Hyderabad, Jan 31 (IANS): Noted social reformer, educationist and spiritual leader Mumtaz Ali has been nominated as the Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University for a period of three years.

According to a notification released by the University, the President, in his capacity as Visitor of the University, has appointed Mumtaz Ali as the sixth Chancellor of the University. The new Chancellor's appointment is effective from December 17, 2021.

Mumtaz Ali, who hails from Kerala, is also an author and uses the pen name Sri M.

The Padma Bhushan award was conferred in 2020 on Mumtaz Ali in recognition for the outstanding service in the fields of education and social reform. He heads the Satsang Foundation, which runs two schools in Andhra Pradesh, the Peepal Grove School and the Satsang Vidyalaya.

He also undertook the "Walk of Hope", an exercise to restore the country's spirituality, in 2015 from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. He authored about 10 books including his autobiography "The Journey Continues".