Rehana Khatoon is an Indian scholar, teacher of Persian language, former Head of the Department of Persian, University of Delhi and the author of Encyclopaedia of Persian Language and Literature (India and Pakistan). She was honoured by the Government of India, in 2014, by bestowing on her the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her contributions to the propagation of Persian language and literature. Rehana Khatoon is the first woman alumni of the Aligarh Muslim University to be awarded the Padma Shri. She was born on 30 August 1948 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. Rehana received master’s degree in Persian 1973, M. Phil 1975 and doctorate degree in Persian in the year 1980 from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. She started her academic career as a Research Associate and received UGC Fellowships and awards namely Doctoral Research Fellow, Research Scientist–A and Career Award. She joined Department of Persian, University of Delhi in 1980 and since then has been associated with the department as a faculty member.

Prof. Rehana contributed 32 books and 180 articles and research papers in Persian, English, Urdu and Hindi published in India and abroad. She has also chaired 71 national and international conferences, attended 118 conferences in India and abroad. She has contributed rare original researches to the Persian Literature and guided PhD students from USA and other part of the globe.