An unintended but welcome consequence of the lockdown to contain the coronavirus has been improved air quality stated the presentation of ALTAIR, a team of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students led by MBBS first-year student, Ayesha Samdani, which won the ‘The Judges Choice Award’ in the International NASA Space App Challenge-2020 for presenting a solution in response to the NASA’s Challenge ‘A One Health Approach’.
Ayesha and team members, Mohd Zakir Husain (MBBS), Aman Ahmad Khan (MBBS), Faisal Jamil (B.Tech) and Abdullah Samdani (BA LLB) gave an analysis on air quality of the pre and post lockdown periods in the Indo Gangetic region of Northern India. Their study gave details about how an improvement in the air quality benefited the health of people.
For the presentation, the ALTAIR members also coded an Air Quality Index (AQI) Calculator to measure AQI of a certain region, which is helpful in giving health and cautionary statements and providing guidance to common people on pollution related health issues.
Congratulating the students on the achievement, Prof Shahid Ali Siddiqui, Principal, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC) of the university and Prof Shakeel Samdani, Dean, Faculty of Law said that the work of these AMU students is formative as it provides a clear comparison of average concentration levels during the months before the lockdown and the time period during the lockdown restrictions, showing a reduction in SO2 level.
The event was judged by ISRO and NASA scientists including Tazeen Siddiqui of NASA.
source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> News> Community News / by The Milli Gazette Online / October 06th, 2020
A woman has made her village proud by reviving the dying art of Wooden Cutlery of Udayagiri in Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh.
Inheriting the craft from her father, Shaik Gousia Begum has trained 400 artisans in woodware. She has now been selected for YSR Award 2022.
Why is Udayagiri famous?
Situated 100 km from Nellore district headquarters, Udayagiri is known for its intricate wooden cutlery, soap cases, and bowls. More than a hundred years ago Sheikh Abdul Bashir was impressed by the softwood cutlery art of Dadasahib, a carpenter. Sheikh Abdul learnt the art and sold his products locally. He soon began improvising with intricate designs and carving. His cutlery caught the eye of tourists visiting Udayagiri and the Handicraft Department, which subsequently began training artisans, particularly women in the craft.
Shaik Gousiya Begum who is the third generation artisan, took up this job after her father fell sick. She trained many craftsmen. Later she also trained her son Zakeer Husain who is now a fourth-generation artisan.
“After my father fell sick in 2005, I took up the profession and started teaching people. From a batch of 5-6 members, now we have 400 artisans who work in the cluster at the village. Everyone is from a poor background. We used to make products and sell them in other states,” said Shaik Gousiya Begum.
She also received the State Award in 2005.
Her son takes it to social media
Begum’s son always wanted to become a police constable. But she wanted him to pursue business and keep the tradition alive. Zakeer Husain who learnt the work from his grandfather also trained other women. However, as time passed, Udayagiri Cutlery saw a downfall due to a lack of marketing. It was Hussain who promoted the products on social media platforms. “Now, my son is responsible for sales and promotion. We send our products to Lepakshi stalls in Hyderabad, and Andhra Pradesh. My son also travels to other countries to sell products in exhibitions”, said Begum.
Much Demand
Begam says their wood cutlery has a great demand. People book their products online. They have designed 150 different products. These include wooden spoons. forks, salad bowls, trays, and combs influenced by Persian motifs and patterns, earrings, toys, lamps, and many more.
How do they make it?
Wood cutlery takes a lot of time and patience for perfection. The local wood of Devadari, Nardi, and Khalidi is sourced from Durgampalli hills and dried for ten days. The wood is then soaked in water for 2 days, and then dried again in the shade for 3 days. The process of making cutlery then begins and takes time depending on the design.
Take it around the globe:
“I want to take this art form to other countries and make my grandfather proud. Previously, my grandfather used to make and sell locally. But later, I started to run the business on social media and set up stalls in every exhibition hosted by the government”, said Zakeer Hussain.
GI tag
Wood cutlery of Udayagiri got its significance when the village was granted Geographical Indications (GI) tag for being the only region with such a craft form in 2016. Then they started selling out at famous exhibitions such as Shilpararnam in Hyderabad. The women later set up the Udayagiri Cutlery Mutually-Aided Cooperative Society.
Need for development
Tucked away in a quaint corner of the Nellore district, the artisans said there is a need for the development of their cluster. They have been regularly asking the government for better space that can accommodate 400 workers.
. “Udayagiri has a great future and many prospective buyers. However, we need better manpower and machinery. Currently, 90% of the work has to be done by hand. Schemes and opportunities for training more people on this craft form are what we need” said Hussain.
source: http://www.m.dailyhunt.in / Daily Hunt / Home / NewsMeter / November 2022
Father has won silver and daughter brought home Gold.
Wondering what I’m talking about? It’s time to take a letter-travel to Mangalagiri in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to know about an international powerlifting champion, Saadiya Almas, who won gold in the Asian Powerlifting Championship held in Istanbul recently.
Almas has made her father, Sheikh Sandhaani, who won silver in the Asian Benchpress Championship held in Jamshedpur in 2004, extremely proud.
By lifting 167.5kg in the Squad category, 70kg in the Benchpress and 157.5kg in deadlift category which summed up in total to 395kg, Almas bagged an overall Gold.
Almas participated in the championships with the help of Rotary Club of Hyderabad Deccan who offered her a financial help of Rs. 2 lakh to travel to Turkey. This KL University student who is pursuing her degree currently is also hailed as Strong Girl of India.
Earlier, this girl of muscle has won bronze in the Asian Powerlifting Championship in the sub-junior category by lifting an overall weight of 242.5kg.
We wish Saadiya great success in all her future championships and may her growth represent her town and state on the world map.
source: http://www.bookofachievers.com / Book of Achievers / Home> Snippets> Story / by Raghu K (headline edited) / January 26th, 2022
Mohammad Faiz from Jodhpur won the second season of Superstar Singer. He took home Rs 15 lakh.
Mohammad Faiz with captain Arunita Kinjal.
Sony Entertainment Television’s kids singing reality show, Superstar Singer 2 has finally found this season’s winner! With judges Himesh Reshammiya, Alka Yagnik and Javed Ali, the contestants truly came a long way. Making it to the top six were Mohammad Faiz, Mani, Pranjal Biswas, Aryananda R Babu, Rituraj and Sayisha Gupta.
Mohammad Faiz from Jodhpur was declared as the season winner and lifted the coveted Superstar Singer 2 trophy. Along with the trophy, the 14-year-old was also awarded with a cheque of Rs 15 lakh.
Mohammad Faiz Wins SuperStar Singer 2
Aptly titled as the Future Voice of Romance by Akshay Kumar and other B-town celebrities, Mohammad Faiz brought alive his passion for music on stage through his mesmerising performances. With his first performance on the song Khamoshiyan in the audition round, Faiz found a special place in the hearts of the judges and audience alike. From there on, there was no looking back for Faiz as he wowed the judges, audience and all the celebrity guest with his magical voice. He was given the title of India’s young singing sensation by judge Himesh Reshammiya who also gave him an opportunity with his first ever singing break – Merre Liye. Not only this, but memorable moments were when eminent personalities expressed their wish of getting Faiz to sing and work for them one day as a playback singer.
What did Mohammad Faiz Say ?
Mohammad Faiz said, “Being on Superstar Singer 2 is an achievement by itself. When I gave the auditions, never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I will not only be in the TOP 6 but also win the coveted trophy. I am unable to describe this feeling in words, it’s so surreal. It still feels like a dream to me. I would like to thank all the viewers and my fans i.e., Faizians who have showered me with so much of love and votes. I also want to extend my gratitude to everyone who has made my journey on Superstar Singer 2 truly special, especially all the judges and my captain Arunita di, who has been my pillar of strength, believed in me and guided me to make this dream of mine come true. The show has been an enriching experience throughout and has given me friendships that I will treasure forever. I am extremely delighted to have received this opportunity to showcase my talent.”
Arunita Kanjilal, Captain on the Show reacts
Arunita Kanjilal, captain on Superstar Singer 2 said, “Superstar Singer 2 has been the most wonderful experiences of my life that I will cherish forever. Not only did I get to guide some of the most talented young kids as a captain but also got to learn so much from them. I am truly grateful for this journey. Also, I am extremely elated to see our Rockstar Faiz lift the trophy and be crowned as the winner of Superstar Singer 2. This is a huge honour for both of us. I am also very grateful to everyone who has supported and showered their love on Faiz; making him win the coveted title of this season’s ‘Singing Ka Kal.’ I am super proud of Faiz and all the other contestants who have amazed everybody with their melodious voices. I wish all of them lots of love, luck and prosperity for a brighter future.”
What do the Judges say ?
Judge Alka Yagnik said, “Superstar Singer 2 brought forth some of the most bright and young extraordinary singing talent. Seeing them mature, grow and flourish throughout the season has been an experience. Everyone from the top 6 contestants have been outstanding. Faiz is a well-deserved winner, his graph on the show has been so good. He has been one of the best singers the stage has witnessed, and his determination towards music and zeal to win has made him win the coveted title of Superstar Singer. This is just a beautiful beginning of his career and I believe he will go a long way. My wishes and prayers are always with him. May he soar high always in his future endeavors.”
Judge Himesh Reshammiya added, “Extraordinary this is exactly how I would like to describe Superstar Singer 2! All the contestants on the show have marvelled us with such outstanding performances week on week, making it a tough decision for us and the audience to choose the next ‘Singing Ka Kal’. Faiz has been a complete rockstar right from the beginning and has consistently given his best. I am very proud of Faiz, he has always had this spark in him, and his incredible journey on this show speaks for it. My heartiest congratulations to Faiz who has emerged as the winner of Superstar Singer 2. I personally cannot wait to see the success that will follow his way.”
Judge Javed Ali concluded, “Superstar Singer 2 has been a show that has made a special place in the hearts of the audience with the extraordinary singing talent of the ‘Best Bache Ever’. Watching them perform week after week was so heart-warming; Their magical voices deeply touched all of us. And, I am sure all of them will go a long way. I have personally received so many messages and calls praising the kids of the show. The stage of Superstar Singer 2 has given birth to some of the most impeccable talents and has also given some of the most iconic performances that will forever be cherished in the reality show’s hall of fame. I am extremely proud of all the contestants, especially Faiz who is a very well-deserved winner, and I wish him all the luck for a brighter and successful future. Kudos to the whole team of Superstar Singer 2.”
source: http://www.indiatoday.in / India Today / Home> News> Television> Reality TV / by Grace Cyril / Mumbai, September 04th, 2022
Success comes to those who believe in hard work and dedication and this sentence fits the case of Dr Mariam Afifa Ansari, the youngest female neurosurgeon in the Muslim community in India, as per the state president of MSO Maharashtra.
Mariam Afifa Ansari always dreamed of becoming a doctor, and this dream of hers became a reality when she secured 137th rank in the All India NEET exam in 2020.
Mariam said, “Now I have become Dr Afifa from Miss Afifa and my dream of wearing a white coat and examining patients with a stethoscope has come true”.
Since her school days, she has always been a top performer. Mariam completed her primary education in an Urdu medium school in Malagao.
Having been educated in Urdu medium schools till the 10th class, Mariam has left many amazed with her consistent successes. Mariam took her primary education from an Urdu medium school in Malegaon. After that, she came to Hyderabad.
In Hyderabad, she studied till 10th at Rajkumari Durushevar Girls High School, where she won a gold medal in class 10th. Mariam did MBBS from Osmania Medical College and then obtained a master’s degree in general surgery from the same college, said the state president of MSO Maharashtra.
Mariam five gold medals during his MBBS course. After completing her course in 2017, she managed to get free admission for a master’s course in general surgery at the same college.
In 2019, she completed her postgraduate degree, MRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons, England. In 2020, she did the Diploma of National Board course.
It is a special postgraduate degree awarded to specialist doctors in India. After scoring high in the 2020 NEET SS exam, she was granted free admission to MCh at Osmania Medical College.
Mariam’s continuous hard work has helped her cross every hurdle on the path to success. Dr Mariam Afifa Ansari is an inspiration for the young generation in India.
She added also, “My success is a gift from Allah and now a responsibility,”.
Mariam said that she would try to serve the community through her profession. Giving a message to Muslim girls, she said, “Don’t give up, never let anyone tell you that you can’t do it, prove them wrong, by getting it.”
Mariam’s mother is a single mother and a teacher. She is proud of her daughter. Apart from studies, Mariam also excels in painting, calligraphy and Islamic teaching.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Women / by Muslim Mirror Desk / November 21st, 2022
The literary work is the fourth translation and the first Urdu work to win the JCB Prize
(Left to right) Mita Kapur, literary director, The JCB Prize for Literature; Sunil Khurana, chief operating officer, JCB India; winning author Khalid Jawed; translator of ‘The Paradise of Food’ Baran Farooqi and jury member AS Panneerselvan JCB Prize
Khalid Jawed’s The Paradise of Food has been awarded the JCB Prize for Literature 2022. The book was chosen by a panel of five judges.
The Paradise of Food has been translated into English from Urdu by Baran Farooqi and published by Juggernaut. The Rs 25 lakh prize was awarded to the author virtually by Sunil Khurana, chief operating officer, JCB India, and A.S. Panneerselvan, chair of the jury for 2022, at a hybrid event organised at The Oberoi, New Delhi. Khalid Jawed also received the trophy — a sculpture titled ‘Mirror Melting’ by Delhi artist duo Thukral and Tagra.
The Paradise of Food, which is the fourth translation to win the JCB Prize and the first in Urdu, is a bildungsroman that traces the narrator’s journey through life anchored in a middle-class Muslim joint family.
The jury comprised Panneerselvan, journalist, editor and columnist; author Amitabha Bagchi; J Devika, historian, feminist, social critic and academician; author Janice Pariat and Rakhee Balaram, assistant professor, Global Art and Art History at the University of Albany, State University of New York. The award ceremony began with a welcome note from Mita Kapur, literary director of the JCB Prize, and an address by Deepak Shetty, CEO & managing director, JCB India. Classical dance performances by Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra led up to the grand announcement.
Speaking about the merit of The Paradise of Food as a piece of literature, Bagchi commented, “This singular and moving book shines a scintillating light on the violence at the heart of human civilisation. The language contains several beautiful and unusual formulations that are a literary achievement by both the author and the extremely skilled translator. A literary landmark in a less-celebrated genre of Urdu’s grand literary tradition, this work deserves to be widely read in India and beyond.”
Other members of the jury, too, unanimously appreciated Jawed’s book. Rakhee Balaram described the work as a “book of indescribable brilliance” and to J. Devika, it was a “powerful ice-pick in the winter of civilisational crisis that has engulfed the countries of South Asia”.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / Telegraph India / Home> My Kolkata> Events> Literary Event / by My Kolkata Web Desk / November 20th, 2022
Picture of the Alami Tablighi Ijmeta held in 2019. | Picture: Tablighi News 365
Held for the first time in 1948, the Bhopal Ijtema is known for its massive participation of people and for promotion of peace and inclusivity.
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) :
The Alami Tabhligi Ijtema, an annual Islamic congregation held every year in Madhya Pradesh commenced today in the outskirts of the capital Bhopal. The four-day religious event is the third-largest Islamic congregation globally. The first such congregation was held 73 years ago. The event is taking place after two years of halt caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The congregation is not only popular for being the largest religious gathering in India but is also well known for the promotion of peace and inclusivity.
For the first time, international participants will not be in attendance at the congregation.
According to a report in Dainik Bhaskar, the congregation will be held on 300 acres of land. “20,000 volunteers will handle management. More than 17,000 taps are installed for ablution only. 7 crore litres of water will be consumed every day for drinking, ablution, and cleansing. Non-veg food is banned due to Lumpi Virus. There will be 45 parking slots and 7000 dustbins. 5000 volunteers will take care of the cleaning. 5 fire brigades and 6 fire bullets will be present there. 2000 policemen will manage security and 500 will handle the traffic management. There will be 3 hospitals of 10 beds each as well,” the report said.
History of the congregation Shams Ur Rehman Alavi, a prominent journalist and former editor with Hindustan Times told TwoCircles.net that even though this grand congregation of Muslims is a purely religious event but in Bhopal, it means much more. “It has a unique relationship with the city and its inhabitants irrespective of their beliefs. Come winter and there is a buzz about the dates of Ijtima. Though such gatherings are now held in different cities across the country, the Ijtima here has an altogether different ‘connect’ with the people,” he said.
Shams Ur Rehman Alavi said that after the independence of the country, the first congregation was held in Bhopal in 1948 at Masjid Shakoor Khan.
It is said that the first congregation was a small gathering. Later, it was shifted to Taajul Masajid and became a big event. In 2002, it was shifted to outside the city in Eintkhedi as the gathering had become too big by then with a participation of 5 lakh people. Today, nearly 1.5 people congregate at the event. “People still get nostalgic when it was held in Tajul Masajid for over half a century. In those days, the temporary market that came to be associated with the gathering gave the congregation another meaning for Bhopalites,” Shams Ur Rehman Alavi said.
Preparations run for months The preparations for the congregation began several months ago. Many youths from the nearby areas volunteer to help with the preparations. “This is farmland. It is very difficult to clean it and make it suitable for the congregation. We made drainage to discharge water from the farms with the help of a generator to dry the land sooner,” Abuzer, a volunteer, told TwoCircles.net.
Abuzer said all volunteer work is done by Muslims. “People willingly come here and do labour without demanding charges. We do it for the sake of Allah,” he said.
Atiq Ul Islam is a member of the organizing team that is looking after the preparations. He told TwoCircles.net that the 300 acres of farmland where the congregation is taking place is lent free by locals, which include both Muslims and non-Muslims.
“Non-Muslims have never refused to lend their lands to this congregation. We organize this Ijtima to please God and send a message to the world to follow God’s commandments which is to do good and refrain from evil,” Atiq Ul Islam said.
He said that the congregation is held to send a message of peace. “Every faithful attends this Ijtima,” he said.
Atiq Ul Islam informed that Muslim volunteers also take responsibility for security and traffic management. “The administration plays a supporting role by keeping an overall eye on things. Rest everything is managed by our volunteers,” he said.
Akram Ahmed Khan is a resident of Bhopal who has been attending the congregation since childhood. For many years, he has volunteered at the event.
Akram said that the congregation has a cross-functional team that has a dedicated system including a security team, transportation and commute team, road management (traffic management) team, parking team, and emergency and procurement (medical team). “The management skills I learned here have helped me in my professional life as well,” Akram Ahmed said.
For effective disposal of waste, the management collaborates with Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC). For its zero-waste, the congregation has earned laurels.
Huneza Khan is a student and a budding journalist from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. She tweets @KhanHuneza
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Huneza Khan, TwoCircles.net / November 18th, 2022
Prof Nafees Ahmad Khan, Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, has been declared as the Elected Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI).
The National Academy of Sciences, recognises researchers who excel in the field of their research as Fellow of the Academy, which is considered as the most coveted accomplishment in academics.
Prof Khan has worked on the mechanisms of hormonal and nutritional regulation of plant development with emphasis on plant resilience against stressful environments using nutriomics and metabolomics.
He has published many research papers in crucial high Impact Factors journals and collaborated internationally for research. He has published about 200 research papers（H-index 67; i–10 index 175）and was noted as one of the most-cited Indian researchers in the area of Plant Science by Elsevier every year from 2019 to 2022.
He has edited 19 books published by Elsevier, Springer-Nature, Frontiers, NOVA, Alpha Science and others. Supervised research projects focused on signalling molecules-nutriomics and abiotic stress tolerance mechanisms, and served as Editor/Guest Editor of the leading plant science journals, published by Elsevier, Frontiers, Springer-Nature MDPI.
Prof Khan is also fellow of The Linnean Society, Indian Botanical Society, Indian Society for Plant Physiology.
source: http://www.amu.ac.in / Aligarh Muslim University / Home / by Public Relations Office / November 04th, 2022
While there is a sense of jubilation on the recruitment of thousands of young people in the Assam Police through a transparent and fair recruitment process in a faraway land – the USA – an Assamese Abidur Reza Chowdhury alias Karjon Chowdhury of Badarpur, Karimganj district (Barak Valley) has been appointed in the New York Police Department (NYPD).
The young man from Badarpur joined the New York Police Department in October. Congratulating f Abidur, his friend Imran Laskar, wrote on Facebook:
“I am very much delighted and overwhelmed to share the grand achievement of one of my very best friends who has recently cracked one of the world’s most prestigious and most renowned with rewarding New York Police Department (NYPD), United State of America competitive exam and cracked with flying colours.
A tireless effort, dedication, commitment, and strong determination have made him achieve this success. Nevertheless, as we spend year on the year together, I found him always dynamic, utmost level of IQ, and was studious with multi-dimensional intelligence. He is none other than Karzon Choudhury, A resident of the small town of Karimganj, Assam. Huge applause and heartiest congratulations from me and on behalf of his all classmate from Delhi. I couldn’t but share the pride moment of receiving my graduation of him.”
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Youth / by awazthevoice.in / by Shatananada Bhattacharya / Hailakandi / October 13th, 2022
Abidur Reza getting his credentials as NYPD cop
Another friend Riz Chowdhury wrote on Facebook:
“Alhamdulillah. On behalf of My brother Shohid AR Choudhury (Karzon), I would like to thank everyone for your immense love and support. He cannot post, reply or comment on anything on any social media due to NYPD privacy policy. So, please don’t think otherwise, and keep him in your prayer for health and success. Once again thank you to every one of you who showered love on my brother.”
Abidur Reza Chowdhury has a sister who is already working for the US Department of Health and Human Services. All members of his family are US nationals. Abidur has been living in the United States since 2014. It was his mother who took retirement from Mahakal LP School No. 215 and immigrated to the United States.
Her daughter got a job with the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Firdouse Khan, a prominent Muslim activist passed away at her residence on Friday morning in Bengaluru.
Firdouse was the secretary and consultant at the city-based Forward Trust, a family and marital counselling organisation. She was actively involved with Bahutva Karnataka, Communal Friendship Forum, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and other civic organisations.
Speaking of the demise of Firdous, Bahutva Karnataka activist Adv Vinay Sreenivas told The Cognate, “She cared a lot about society and was a person like who exhibited a lot of goodness. It was her dream to live in a society which is in harmony.”
The 52-year-old previously held the post of manager at HCL. She later resigned from the post and was involved in social activities. She took part in several protests, including the anti CAA/NRC protests. The activist regularly organised legal literacy workshops.
“Firdouse was interested in building bridges across people, faiths, and like, there are different communities. She stayed in touch with everybody and was like a very spirited person. Her life was committed to support others and she did what she could do to ease somebody’s pain,” Vinay said.
“A personification of the kind of values we want in a fraternity, Firdous was a believer and she had made connections with people from other faiths. It’s just it’s a very big loss for the civil society in Bangalore because we have very few people like this.”
The deceased is survived by her husband Waseem Khan, one son and a daughter.
source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> News / by Rabia Shireen / November 11th, 2022
