Pune: Yasmin Shaikh, Veteran Marathi Language Scholar and Grammarian, Dies at 101
Pune, 24th August 2026: Veteran Marathi language scholar, grammarian and teacher Prof Yasmin Shaikh died of old age at a care home in Pune on Monday. She was 101.
Born Jerusha Ruben into a Jewish family on June 21, 1925, Shaikh went on to devote her life to Marathi language, grammar and linguistics. She is survived by two daughters, Dr Shama and Prof Ruksana.
She married Aziz Ahmed Ibrahim Shaikh in an interfaith marriage in 1949-50. She did not convert her religion after marriage but adopted the name Yasmin Shaikh.
Shaikh completed her BA from SP College, Pune, and later pursued an MA. She was influenced by noted teachers including S M Mate and K N Watve. She taught at Milind College in Aurangabad before joining SIES College in Sion, Mumbai, where she served as a Marathi professor and later headed the department.
Over a teaching career spanning 34 years, Shaikh remained closely associated with Marathi language education. Even after retirement, she taught Marathi grammar and linguistics to students preparing for competitive examinations, including IAS aspirants, at the State Institute of Administrative Careers in Mumbai for nearly a decade.
She also contributed to the editing of Marathi textbooks published by Balbharati for seven years and played an important role in the preparation of the book Functional Grammar published through Balbharati’s research department.
For several years, Shaikh served as the grammar adviser to Antarnad magazine and was frequently approached by writers and readers for guidance on grammar, usage and Marathi writing.
Shaikh advocated the preservation and enrichment of Marathi while taking an inclusive view of the language. She maintained that dialects were an important part of linguistic diversity, while stressing the need to use standard Marathi in literary and formal writing.
“Language is the greatest cultural heritage, and it is our duty to preserve and enrich it,” was a principle she repeatedly emphasised.
She was honoured with the Dr Ashok Kelkar Award by the Maharashtra government. She was also selected for felicitation at the inaugural programme of the 100th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, but could not attend due to health reasons.
