Syed Zaheer Ali retired as Head of the Department of Political Science in Government of Maharashtra’s Ismail Yusuf College, Jogeshwari (East), Mumbai in October 2006 after serving as teacher of Political Science and Public Administration for 32 years. He also taught Human Rights and Social Justice at the University of Mumbai.

Mr. Ali had the fortune of working with a world-renowned political scientist, Mr. Rajini Kothari, even when he did not complete his Masters in Political Science. Immediately after completing his graduation in 1970, he was selected as research investigator to work on a project related to socio-political consciousness among Indian Muslims. The Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi, carried out the project and Mr. Kothari was its director. Since the Home Ministry had sponsored the project, the findings were never circulated publicly. Mr. Ali, however, penned down his impressions as a research investigator that got published under the title, ‘Probing Muslim Mind’ in Secular Democracy, New Delhi, in 1972.

   After completion of his Masters in Political Science, in 1973, from the then Marathwada University, Aurangabad, Mr. Ali joined the English monthly, Secular Democracy, as sub-editor. He worked in that capacity for a year and in September 1974 joined the Department of Political Science, Government College of Arts and Science, Aurangabad. In June 1982, he was transferred to Ismail Yusuf College, Mumbai.
Currently he is the President of an NGO, Centre for Promotion of Democracy and Secularism and an active member of All India Secular Forum.

 Acaddemic, literary and cultural profile:

Regularly participates and presents papers in national and international seminars, symposia etc.
Have written and published more than 100 research papers in English and Urdu on political, social, cultural and literary topics.
Have been writing a monthly column on International Politics for the IMS journal, Adancedge, Mumbai.
Regularly contributes articles to national dailies and journals.
Writes a monthly column for Marathi daily, Sakal
Presently working as Guest faculty in the Dept. of Civics and Politics as well as the Ambedkar Centre for Social Justice, University of Mumbai.

Books:

Vrindavanlal Verma: Urdu translation of Rajiv Saxena’s English monograph on modern Hindi novelist, published by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi.
Off the Spotlight: A critical assessment of modern Urdu poets along with English renditions of their poems, published by Sheth Publishers, Mumbai.
Talmihat-e-Faiz: A critical assessment of the poetry of the renowned Urdu poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, published by Anjuman-I-Islam Urdu Research Institute, Mumbai.
Talmihat-e-Faiz: Second Edition, published by Kitabi Duniya, Delhi.
Portrait of a Pragmatist: English translation of Dr. Adam Sheiks’s book on the life and contributions of the leading educationist and politician, Dr. Ishaq Jamkhanawala, published by Nansy Publications, Mumbai.
Secularism and Its Indian Version: Published by the University of Mumbai, Mumbai
Reading History (Ed.), Published by Centre for the Promotion of Democracy and Secularism.
What Ails Indian Muslims: Jointly edited with Murzban Jal, published by Aakar Books, Delhi.
Secularism Under Siege (Ed.), published by Aakar Books, Delhi.
Mata-e-Nazar: Literary Criticism, published by Kitabi Duniya, Delhi.
Khilafat in History and Indian Politics: Published by Aakar Books, Delhi
Romancing with Revolution: Life and Works of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Aakar Books, Delhi
Communities as Voye Banks: Elections in India (Ed.), Aakar Books, Delhi.

Books slated for publication in near future:

Muslim Matters: Articles on Socio-political issues
In Fetters: English Poems
Anand Narain Mulla: Life and Works.

Award:

Honoured with a Special Award for the authorship of ‘Talmihat-e-Faiz’ for the year 2002, by the Maharashtra State Urdu Sahitya Academy, Mumbai.
Honoured with a Special Award for the authorship of “Mata-e-Nazar, for the year 2015, by the Maharashtra State Urdu Sahitya Academy, Mumbai.

Sundries:

Have served as Member on the editorial board of ‘Nawa-e-Adab’ a research journal, published by Anjuman-I-Islam Urdu Research Institute, Mumbai.
Have served as Member on Anjuman-I-Islam’s Board for Higher Education, Mumbai.
Have served as Member of the Syllabus Committee of Hindustani Prachar Sabha, Mumbai.
Have served as Member of Board of Studies for Political Science, University of Mumbai.
Worked as joint editor of an extremely reputed Urdu literary magazine, ‘Fann Aur Shakhsiyat’, Mumbai.
Regularly participates in public, Radio and TV Mushairas and programmes.
Wrote stories, dialogue and screenplays for a couple of films and TV serials.