Monthly Archives: June 2015

This Boy From Kashmir Got Into IIT, But Can’t Afford The Rs 10,000 Counselling Fee

Not many possess the willpower to overcome obstacles and emerge victorious against all odds. But Zahid Ahmad Qureshi is one who has fought life’s several battles – living without parents, poverty etc, to accomplish his dream.

At 21, Zahid made his grandparents proud when he cracked IIT.

Zahid’s father was killed by suspected militants when he was just two months old. His mother remarried and he was left at the mercy of his old grandparents, who themselves needed attention and care. But guess destiny was in Zahid’s favour and he was lucky to have such grandparents who supported him even while facing extreme impoverishment.

DNA|Wikimedia
DNA|Wikimedia

Until 10 years back, his 96-year-old grandfather Azizullah Qureshi ran a small makeshift tea stall in Kupwara town to make ends meet. Despite facing extreme poverty, Zahid’s grandparents sent him to school and he did not let them down. A bright student since his childhood, Zahid studied hard and his efforts and struggle paid off when he secured an enviable 89th rank in the IIT. 

But Zahid’s struggles were far from over. Inspite of achieving such a rank, what’s discouraging is that he can’t arrange money for admission to secure a seat in the prestigious engineering institute. Unlike the Saroj brothers, who got help from all quarters to get through IIT, this Kashmiri boy has still found no help.

Zahid received several calls to congratulate him for his achievement but none offered any help. Even the banks refused loan without an admission letter. With luck and money not in his favour, Zahid is losing all hopes of getting admitted to the IIT.

“We don’t have even Rs 10,000 to pay my counselling fee. If not paid, my admission will be cancelled. I thought of selling my cell phone, but it is fetching only Rs 5,000,” Zahid, who hails from remote Dudwan village of Kupwara district, was quoted telling DNA.

For someone who doesn’t even have counselling fees, to arrange money for admission to the IIT is next to impossible. Therefore he is now contemplating to let go his IIT dream and join a local degree college to complete his graduation.

We are hoping that the Ministry of Human Resource and Development takes cognizance and helps this young boy too just like it helped the Saroj brothers fulfill their dreams.

source: http://www.indiatimes.com / India Times / Home> India> News /by Mugdha Kapoor / June 26th, 2015

Breaking all the boundaries

Huge presence

HumaQureishiMPOs27jun2015

Actress Huma Qureshi, who made her acting debut with critically acclaimed crime drama ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, is now gearing up for her Marathi debut ‘Highway’, and believes that language is no barrier in cinema.

“As an actor, cinema doesn’t have language. I am from north, I have no connection with Marathi cinema, but I really liked the story. And if my presence benefits the cinema in anyways, so I thought why not,” the actress said at the trailer and music launch of ‘Highway’.

Speaking about the film at the launch, Huma said, “Umesh Kulkarni makes Marathi films but level of his films is international and after watching some of his films, I thought I wanted to be part of ‘Highway’.”

The ‘Dedh Ishqiya’ actress also said that good cinema should be promoted “equally” irrespective of the language. “I just know one thing that I want to be associated with good cinema. And I think when it comes to good cinema, we should promote it equally,” she said.

‘Highway’ stars Huma in a small yet significant role along with actress Tisca Chopra. Known for experimenting with her roles across genres, Huma is also doing another project with her brother Saqib Saleem, in a remake of an English movie.

“I am working on this film ‘Oculus’. In fact, me and my brother are going to start shooting very soon in London. I am very excited about it,” added Huma.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> MetroLife / DHNS / June 27th, 2015

Irrfan Khan beats all records and ranks as the No1 Khan of Bollywood!

There has always been a rage of the three Khans in Bollywood, i.e  Shahrukh, Salman and Aamir. From romancing heroines to doing action roles to breaking records with the 200 crore club, they have done it all!

irrfanMPOs26jun2015

However, the entrant in the Khan club has left the audience flabbergasted! Irrfan Khan’sJurassic World has broken all records by giving a humongous opening of $511 million worldwide. This is the biggest opening ever!

He plays the role of Simon Masrani, the owner of the dinosaur park in Jurassic World. Irrfan is believed to have maximum screen time a Bollywood actor has every had in a Hollywood film.

His impeccable performance in the film has been appreciated worldwide. Irrfan is now prepping up for Dan Brown’s Inferno in Budapest. It is a complete new high for this brilliant actor!

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Hindi> Bollywood / TNN / June 18th, 2015

Lucknow zoo renamed after the last Nawab

In a “historic” decision, the Samajwadi Party government has renamed the Lucknow Prani Udyan, popularly known as Lucknow zoo, as “Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Prani Udyan, Lucknow,” making it the first official move-since Independence – to name a monument after a Nawab of Oudh, or Avadh (roughly corresponding with Central Uttar Pradesh ). Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was the last Nawab of Oudh before the province was annexed by the British under the policy of Doctrine of Lapse in 1856. He was banished to Matia Burj in Bengal.

Bird sanctuary too renamed

Another first was the decision to rename the Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary in Unnao district after revolutionary freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad. The bird sanctuary will now be known as “Shaheed Chandra Shekhar Azad Pakshi Vihar, Nawabganj.”

Though Chandra Shekhar Azad was born in Alirajpur district in Madhya Pradesh (July 23, 1906), his father, Sitaram Tiwari, belonged to Badarka village in Unnao district. It was on account of his parental ties with Unnao district that the bird sanctuary has been named after him.

These decisions were taken at a Cabinet meeting presided over by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday.

The Lucknow Zoo was established in 1921 and was named after England’s Prince of Wales as “Prince of Wales Zoological Gardens.” It was renamed as Lucknow Prani Udyan on June 4, 2001.

The State Cabinet further approved the cancellation of the agreement for handing over the power distribution in Kanpur city to Messrs. Torrent Power Limited, Ahmedabad. An official spokesman said the deal was called off through mutual understanding.

Laptops for bright students

The proposal to distribute laptops to meritorious students of high school and Intermediate examinations conducted by UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad, Central Board of Secondary Education and the Indian Council of Secondary Education in the year 2015 was also approved by the Cabinet.

Another important Cabinet decision pertained to the demolition of three temporary structures on the service road near bungalow Number 13 in Mall Avenue (former Chief Minister Mayawati’s official bungalow).

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Other States / by Atiq Khan / Lucknow – June 24th, 2015

Mysore District Moon Committee meeting held

Ramdhan month begins tomorrow

RamadhanMPOsw24jun2015

Mysuru :

The meeting of Mysore District Moon Committee was held at the office of the Mysore District Wakf Advisory Committee on Sayyaji Rao Road yesterday at 7.30 pm.

The meeting, which was presided by Sir Khazi of Mysore Hazarath Moulana Mohammed Usman Shariff and Ariff A. Mehkri, who is the convenor of the Mysore District Moon Committee, collected information from various parts of the district regarding sighting of the moon.

As moon was not sighted in any part of the district in the State and on the advice of the Central Moon Committee which met at Bengaluru, it was decided to start the Holy Month of Ramdhan and to begin fasting from tomorrow (June 19).

Hazrath Moulana Mohammed Naseem Rishadi, Hazrath Moulana Mohammed Rafiuddin Qasmi, Hazrath Moulana Maqbool Ahmed Nizami, Hazrath Moulana Mohammed Zaka Ulla Siddiqi, Hazrath Moulana Shah Vali Ulla Umri, Hazrath Moulana Mufti Syed Tajuddin, Hazrath Moulana Mufthi Salman, Hazrath Moulana Shujauddin, Jameel Ahmed Asrafi, Javeed Ahmed, Mahmood Ali Khan, Sayeed, Mohammed Mumtaz Ahmed, S.A. Rahman, Rafiq Ahmed, Syed Yunus and Allah Bakash were present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore/ Home> General News / Thursday – June 18th, 2015

Copa America gets a Malappuram twist

Malappuram :

If Malappuram’s collective heart beats for anything, it is for football — a sport that has grown to conquer the land like no other. And with Copa America, the oldest international continental football competition, already under way in Chile since Friday, it is no wonder that soccer-crazy fans in Malappuram are a restless lot.

Unable to find contentment in just watching the tournament on television, football aficionados in Therattammal — a rural Malappuram village which has moulded several national players like U Sharafali, Sakker Ahammed and K Jaseer — are gearing up for a local version of Copa America.

Starting next week, 12 teams from neighbouring villages in the region would represent the teams participating in the South American tournament and the winners would take home a cup designed just like the one for Copa America.

Besides, football clubs and fans associations across the district are busy organizing small tournaments, hoisting banners and erecting flex boards. Flags and jerseys of prominent teams are also up for sale at Manjeri, Malappuram, Tirur, Perinthalmana, Kondotty, Areekode and Nilambur towns. The flags of Brazil and Argentina, the most popular teams in Malappuram, can be seen fluttering in the streets. Close on their heels are other favourites Chile, Uruguay and Mexico.

Musthafa, a native of Cherumuku near Tirurangadi and a die-hard Brazil supporter, said Brazil fans’ association is already campaigning hard for their team. “We are sure that Brazil will perform well to compensate the defeat against Germany in the semi-final match of the World Cup,” he said.

“Villages and towns here are in a festive mood, organizing various activities in support of their favourite teams,” said Muhammed Saleem, secretary of Malappuram district football association. With ardent supporters of non-playing teams like Germany, France, Spain and Italy also joining the celebrations, the excitement of fans has reached a crescendo.

Local clubs had set up big screens and televisions at several spots where enthusiasts of all ages gathered in the early hours of each day to watch matches.

It, however, remains to be seen if the monsoon showers or Ramzan fasting would dampen the prevailing high spirits.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / by T.P. Nijeesh, TNN / June 14th, 2015

Damini dazzles as BAC dominate

Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre swimmers set the pool ablaze, creating five new meet records on the third and penultimate day of the State Junior and Sub-junior Swimming Championship here on Wednesday.

Damini K Gowda clinched the Group I, 50M butterfly gold in a record time of 29.89. The BAC swimmer erased the previous meet record set by Arhatha Magavi (30.17), four years ago. Damini added one more gold to her tally by winning the 200M backstroke (2:30.67) and in the process surpassing Nisha Millet’s State record of 2:32.49, set in 1999.

Dolphin Aquatics’ Sanjay CJ put up an impressive show and powered to gold in the boys’ Group II, 100M freestyle. Sanjay clocked 55.22 seconds for a new record. Sanjay bettered Aniketh D’Souza’s (JSC) timing of 58.20.

Malavika V also kept her fine form going, bagging her third yellow metal of the meet. The 17-year old from BAC won the Group I 100M freestyle (1:00.22) and went past Nisha Millet’s meet record of 1:00.37 set in 1999.

Results: Group I: Boys: 400M freestyle: Avinash M (BAC) 4:14.75, 1; Mohammed Yaqoob Saleem (DA) 4:16.90, 2; Rahul M (BAC) 4:23.24, 3. 100M freestyle: Mohammed Yaqoob Saleem (DA) 56.34, 1; Vishwesh C Dudham (BAC) 56.82, 2; Rahul M (BAC) 57.13, 3. 200M backstroke: Joseph Padavath (BAC) 2:23.30, 1; Hemanth Jenukal V B (GSC) 2:23.70, 2; Nishanth Kumar (GSC) 2:28.25, 3. 50M breaststroke: Vaishnav Hegde (DA) 30.70 (NMR; OMR: Likith SP 31.22 (BAC) 2013), 1; Pruthvik D S (BAC) 33.00, 2; Rakshith R (GSC) 34.57, 3.50M butterfly: Avinash M (BAC) 26.82 (NMR; OMR: Rahul Batra 26.94 BAC, 2001), 1; Vishwesh C Dudham (BAC) 27.26, 2; Suhas P M (Aims) 29.06, 3.4x200M freestyle: BAC ‘A’ (BAC) 8:44.87, 1; BAC ‘B’ (BAC) 8:53.79, 2; GSC 1 (GSC) 9:14.79, 3.

Group II: 400M freestyle: Sanjay C J (DA) 4:27.21, 1; P Kushal (DA) 4:40.23, 2; Mihir Ahuja (DA) 4:51.80, 3. 100M freestyle: Sanjay C J (DA) 55.22 (Aniketh D’ Souza 58.20 JSC 2002), 1; Siddharth Rai (BAC) 1:01.61, 2; Vinod R (BAC) 1:03.70, 3. 200M backstroke: N Sri Hari (GSC) 2:20.62 (NMR; OMR: S Siva 2:21.15 (BAC) 2014), 1; Bhavesh R (DA) 2:36.93, 2; Mihir Ahuja (DA) 2:43.18, 3.50M breaststroke: Manohar M Prabhu (MAC) 33.61, 1; P Kushal (DA) 35.45, 2; Naveen Kumar T (BAC) 36.22, 3. 50M butterfly: Vaishnav V Rao (BAC) 30.69, 1; Anirudh J (BAC) 30.77, 2; Uday M L (PETAC) 31.44, 3. Group III: 50M freestyle:Prasidha Krishna P A (GSC) 28.57, 1; S Hiten Mittal (BAC) 29.05, 2; Abhay Kumar (SL) 29.16, 3. 100M backstroke: Shivansh Singh (BAC) 1:14.07, 1; R Vaibhav Shet (GSC) 1:17.66, 2; Deep Gilda (PMSC) 1:18.37, 3. 50M butterfly: Prasidha Krishna P A (GSC) 29.40, 1; S Hiten Mittal (BAC) 30.07, 2; Raj Vinayak Relakar (PMSC) 30.57, 3.

Group IV: 50M breaststroke: Shoan Ganguly (DA) 42.14, 1; Utkarsh S Patil (PMSC) 42.90, 2; R Akshaya Shet (GSC) 43.17, 3.

Girls: Group I: 100M freestyle: Malavika V (BAC) 1:00.22 (NMR; OMR: Nisha Millet 1:00.37, BAC, 1999), 1; Damini K Gowda (BAC) 1:00.90, 2; Deeksha Ramesh (GSC) 1:04.23, 3. 400M freestyle: Malavika V (BAC) 4:34.23, 1; Nikitha SV (BAC) 4:51.02, 2; Rhia Singh (BAC) 4:52.04, 3. 50M breaststroke: Charu Hamsini (BAC) 35.70 (NMR; OMR: Divya Guruswamy 36.45 GSC, 2011), 1; Riddhi S Bohra (PMSC) 37.02, 2; Deeksha Ramesh (GSC) 37.65, 3. 200M backstroke:Damini K Gowda (BAC) 2:30.67 (NMR; OMR: Nisha Millet, 2:32.49 BAC, 1999), 1; K Harishree J Rai (GSC) 2:36.71, 2; Jhanati Rajesh (BAC) 2:41.05, 3. 4x200M freestyle relay: BAC A (9:37.04), 1; BAC B (9:37.59), 2; GSC 1 (10:54.41), 3. 50M butterfly: Damini K Gowda (BAC) 29.89 (Arhatha Magavi 30.17. DOL, 2011), 1; Charu Hamsini DA (BAC) 31.38, 2; Chandana (VSC) 31.70, 3.

Group II: 100M freestyle: Harshitha (BAC) 1:05.87, 1; Saloni Dalal (PMSC) 1:08.55, 2; Harshitha Jayaram (GSC) 1:08.74, 3. 400M freestyle: Nandini SS (BAC) 4:57.65, 1; Harshitha J (BAC) 5:04.64, 2; Abhigna Anand (BAC) 5:10.68, 3.200M backstroke: Vibha Aparna Bhovnsle (BAC) 2:46.40, 1; Sushma S Bharadwaj (ASC) 2:53.30, 2; Hita Juneja (BAC) 2:58.43, 3 50M breaststroke:Saloni Dalal (PMSC) 37.13 (NMR; OMR: Charu Hamsini DA 37.51, BAC 2011), 1; Harshitha Jayaram (GSC) 37.71, 2; Pratiksha Patel (DA) 40.53, 3. 50M butterfly:Mayuri Lingaraj (BAC) 31.67, 1; Thanuja S (BAC) 31.69, 2; Sunaina Manjunath (BAC) 32.40, 3.

Group III: 50M freestyle: Smruthi Mahalingam (BAC) 30.44, 1; Khushi Dinesh (BAC) 30.58, 2; Riddhi Juyal (PMSC) 31.00, 3. 100M backstroke: Suvana C Baskar (DA) 1:14.82, 1; Kshithija K (BAC) 1:18.82, 2; Vaishnavi P (BAC) 1:20.22, 3.

50M butterfly: Smruthi Mahalingam (BAC) 32.92, 1; Poojitha G Murthy (BAC) 33.11, 2; Suvana C Baskar (DA) 33.59, 3.

Group IV: 50M breaststroke: A Jedidah (DA) 44.34, 1; Latiesha Mandanna (Young Challengers) 46.11, 2; Keerthi B (PMSC) 46.64, 3.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Sports / DHNS – Bengaluru , June 11th, 2015

Raring to go

Swimming Mohammed Yaqoob Saleem has in a few years emerged as one of the brightest stars in the Karnataka swimming fraternity

into the blue -  Mohammed Yaqoob Saleem / photo: murali kumar k.
into the blue – Mohammed Yaqoob Saleem / photo: murali kumar k.

One of Hazibul Macci’s first acts on moving to Bangalore in 2004, from K.R. Puram in Hassan District, was to take his grandson to the swimming pool. The kid had shown a tremendous liking for playing in water and also Macci felt, a healthy distraction would keep him away from bad company in the neighbourhood. First taking him to public sessions at Jayanagar’s P.M. Swimming Centre on holidays, and then enrolling him in a beginner’s course there, Macci was satisfied that the boy would remain sufficiently active. He scarcely envisioned, though, that in a few years’ time Mohammed Yaqoob Saleem would grow to become one of Karnataka’s leading young swimmers.

Bags of medals and several individual championships later, Yaqoob admits in his early days“was only playing here.” Under then coach Rohit Das, Yaqoob travelled to Neyveli for his first significant competition, a non-medallist short course meet in 2006. “I won a bronze there. It was then that I started concentrating.”

Still nervous of the big stage, Yaqoob entered his first State meet a year later and finished with a gold in the 100m freestyle. “I had no clue,” the 14-year-old recalls. “I just swam and finished first. It assured me that I had the ability.” In the years since, he has won State Sub-Junior individual championships (Groups III and IV) and National silver and bronze medals. The apogee came in 2010, when he won a gold at the Nationals, in the 200m freestyle in Bangalore, raucously cheered on by his family.

“That was his big breakthrough,” feels John Christopher, his current coach at PMSC, who that day was seen on the pool deck animatedly urging his ward towards the finish. “It was reward for his commitment. He’s extremely serious about his swimming.” The day begins at 5 a.m. for Yaqoob, his morning session in the pool lasting two hours and after school, there are three further hours of training. “I cannot recall him missing a single session, citing illness or a friend’s birthday or a function,” says Christopher. Yaqoob admits that it is tiring. “I try to catch some sleep after school. When I go home from the pool in the evening, it’s almost 9. I just finish my homework and go to bed.”

Last year, he graduated to the Junior category (Group II), doubting initially that he would be able to handle the step up. “There were older swimmers in my group. I wasn’t entirely confident.” He needn’t have worried. At the State championships, five golds and yet another individual championship came his way.

Being a Junior also meant he could compete in middle and long distance events (400, 800, and 1500m races are not open to Sub-Juniors), something he had been training for, for some time. At the Junior National meet in Bhopal last year, his first, he finished with silvers in all three aforementioned events. “I felt his strength was his heart-rate,” says Christopher. “So I thought he would make a good endurance swimmer.” There was also a gold in the 4x100m medley relay but at the 2012 Junior Nationals, Yaqoob is aiming for a bigger prize — the individual championship. “If I work hard, I can,” he says.

Christopher is convinced that it is a reasonable target. “I definitely don’t want to weigh him down with unreasonable expectations. Nobody is saying he has to win everything tomorrow morning. He’s young and he’s got a long way to go. He has to enjoy swimming.”

Yaqoob’s father Ghouse Mohiddin, a Section Officer at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University, admits that he hadn’t foreseen such progress. “I wouldn’t say I’m completely surprised — because he has worked so hard to get here.In the beginning I didn’t expect that he would become this good. His grandfather only brought him here to keep him occupied.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Shreedutta Chidananda / March 15th, 2015

Saleem Making Big Waves

Queen’s Road Bengaluru (Karnataka ) :

Mohammed Yaqoob Saleem, a  PUC I Arts student of Surana College, has been making waves in more ways than one way.

He has not only made his institution proud of his achievements but has also continued the tradition of top swimmers emerging from the city.

Saleem is an expert in freestyle swimming though he can also be a tough contender in other strokes. But the 200, 400 and 1,500 metres freestyle events are his forte and he brooks no opposition in these events.

Recently, Saleem won three gold medals in the state-level PU Board swimming championship at the Basavanagudi swimming pool.

In the state junior swimming championship in June, Saleem bagged six gold and two silver medals. Not surprisingly, he made it to the state junior team.  A month later, Saleem proved his worth in the National Junior swimming championship in Bhopal by claiming an incredible five gold and two silver medals.

Saleem continued to impress and proved to be a strong contender in any meet he took part in.

Last year was particularly good for him. Representing Bengaluru in the state Dasara meet at Mysore in September, Saleem went on to bag five gold medals and won the individual championship which he says was the icing on the cake.

Saleem’s coaches are singing praises and at the rate at which he is going, he is bound to turn out to be a bright prospect for the state at the senior levels.

Karnataka has dominated the swimming scene at the national level for years. Be it the sub junior, junior or senior national meets, swimmers from Bengaluru and Karnataka have emerged on top. This year, Maharashtra displaced them from the top spot but only marginally.

It is talented swimmers like Saleem who emerge on the scene with unfailing regularity who hold out hope for the future. The Basavangudi Aquatic Centre and a couple of the other pools have excellent facilities, including highly qualified coaches. Saleem is in safe hands as he attempts to set more pools on fire in his quest for glory.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by S. S. Shreekumar / December 09th, 2014

Hyderabad girl Pranjala is World No. 19 in ITF juniors’ circuit

Yadlapalli Pranjala wants to realise her dream by playing in a Grand Slam.–Photo: By arrangement
Yadlapalli Pranjala wants to realise her dream by playing in a Grand Slam.–Photo: By arrangement

City girl Yadlapalli Pranjala achieved the best-ever ranking by any girl from India in the contemporary ITF juniors’ circuit when she reached World No. 19, according to the latest rankings.

“It’s a great feeling to be the best in the ITF juniors’ circuit from India. But, I know there is still a long way to go and I am grateful to my coach Ilyas Sir (Ilyas Ghouse at the GVK Tennis Academy, Jubilee Hills) for all the support,” says an excited Pranjala.

Ilyas mentions that Sania Mirza was ranked No. 20, but that she played very briefly in the ITF circuit before stepping in the big league and everyone knows she belongs to a different class altogether. This young talent, who for long has been tipped as the next bet in women’s tennis from the city after Sania Mirza, achieved this ranking by virtue of her consistency in the big league.

The most notable being winning the 2014 Grade IV ITF juniors title here, runner-up in Thailand ITF juniors, winner in the ITF Junior Grade I in Chandigarh, making it to the second round in the Junior Australian Open this January, winning the singles in the ITF Juniors Grade I in Thailand in March this year and a ‘double’ in the Asian Closed junior championship in Delhi.

The 12th standard student of Chinmaya Vidyalaya (Begumpet) says her dream is to “play in a Grand Slam” and is grateful to GVK Group for its support. “It means a lot to me as I chase bigger goals,” says India No. 1 in under-16 & 18 categories.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – June 19th, 2015