academic year, we selected 12 students. In addition to financial assistance, we are connecting scholarship recipients with legal professionals in India for guidance, motivation, and potential internship opportunities. We hope to expand the scholarship availability in subsequent years.
MZS Memorial Lecture Program at Residential Coaching Academy
After retirement, Abbu spent countless pro-bono hours at the Coaching and Guidance Center in Aligarh, helping aspiring judges prepare for the Indian Judicial Services exams. We have set up an endowment for hosting memorial guest lectures at the Residential Coaching Academy — bringing in successful judges and judicial exam candidates as speakers to inspire the next generation.
We are especially happy to see the RCA's focus on under-represented groups, including women, in their coaching selection process — a cause very close to Abbu's heart.
We know these initiatives are but a small drop in the ocean, but we hope this will be a first step in continuing support over the years. We will strive to post again when we have meaningful updates to share. I know he is not with us, but I am sure Abbu would have been happy to see his legacy be pushed forward.
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