During his sixty-year career, he conducted a number of studies and wrote books and technical documents, which are used by experts and activists in the field of adult education.

Throughout the program, he received further training in production programmes, techniques of writing text-books and follow-up reading materials, research and educational control necessary to produce well-graded materials according to the interest and level of comprehension of adult readers, techniques of distribution, illustration, printing, the relationship between production programmes, literacy campaigns and community development.

In his 20s, Ahmed was comfortably employed with the Railways and Bridges Department in the United Provinces of British India where he translated letters between English and Urdu.

Ahmed complied at once and joined Jamia Millia Islamia in 1948, where he wrote, compiled and edited follow-up reading materials for new literates.

[1] This marked the beginning of an ensuing prolific career spanning six decades in which Mushtaq Ahmed founded, revived, mobilized and headed many institutions related to adult, primary and continuing education as detailed below.

He was appointed as the Chairman of the National Institute of Adult Education (NIAE) in 1995, Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), Government of India, in New Delhi[7] Simultanesouly, he also served as the Chairman of National Core Group, External Evaluation of Total Literacy Campaign (TLC)/Post-Literacy Programmes (PLP), an initiative of the Ministry of HRD, Government of India, New Delhi[6] He stayed in the former position till 1999 and the latter, till 2001.

[6][7] He also served as the Chairman of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Sitapur, UP, and Jan Shiksha Sansthan (JSS), Handi, although the dates on these positions are to be confirmed.