National ESports Championship ’23 was organized by ESports Federation of India.
Bhatkal:
24-year-old Ibrahim Gulrez from Bhatkal has emerged as the National Champion in eFootball in the National Esports Championship (NESC) 2023 organized by the Esports Federation of India. He will now represent India at the global finals of the 15th World Esports Championships (WEC) which will take place in Iasi, Romania from August 24 – September 4, 2023.
Gulrez who participated in the eFootball competition at the event hails from the coastal town of Bhatkal in Karnataka and is the son of Dr. Haneef Shabab.
The eFootball championship had over 40 top participants from across the country including the previous champion, battling to secure their berths at the global finals in Romania.
Gulrez began his campaign from the loser bracket and displayed immense perseverance as well as high-quality gameplay to become the eFootball champion. He beat Pritesh Quinton Dsouza (bad_pritt) by winning the first round by 3-2 and the second round by 3-0 to seal his maiden qualification at the WEC, a press statement from the Esports Federation of Inda stated.
“The feeling is really amazing. I have been trying to achieve this feat for the last couple of years and to finally get there feels amazing. My victory involved a mixture of hard work and some luck. One can only feel that happiness after trying so hard to win the competition for the last couple of seasons,” said Ibrahim Gulrez.
The 15th World Esports Championship 2023 will have a whopping prize pool of $500,000 (INR 4.12 crore) and is set to be the largest edition of the tournament to date with at least 130 countries participating in eFootball, DOTA 2, Tekken7, Mobile Legends, PUBG: Mobile and CS:GO.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karavali / by Vartha Bharati / March 29th, 2023
The Aligarh Alumni Association, Washington, DC (AAADC) has announced the award of 344 merit cum means scholarships to students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) for the academic year 2022-2023.
According to a press release from the AMU PR Office the scholarships are awarded based on merit and financial need and aim to provide support to deserving students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at AMU. The scholarship covers tuition fees, accommodation expenses, and a stipend for books and other academic expenses.
“The Association is committed to supporting the education of deserving students at AMU,” said Shakeela Raza, President of AAADC. “We believe that education is the key to social and economic development. We are proud to support the next generation of leaders and professionals.”
The scholarship recipients were selected through an application and evaluation process, which included academic achievements, financial needs, and a personal statement. The selection of 344 students came from more than 2000 applicants. Based on the Merit-cum-Means formula the Association short-listed 850 students and AMU Alumni Affairs Committee representative team led by Prof. Ekram Khan finalized the name of 144 new students. There were 200 previous recipients. After verification, their cases were also approved. The selection committee comprised Scholarship Committee Members and faculty members of AMU.
“We are grateful to the Association for its generous support,” said Tariq Mansoor, Vice-Chancellor of AMU. “These scholarships will enable our students to pursue their academic goals without the burden of financial constraints. We appreciate the commitment of the Alumni Association to the welfare of AMU students.”
The Association was established in 1975 and has been since supporting education and research at AMU. The merit-cum-means scholarships are one of its flagship initiatives. The scholarships are open to all students of AMU.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> India / by News Desk / March 28th, 2023
Three other female boxers from India add to women power. India has emerged as the topmost country in the championship. With four gold medals, India pushed the mighty China to second spot and powerhouse Russia had to be content with third place.
New Delhi: Indias Nikhat Zareen reacts after winning over Vietnams Nguyen Thi Tam in 50 kg finals at the 2023 IBA Womens Boxing World Championships, in New Delhi, Sunday, March 26, 2023. (PTI Photo/Gurinder Osan)
The women’s world boxing championship in New Delhi ended in a blaze of glory for India. Four times the Indian tricolour flew on the topmost mast and four times the Indian national anthem reverberated around the hall. Our four golden girls namely Nitu Ghanghas, Saweety Boora, Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain made all Indians proud with their achievements inside the boxing ring.
India emerged as the topmost country in the championship. With four gold medals, India pushed the mighty China to second spot and powerhouse Russia had to be content with third place.
The outstanding display of our triumphant girls was analysed by Omkar Nath Yadav, who has been associated with boxing for four decades. Yadav was a national level boxer who served as a talent scout and coach. He was the first to spot the potential of Nikhat Zareen way back in the year 2009. “Nikhat was then a skinny 13-year-old girl. After I had watched her in a few bouts I realised that this girl is outstanding. Her footwork and punching speed were exceptionally good. I was then a talent scout and I decided to take a gamble on her. She was a very lively (chulbuli) girl and I felt that she would definitely do well,” said Yadav.
“I entered her name for the PYKA Games which were to be held in Anandpur Sahib in Punjab. My colleagues were skeptical of my decision and warned me that she is not yet fully developed in physique. She is a 13-year-old girl. How can she compete against 19-year-old rivals? She will be knocked out by the stronger girls from Haryana and Punjab. She may suffer grievous injuries. But I persisted because I felt that she had a rare spark and we should give her a chance to prove her merit inside the ring against tough opponents,” said the coach.
“Far from being knocked out, Nikhat put up such a wonderful fight that she fully justified my faith in her. Thereafter I persuaded experienced girls from Manipur to do sparring with Nikhat. That improved her technique and confidence. After that her career took off like a rocket. In 2010 she won the national championship. In 2011 she won the sub-junior world boxing championship in Antalya in Turkey. In 2014 she won a silver medal in the World Youth boxing championship and thereafter an impressive list of victories followed,” said Yadav.
When asked to analyze Nikhat’s game, the coach said: “Her greatest asset is her ferocious determination and her mental abilities. She never gives up. She is able to learn fast. A coach does not have to struggle with her. She picks up her instructions quickly and smoothly. Today she has made all of us in the boxing fraternity of Hyderabad and in India proud of her achievements,” stated Yadav.
“In this championship she was facing a very tough opponent–Nguyen Thi– Tam of Vietnam, who is the Asian champion. The Vietnamese girl was a hard punching fighter and Nikhat had to pull out an extra effort to win. But Nikhat has that ability. When the struggle is hard, she can bring out an extra effort from within herself,” said Yadav.
“Among the other boxers, Nitu Ghanghas was very good too. She is a product of Bhiwani in Haryana and has been coached by Jagdeesh Singh, the same man who coached Olympic medalist Vijender Singh and others. Nitu was very aggressive and knew how to dominate the fight against her opponent from Mongolia. From start to finish there was no doubt that Nitu would win. Saweety Bora faced a tough time and so did Lovlina Borgohain. But I am glad that they too won and enhanced our gold medal tally,” concluded Yadav.
India’s top celebrities and political leaders hailed the victory of our girls. Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal had a special word of praise for Hyderabad’s Nikhat. She tweeted: “Nikhat you are a world champion again. Congratulations for winning the gold medal.” Mahindra and Mahindra Company handed over a Mahindra Thar SUV vehicle to Nikhat. It was good to see that our women boxers got the recognition and rewards that they deserved. The victories of these girls will inspire many more youngsters to take up sport and achieve excellence at the world level.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by Abhijit Sen Gupta / March 28th, 2023
Despite the unprecedented popularity of J.K. Rowling’s fantasy novel series, “Harry Potter’ and Jeffry Kinney’s Wimpy Kid series, it is widely believed that the book faces an existential crisis as the dazzling visual culture will soon make it archaic.
The readership of books on different themes in various genres has stagnated. However, contrary to this, young adult literature seems to be a thing of feathers as it judiciously juxtaposes the elemental art of storytelling with poetic sensibilities. If it is short stories or novels, one can find easy-to-understand text structures, different focalizations and multiple narrators with strong moral bearings. In the era of book decline culture, the popularity of children’s literature in verse and prose goes beyond geographical boundaries and language barriers.
It is heartening to note that the celebrated Urdu poet Hafiz Karnataki has provided the “sweet spot” to Urdu publishing. It did not happen in the famous centres of Urdu literature and culture –Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Patna and the like; this remarkable feat was achieved by a poet who lives in Karnataka. Recently his hundredth book, Baagh e-Atfal (The Garden of Children), was launched in the presence of eminent Urdu authors and poets, including Khaleel Mamoon, Professor Irtiza Kareem, Professor Ejaz Ali Arshad, Dr Shaista Yusuf, Dr Dabeer Ahmad, Dr Abdullah Imtiyaz, and many others during a three-day national conference on children literature held in Shikaripur, Karnataka.
Hafiz Karnatki, a recipient of the prestigious Sahitya academy award for children’s literature(Urdu ), is an accomplished poet who uses various verse genres such as Ghazal, Rubaiyee, Masnavi, Nazam and others with equal ease. His evocative and multi-sensory verses covering a plethora of themes indicate the ever-increasing range of creative dexterity. He meticulously rendered the life history of the Prophet in verse for children. He made it a point to explain the moral and ethical contribution of the Prophet to humanity. Perhaps he is the first Urdu poet who blazed a new trail in Urdu’s age-long tradition of hagiography by composing it in verse fully alive to children’s cognitive level and expectations. His two books, Hamare Nabi and Zikre Nabi, impeccably summarise the life and teachings of the Prophet.
Hafiz Karnataki is fully committed to fulfilling children’s cultural and literary aspirations and produced nursery rhymes, limericks, short poems and long poems on single topics in a fresh idiom. He gives credit to children for his creative sharpness and cerebral outpourings.” I always strive to stitch up a warm and ceaseless dialogue with young minds, keeping me fresh and mentally alert. Their appreciation and feedback unfailingly hone my writing. As long as this conversation is continued, my literary pursuits bear more fruits,” Hafiz unassumingly asserts.
At the insistence of his young admirers and living up to their expectations, a teacher turned poet Hafiz Karnatki, who has written forty-six books in prose and sixty in verse, started composing much – admired genre of Urdu poetry, Ghazal for children. He compiled six collections of ghazals titled Massod Ghazlen, Nanhi Munni Ghazlen, Bachoon ki Ghazleyen, Ghazal Saaz, Shaane ghazal, and Jan e Ghazal. The poet went further ahead and started meticulously setting ghazals to the tunes and Raags cherished by the children by using Urdu prosody. His verses drawing sustenance from religion, traditions, convictions, cultural, literary and linguistic sensibilities got tremendous applause, and his poems are popular on social media. His latest collection of exclusive poems praising God, Allaho Ahad, has just hit the stand. His hundredth book, Baagh-e-Atfal, carries more than one hundred succinct and didactic poems, zeroes on the topics that directly impact day-to-day life. A distinct tilt towards universal human values and moral framework binds through poems that poignantly harp on different themes. It looks incredible that a person fully trained in traditional knowledge and a scholar of oriental learning has a penchant for new technology. New information technology is an empowering tool that opens its door to all and ushers in a new era of equality. The Internet has subverted the concept of entitled and privileged living, and now everyone is equal as far as the use of technology is concerned. The collection is replete with poems on the tools that shape our lives. Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others surface repeatedly. Spelling out how Instagram lends a helping hand to its users, Hafiz saheb says, “Tehzeeb bhi yahan hain tammadun ke saath saath/ har shai yahan milegi Tawaazun ke saath saath (One can find culture and civilization simultaneously here/Everything is available here proportionately). Why Twitter has become the handiest medium, Hafiz poetically reasons out, “Jo baat Dil mein na rakh sakho bol do yahan /aik aik kar ke greyhen khol do yahan (pour out whatever you can not keep it to yourself/ Untie the knots one by one here).
The latest collection of the remarkably prolific poet Hafiz Karnatki is braced for making an invaluable contribution to children’s literature, and his efforts deserve accolades from all quarters
Shafey Kidwai, a prominent bilingual critic, is a professor of Mass Communication at AMU, Aligarh
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by Shafey Kidwai / March 23rd, 2023
The programme will target 150 aspiring women entrepreneurs or existing businesses per year and aim to formalise 50 percent of them.
photo- Twitter
Hyderabad:
Telangana government’s WE Hub, in partnership with SAFA society, has launched Project Ujaagar to formalise and improve financial literacy for minority women-led businesses in Telangana.
The 1.5-month-long intervention programme aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of the minority community’s infrastructure and promote entrepreneurship among minority women by providing various programmes and amenities to improve their quality of life.
The programme, consisting of four fundamental tracks conducted weekly, will cover topics such as statutory compliances, business models, marketing and sales, legal and finances, and upskilling.
It will also provide tailored programmes at no cost to participants, introduce essential guidance and facilities to promote business, build a strong community of founders, and induce skill development through building a business.
Principal Secretary of the state, Dr Jayesh Ranjan launched the project during an event at WE Hub.
Speaking at the launch event, Jayesh Ranjan said, “WE Hub will validate and support women to scale their current businesses and encourage new ones. The only ask from entrepreneurs is to stay consistent, make use of the opportunities, and advance further in terms of socio-economic status.”
CEO, of WE Hub, Deepthi Ravula, said, “We’ve observed over the past five years that businesses led by women often lack proper registration, financial literacy, accounting skills, and tools to enhance their operations.”
“Our project aims to tackle these challenges faced by women-led businesses in Telangana. By offering this programme, we aspire to create a robust community of founders who can learn from each other.”
The programme will target 150 aspiring women entrepreneurs or existing businesses per year and aim to formalise 50 percent of them.
In addition, WE Hub will also be hosting WE Talks monthly or bimonthly, providing further opportunities for learning and growth.
CEO of SAFA Society, Rubina Mazhar said, “the collaboration between WE Hub and SAFA will attract a new demographic and dimension to its model.”
Over the past 5 years, WE Hub has incubated 3194 start-ups by women founders and successfully engaged with over 5,000 women entrepreneurs, 1247 students, 986 social impact entrepreneurs, and 609 urban entrepreneurs.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Telangana / by News Desk, posted by Masrath Fatima / March 18th, 2023
Dr. Jahanara Begum, a doctor and a well-known actor in Assamese films and theater says she would continue to act in thought-provoking films that touch the heart.
She said this after receiving the prestigious Aideo Handique Award for Best Actress of the Year from the Government of Assam.
Speaking with Awaz-the Voice Dr. Jahanara Begum said, “I’m a theatre person. Acting is my addiction. I am a doctor by profession. So, I can’t be a professional film actress too often. However, if a producer or director comes to me with a good story and a character, I will act in the film. I am always keen to act in thought-provoking films that touch the heart,” said
Poster of the film Kanin
She often receives offers to act in films but has never acted in a film that has not touched her heart.
“I acted in the film Kanin in 2018. I am very excited to receive the Best Actress Award from the state government. I would like to thank and congratulate all the cast of Kanin at this moment,” she said. “First of all, I would like to thank Dr. Rita Chowdhury for scripting the story of the film. I cherished her novel Rajiv Ishwar for many years. I had never met Manjul Barua till on an auspicious occasion in 2016 when I handed the novel to him. And Manjul created Kanin with his valuable thoughts. I am grateful to Manjul Baruah. Similarly, my husband Dr. Gopendra Mohan Das took on the major responsibility of making the film, giving love and respect to my imagination. How can I thank him? I don’t have words; I am truly a lucky woman.”
Dr Jahanara Begum, who played the lead role in the hit film Anur, won the Best Actress Award for her role in the 2019 film Kanin. The actress received the prestigious award from Assam Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Bora at the 8th State Film Awards ceremony held at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati on March 13.
Dr Jahanara Begum action in Kanin
The film is based on the novel Rajiv Ishwar by Dr. Rita Chowdhury, directed by Manjul Baruah, and produced by Dr. Gopendra Mohan Das.
Dr. Jahanara Begum won the Best Actress award for 2018 for her lively performance as Mandira Baruah, a woman who became a virgin mother.
“I was yet to play my dream role. Because the characters in the films I have played till then were characters from different novels or stories. When I read Dr. Rita Chowdhury’s novel RajivIshwar, it touched my heart. Similarly, when I read the story Bhalpowar Samay by Anuradha Sarma Pujari, which reflects the loneliness, conflict, and suffering of old age, I wanted to make a film called Anur. I have recently starred in a web series of the same name based on the novel Andolita Akas by Monalisa Saikia. The stories of these films touched my heart and I gave my best to bring the characters to life,” Dr. Jahana Begum said.
She is an avid stage actor despite her medical profession. She received the prestigious Veena Prasad Utkarsh Award last year for her outstanding contribution to the radio, stage, and film industry of Assam.
Dr Jahanara Begum with Dr Rita Chowdhary
“It’s probably because of being a doctor that I’ve been able to do other things in my life or theatre on time. It’s my habit to do time work on time. Even if not a doctor, I would have continued to practice theatre even if I was involved in other professions. Because theatre is my life. I cannot live without it. I have to act to survive. Acting is in my soul,” she said.
Dr Jahanara Begum is currently the Deputy Superintendent of Tezpur Medical College.
She made her stage debut at the age of three in a one-act play written by her father.
She received her MBBS degree from Guwahati Medical College.
She was awarded the Best Actress award for her wonderful performance in the play Chaknaiya in 1973 while studying in class VIII at Fuleswari Girls High School.
Dr Jahanara Begum acting in a play
She was awarded the Best Actress award for her performance in Chaknaiya in 1973. At that time she was in class VIII at Fuleswari Girls High School. She made her full-time theatre debut at the age of 15 in Guwahati by playing the lead role in Chor of the late Abdul Majid and directed by Shyma Prasad Sharma. She then acted in Rupalim (1978) produced by New Art Player, Mrityunjay (1978) directed by Dhiru Bhuyan of Pragati Shilpi Sangha of Birinchi Bhattacharya directed by Indra Bania in Dipak Sangha.
She was awarded the Best Actress award at Guwahati Medical College for five consecutive years. At the same time, she also started acting in plays for All India Radio Guwahati and had the opportunity to work with famous playwrights
Dr. Begum, who has acted in nearly 40 plays so far, founded JB Productions in 2009. Since then, she has continuously produced and acted in plays. She is currently rehearsing a play called Raktapushpa. The Marathi play has been translated by Dr Jahanara Begum and is ready for stage performance.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Mukut Sharma, Guwahati / March 17th, 2023
Justice Ahmadi showed his courage and conviction in upholding the constitutional culture in our diverse system and ensured that the spirit of diversity in the Constitution is not nullified.
Justice A.M. Ahmadi was born in Surat, Gujarat in the year 1932 and passed away on Thursday at 5 am in New Delhi at the age of 91 years. He had an exceptional career, handling the judicial process at all three levels of the judiciary apart from being the chief justice of India for about three years, out of his total term as judge in the Supreme Court for about nine years. I started my practice in the year 2000 but he had already demitted office in 1997, so I had no occasion to see him as a judge. However, in the limited interactions with him and after reading his judgments and lectures, I wanted to write a few lines about him.
As a judge of the Supreme Court of India, he was part of many constitution bench judgments, starting from a five-judge constitution bench judgment in Charan Lal Sahuv Union of India (1989) relating to the constitutional validity of legislation regarding claims of victims of the Bhopal gas leak disaster. In that case, the three-judge majority opinion was written by Justice Mukherjee, while Justice Ahmadi agreed with a partly dissenting opinion written by Justice Ranganathan saying that the old antiquated Act should be drastically amended or freshly enacted, and should contain appropriate provision for the payment of fixed minimum compensation on “no fault liability” during the pending adjudication of the claims by a prescribed forum.
In another Bhopal gas leak case (1991), Union Carbide v. Union of India, Justice Ahmadi along with Justice R. Mishra held that there is no power in court to confer immunity for criminal prosecution and punishment; such immunity may amount to preferential treatment violative of the equality clause. They further stated that the citizen is entitled to be under the rule of the law and not the rule of discretion.
He was also part of a five-judge bench in the Cauvery basin water dispute, where the Ordinance of 1991 by the Karnataka government was held to be beyond the legislative competence of the state and therefore held to be ultra vires.
In the Mandal reservation judgment, he was the part of the majority judgment of the nine-judge bench written by Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy (for three other judges) which was further concurred by separate opinions of two more judges. In another nine-judge bench, which created the Collegium system (the 2nd judges case) for the appointment of judges, he disagreed with the majority judgment, while giving a different interpretation of Articles 124 and 217 of the Constitution of India. However, he still held that the degree of judicial independence is near total after a person is appointed and inducted into the judicial family, and on the administrative side the chief justice of India enjoys limited primacy with regard to managing the court business. At the same time, the president, i.e. the executive, does not enjoy the right of veto in the same sense that the president is not bound to act according to his views. He held that graded weight has to be attached to the views of the chief justice of India.
On the other issue, relating to exclusion of powers of the high court in relation to Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India, while heading a seven-judge bench, Justice Ahmadi struck down certain provisions of the Constitution of India introduced through amendment by stating that though power of amending the Constitution is with the Parliament, it cannot be exercised so as to damage the basic features of the Constitution or to destroy its basic structure.
We can also not forget Justice Ahmadi’s concurring view to the majority judgment in the S.R. Bommai case, where he commented on secularism under the Constitution. He stated that India is a country with a rich heritage. Several races have converged in this sub-continent. Consequently, these diversities have thrown up their own problems but the early leadership had showed wisdom and sanctity in tackling them by preaching the philosophy of accommodation and tolerance.
In 1993, the Union government acquired land measuring about 67 acres in Ayodhya, which included the land where the Babri Masjid existed before its demolition in 1992. The Acquisition of Certain Area of Ayodhya Act also declared the abatement of the all the pending legal proceedings. The majority view of the three Judges authored by Justice J.S. Verma upheld the Act in part and held that the acquisition was valid. Justice Ahmadi dissented with the majority view, and agreed with the dissenting opinion written by Justice S.P. Bharucha setting aside the Act in totality. While setting aside the Act, the dissenting opinion noted that “Ayodhya is a storm that will pass. The dignity and honour of the Supreme Court cannot be compromised because of it.”
In my view, the majority opinion was a balancing act by the Supreme Court which paved the way for further judicial proceedings, culminating into a final unanimous verdict of the constitution bench in 2019 completely ousting the Masjid from the place where it stood for a period of more than 400 years.
After demitting office as a judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Ahmadi was the chief trustee of the Bhopal Memorial Hospital Trust for a period of over 10 years, which was essentially meant for the victims of the gas tragedy. During his tenure, the hospital was very effectively administered and rendered true public service. He was chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. He conducted arbitrations and delivered lectures on various public fora.
Justice Ahmadi showed his courage and conviction in upholding the constitutional culture in our diverse system and ensured that the spirit of diversity in the Constitution is not nullified by giving certain interpretations which go against the spirit of the Constitution itself. As a judge, he showed judicial statesmanship and took a strong position to uphold the sanctity of the Constitution. He will be remembered amongst those judges who were strong and did not succumb to the will of the executive.
As an academic and a citizen of India, he opposed hate speech, imposition of one culture over the other and arbitrary police power, and propagated unity in diversity and appealed to citizens to treat every denomination as a part of the larger society rather than trying to marginalise certain groups. His wife passed away in August 2022, he has joined her within six months. His son, senior counsel Huzefa Ahmadi, and daughter, advocate Tasneem Ahmadi, will carry forward his legacy.
M.R. Shamshad is an advocate, Supreme Court of India.
Edited by Jahnavi Sen.
source: http://www.thewire.in / The Wire / Home> Opinion> Law / by M R Shamshad / March 03rd, 2023
Bengaluru-based Danish Education Trust (R) awarded scholarships to 503 students pursuing professional education across Karnataka with a total scholarship amount of Rs.1,20,85,000/- for the academic year 2022-23. The Trust selected students through an online application process at www.danishtrust.in.
The scholarship recipients are pursuing various professional courses, including Engineering, MBBS, Law, Journalism, Pharmacy, BUMS, BAMS, BHMS, Veterinary Science, Agriculture, and B.Ed, and are from economically underprivileged backgrounds.
Danish Educational Trust (R) was established in March 2006 by a group of concerned citizens led by philanthropist Mrs. Husna Sheriff, with the belief that education is the seed for development and progress. Since its inception, the Trust has continued its scholarship scheme for poor and needy students pursuing higher education, including not only Engineering & Medicine but also Law, Journalism, Pharmacy, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Veterinary Sciences, Agriculture Sciences, Education (B.Ed), and Civil Services.
Over the years, the Danish Educational Trust (R) has sponsored the education of more than 3500 students, and this year’s scholarship program is another step in empowering young minds to achieve their educational dreams.
Speaking about the scholarship program, Mrs. Husna Sheriff, the founder of the Danish Educational Trust (R), said, “We believe in empowering students with the much-needed support for higher education. It is heartening to see our scholarship recipients contribute back to society by giving scholarships to more students, participating in social impact programs, volunteering for a cause, and in many other ways. Our aim is to support more students and increase the total scholarship amount to Rs.1.5 crore to help 650+ students for the academic year 2023-24.”
The scholarship program has positively impacted the lives of many students and helped them achieve their educational goals. Danish Scholars are spread across the world and are contributing to society through their professions, making the world a better place.
Danish Educational Trust (R) encourages underprivileged students to apply for the scholarship program and continue their education without financial burden. The Trust’s vision is to empower students to achieve their dreams and contribute positively to society.
source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> Education / by Shaik Zakeer Hussain / March 21st, 2023
Tabassum Jabeen’s entrepreneurial journey began amidst the Covid lockdown.
Patna (Bihar):
A whirring sound from a nondescript building in the middle of lush fields breaks the silence of a pleasant winter morning in Islampur, a village 300 km off Patna, in West Champaran, Bihar.
Inside, dozen-odd men are busy sewing the next batch of kurtas, that should be ready to be packed and dispatched to a wholesaler in Ludhiana, Punjab.
Tabassum Jabeen, who is currently in Delhi for a personal visit, keeps track of the pace of work at the building over the phone. The 29-year-old native of the village set up this garment factory, called M2 Textile, in March 2020, when the national lockdown during the Covid pandemic caused her to lose her job as a fashion designer at a textile factory in Delhi. That end marked the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey. The Delhi-raised designer decided to go to her native village and turn the family-owned nondescript building on ancestral land into a state-of-the-art garment factory. “If you are skilled and determined, you can turn a disaster into an opportunity,” she says.
With a loan of Rs 25 lakh from The Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme, she bought a dozen sewing machines and hired an equal number of artisans from the village. The artisans too had returned to Islampur from different parts of the country, where they became unemployed during the lockdown. Like Ezajul and Murtuza, two men in their 30s, who were working in textile factories in Delhi and Ludhiana respectively. Since the time the factory was set up, they’ve been stitching garments, ironing them, and neatly packing them into boxes. And they have no plans to return to big cities for work. “We were paid about Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 a month there and were far away from our families. In Islampur, we are paid about Rs 20,000 a month and are at home,” says Ejazul.
To retain skilled and experienced workers, Jabeen lost no time in paying them competitive salaries. This, along with sourcing high-quality fabric, and selling the stitched garments at lower prices, proved to be a costly affair. In the first year of operations, M2 Textile incurred a loss of Rs 10 lakh.
Jabeen got Rs 25 lakh from The Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme which she utilised in her business. | Picture: Sufi Parween
But Jabeen was not going to give up. “I didn’t see the loss as a sign of failure. I was thinking long-term and knew my work well,” she says. The initial loss was an inevitability that she had factored in when she chose Bihar over Delhi, as the location of her factory. “In Delhi, I would have had to rent a room, and pay more electricity and other costs,” she says. It was also a return to roots of sorts, as her father had migrated to Delhi for a government job in his youth. Despite her education and training in Delhi, she decided to set up her factory in her village in Bihar because “it made business sense”.
In the second year of operation, i.e. 2021-2022, M2 Textiles, recovered from the loss of the previous year. This year, they expect to make an overall profit even as the sale in January touched Rs 7 lakh, the highest for them so far. The factory supplies readymade shirts, trousers, and kurta-pyjama sets to wholesalers in UP, Delhi, Ludhiana, and a dozen districts in Bihar such as Gopalganj, Siwan, Chhapra, Motihari, Bettiah and Raxual.
M2 Textiles run by Jabeen has all-men workforce. | Picture: Sufi Parween
The number of employees has doubled to 24 who are all men. Her next step is to hire women “who don’t step out of work in the village”. She is launching a skill training programme for women next month, including providing them with machines so that they can stitch at home and earn money.
“We look at ourselves not just as a garment factory, but also as a game-changer, that can generate employment not only for the village youth but also for women,” says Jabeen.
Sufi Parween is a fellow with the TCN-SEED mentorship program.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Sufi Parween, TwoCircles.net / March 08th, 2023
On March 19, 2023, the Human Welfare Foundation (HWF) held a scholarship distribution program at the India Islamic Cultural Centre, where 150 students from the Delhi region were awarded scholarships. The Chairman of HWF and retired IAS officer, Siraj Hussain, emphasized the importance of education and encouraged students to prioritize it by putting their goals first. He also stressed the value of reading, particularly newspapers and books, as sources of knowledge that could help students excel in any course they choose.
HWF’s scholarship program is open to students who have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership potential, and scholarships are awarded based on merit and financial need. The funds cover tuition fees, books, and other related expenses. The organization has distributed over 8200 UG, PG, and Special Scholarships, and 4500 scholarships to orphan students.
The Chief Guest at the event was Prof. (Dr.) Mohammad Ashar Alam, Vice Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard, discussed the options for higher studies offered by the university and offered support for HWF’s education empowerment activities. T. Arifali, Chairman of Vision 2026, the flagship project of HWF, delivered the inaugural address.
Dr. Syed Farooq, President of Himalaya Drug, praised HWF’s activities and emphasized the importance of taking advantage of the resources available in the present age. Senior journalist and former MP Shahid Siddiqui urged students to plan to fulfill their dreams through education and hard work, citing Sir Syed as an example of perseverance.
A. Rahamathunnisa, Chairperson of The Women Education & Empowerment Trust, encouraged students to move forward fearlessly and learn to face failures. Noted motivator and IAS Coach Sameer Ahmed Siddiqui also interacted with the awardees on higher education and career opportunities. Renowned Ortho Surgeon Dr M Farooq, PK Noufal, CEO of Human Welfare Foundation, and PR Director Dr. Rizvan Rafeequi were also present.
HWF’s scholarship program has helped many students achieve new heights in education and career, and the organization remains committed to its mission of empowering disadvantaged students through education.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education / by admin India Tomorrow / March 19th, 2023
