Category Archives: Amazing Feats

The First Prime Minister of Bihar. His grave lies at Brookwood Cemetery in Woking, England.

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion

Patna, BIHAR / London, U.K :

I have been visiting Shah Jahan Mosque and the Brookwood cemetery in Woking for a few years now.

Woking, is a small town almost 30 miles from London. The town is famous for it’s first purpose build mosque in the UK .

 During, the two great wars this mosque served a purpose of spiritual centre for Muslim soldiers in Britain.

A few miles from the mosque lies a burial ground which was a designated ground for Muslim soldiers of WWI. Later, it has been transformed into a memorial park.

Shahjahan Mosque, Woking

Brookwood Cemetery is situated almost five miles from the Shah Jahan Mosque. The Cemetery is one of the largest in Europe. There are a number of famous Victorian Muslims resting here. Today, Woking has large Muslim population, mostly from Pakistan and they are very active in the community and maintaining the mosque very well.

My, very first trip was unplanned and somewhat impulsive. Though it was incredibly enlightening as well as moving. In 2016 after Eid prayer, on a spur I decided to drive my family to Woking. At the time I had only two boys; My eldest was 3 and his brother a year old. I had no idea how to reach to the mosque and locate graves of the early ‘Victorian Muslims.’ However I was committed to do both on the same day. On my SatNav I entered the postcode of Shah Jahan Mosque.

After two hours of drive we reached the Shah Jehan Mosque. There, we saw young and old, boys and girls in Asian Eid costumes. Contrary to the typical British cloudy weather it was a sunny day. Green dome of the mosque and good size open space with another impressive brick building gave an impression as if we are in a small but an affluent village of India.

The festive mood and the perfect sunny day was inviting us to explore and finish the target. After spending an hour there, we decided to drive to Brookwood cemetery.

The most challenging part was to locate the old Muslim section of the cemetery, where I wanted to the visit graves of Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Marmaduke Pickthall and Lord Headley.

To solve the problem, after reaching the cemetery gate; my intuition suggested me to drive only on the road which took us to the right side of the cemetery. First right, second right and then the third right. After a very short drive it was evident that the direction of graves has started changing, Muslim names with some Islamic symbols – crescent and stars on grave stones reassured me that we have entered into the Muslim section of the cemetery. In the end I reached to the place I wished. It was not easy to recognise Mr. Pickthall’s grave, three rows further, very close to the road is buried my favourite Abdullah Yusuf Ali the well known translator of the Holy Qur’an in today’s contemporary world who passed away in 1953. I was in search of another unmarked grave of Mr. Abdullah Quilliam, when my wife called me to show something. She excitedly pointed to a marked grave of the first Prime Minister of Bihar.

Grave of Mohammed Yunus

My wife is born and brought up in the UK. However she is fluent in Urdu and has enormous interest in her Indian roots. She located the grave of the ‘First Prime Minister of Bihar’ – Haji Mohammad Yunus. It was a huge surprise for me.

Barrister Mohammed Yunus (Sitting)

I don’t have any direct relationship with Late Haji Mohammad Yunus Saheb. However one of his nephews was my grandfather’s junior in the court and was a very close friend of his. My paternal grandfather was a successful and famous criminal lawyer who practiced in a small town in Bihar. Both of them worked in the same Court. In the 1940s my grandfather’s friend (Haji Yunus’s nephew) was the only Muslim in the town who had a Radio.

Barrister Mohammed Yunus

In fact in our ancestral town it was his radio that broke the bad news of Mahatma Gandhi’s cold blooded murder. Broadcasts from his Radio clarified that the murderer of Gandhi was ‘not a Muslim but a right wing Hindu’ .  Which was a momentous relief for the frightened local Muslim population during the violent and uncertain communal climate of the partition of India.

So, finding his grave reminded me of the old story of partition. When I was in school, our eldest uncle shared his experience as a child and narrated us with many stories of the partition; further, how they were taken to a safe place in Bengal for a short period of time by train.

Barrister Mohammed Yunus as Prime Minister of Bihar

Below are photographs of Haji Mohammad Yunus grave stone and other famous British Muslims residents of the Brookwood Cemetery. May they all rest in peace; may Almighty Allah accepts their deeds and grant them highest place in Paradise. Ameen.

source: http://www.heritagetimes.in / Heritage Times / Home> Bihar> Heritage / by M S Siddiqui / July 29th, 2020

This young educator is breaking taboos around menstrual hygiene

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, FREE : Healthcare / Assistance, Useful / HEALTHCARE, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , ,

NEW DELHI :

Farheen Naaz (39), an experienced education professional, calls herself a “menstrual educator by passion.” | Picture by arrangement

The objective of Farheen Naaz’s organisation is to break the taboo that has been built around menstrual hygiene since ages and normalise period talk, which is frequently hushed by elders in most Indian households.

New Delhi :

During the first and second wave of Covid-19, Farheen Naaz was busy distributing relief kits to marginalized communities in New Delhi. The kits however, had only one sanitary napkin packet. One of the women told her there was more than one menstruator in her house. That interaction left her thinking how the menstruation needs were left unaddressed during the pandemic and in ordinary times.

Farheen (39), an experienced education professional, calls herself a “menstrual educator by passion.”

In September 2019, she started We The Change, a women-led Delhi-based not for profit, working towards creating awareness and inculcating correct knowledge about menstrual hygiene amongst the community, including members who do not menstruate. The organisation started with online sessions and talks, soon growing to conducting on-ground drives.

We The Change distributed more than 950 menstrual hygiene kits (containing 50 sanitary pads, 50 disposal bags, two cloth panties and a bar of soap) across India during the pandemic. They plan to double their target and reach out to 2000 menstruators pan India.

“The objective of our organisation is to break the taboo that has been built around it since ages and normalise period talk, which is frequently hushed by elders in most Indian households,” says Farheen. “While this might be a topic that might have been directed towards only adolescent menstruators over time, our organisation has decided to include families of the menstruators as well to create a comfortable and safe space for these conversations.”

Farheen says she realised the problems are far deeper than just not getting access to menstrual products. “Mothers and grandmothers are the main sources of information for many menstruators, and hence they do not get access to the kind of resources and information that they should get,” she says. “Shame makes many menstruators susceptible to harm because they learn taboos and misinformation.”

We The Change initiative has collaborated with Menstrupedia, an educational comic book on menstruation that is used in schools across the country for workshop and training purposes. | Photo by arrangement

Having worked in sectors focusing on institutional education, menstrual education, skill development and social work, she hopes she can bring a significant change in the society and smooth over the differences that exist between different genders, castes and socio-marginalised classes.

“We partner with and train local teachers so that students can come to them with their issues and get information from menstrual health-trained teachers,” she explains. 

We The Change initiative has collaborated with Menstrupedia, an educational comic book on menstruation that is used in schools across the country for workshop and training purposes.The plan is to buy and donate these books to menstruators pan-India, and use this material to train adolescents in menstrual health and menstrual waste management.

Sustainability in menstrual health and hygiene is often talked about. But a majority of women are unable to use sustainable menstrual products due to lack of resources such as clean water and the cost of  these products.

Farheen has come up with a menstrual waste-management project called the #ProjectRedWaste, which is specifically aimed at providing recycled paper bags with a red dot on them to menstruators to safely dispose of menstrual waste, such that sanitation workers also identify these and separately handle them.

Farheen says this work has helped her realise how fixing menstrual issues is central to breaking several societal barriers. A large part of her programme therefore involves education about menstruation, women empowerment, battling transphobia, and inculcating leadership amongst young menstruators. 


Suchitra is an independent journalist working on social justice, focusing primarily on gender justice. She tweets at @Suchitrawrites

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Suchitra, TwoCircles.net / February 07th, 2022

Convocation 2021: Ahmed Uzair captures KGMU’ s all three Chancellor Heavett and University medals

Amazing Feats, Education, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Convocation 2021:

The convocation ceremony of KGMU will be held on December 17. 42 meritorious people will be awarded with Gold, Bronze and Silver medals.

In this, 24 girls and 18 boys have won medals.

Foundation Day celebrations will be celebrated on 18th December. In this, 90 medals will be awarded to 57 students. In this also the female students continue to dominate. 38 meritorious girl students will be decorated with medals around their necks, while 19 students have succeeded in capturing the medals. In both the ceremonies, 154 medals and prizes will be given to the meritorious.

This information was given by Vice Chancellor Dr. Bipin Puri on Monday.

Name of the three medals for Uzair :
In the Brown Hall, the Vice Chancellor told a press conference that the celebrations would be held at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Scientific Convention Center. Vice Chancellor Dr. Bipin Puri informed that MBBS student Ahmed Uzair has won the most prestigious Chancellor of KGMU, Hewett and University Gold Medal.

After a long time, a meritorious has captured all the three medals. Uzair will get the maximum 13 gold in the convocation. There will also be a book prize and a silver medal. The Vice-Chancellor said that MBBS student Shivam Singh would be awarded four gold and one silver medal. MBBS student Akanksha Singh will get a gold medal.

Prime Minister can be the chief guest
Prime Minister Narendra Modi may be the chief guest of the function. The administration has intensified the preparations for his arrival. The Vice Chancellor said that an invitation has been sent to the Prime Minister. There is every chance of them coming. Governor Anandiben Patel will preside over the convocation. He said that Justice Ramesh Sinha of the High Court would be present at the foundation day celebrations.

Two new medals
Medical Dean Dr. Uma Singh informed that two new medals have been started this year. Gold medal has been started in the name of Dr. GK Malik, former Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics. Medals are being awarded to the student securing the highest marks in the written paper in Neonatal. Whereas Gold Medal has been started in the memory of Dr. BN Dhawan in the Department of Pharmacology.

Meritorious said:
Work in research
“Hard work never goes in vain,” said Ahmed Uzair, chancellor, Hewett, and university medical laureate. I never studied for a medal. To become a better doctor and researcher, he has worked hard day and night.

It gives great pleasure to receive all three prestigious medals of KGMU. It feels good if you get the fruits of your hard work.

My father Dr. Maulana Mohammad Ansari, mother Dr. Shahla Haleem and maternal grandfather Dr. Abdul Halim are also doctors.

All the members of the house are associated with the service of humanity. That’s why I also have an inclination to become a doctor from the beginning. I am a student of MBBS 2016 batch.

Many research papers have been published till now. That’s why we have to go ahead in the field of research. Under the same, got a job in Drugs Medical School to do research work in neuro surgery. For research area, the company office will have to go to New Jersey, US.

Going into surgery
Dr. RML Mehrotra Memorial Gold Medalist Akanksha Singh said, ‘When I was seven years old, my father Late. The shadow of Mahendra Singh had risen from his head. Mother Rajeshwari Singh is posted in the DRM office. Nana Uma Shankar has retired from RPF. Mother worked hard and taught. I live with family in Alambagh. Brother is an engineer. He says that from the beginning he had dreamed of becoming a doctor. Which is now coming true. My name is in the list of gold medal winners, it is nothing less than a dream for me.

I am the first doctor in the family
Dr. BR Agarwal Memorial Gold Medal winner Dr. Neelam Chauhan said, ‘I had a dream to become a doctor since childhood. I am the first doctor in my family. Mother is a housewife. While the father has retired from the bank. At present, work has to be done by staying in KGMU. In the future, I have to become a plastic surgeon so that the faces of people who have been burnt in the fire can be cured. My husband is also a doctor in KGMU.

Dreamed of becoming a doctor after seeing Aprin and Aala
Dr. TN Chawla Gold Medal Dennistry winner Dr. Neeti Solanki said, ‘I had a dream to become a doctor since childhood. Seeing Aprin and Aala in childhood, he decided to become a doctor. After working hard, I have achieved this position. Some marks could not get admission in MBBS. But got a seat in Dental. Now we have to move forward in the field of dental. I am working in prosthodontistry. I am the first doctor in my house. Mother is a housewife and father is a businessman.

These will be honored on the foundation day
MBBS
Ananya Tripathi, Aviral Dua, Aaradhya Garg, Y Ashutosh Bhardwaj, Ayush Sahu, Sonal Yadav, Nikita Chauhan, Ramji Ballabh, Vidushi Verma, Mishakt Fatima, Anjali Singhal, Guneet Kaur, Anamika Gupta, Deepak Bansal, Aparajita Kulshrestha, Aparna Singh, Lipika Agarwal, Mahima Keshari, Vikram Pal, Sumit Singh, Kaushal Kishore Singh, Priya Gangwar, Anubhav Mukherjee, Pradyut Kumar Amat, Durgeshwari Balaji, Shiva Gupta, Ayesha Khan, Nishant R Subhash, Akanksha, Purvi Gupta, Divyanshu Gupta, Devanshi Katiyar, Girjanand Mishra

BDS
Aastha, Injila Fatima, Neha Rani, Gunjan Mehta, Asmita Dwivedi, Abhinav Kumar, Anamika Verma, Dhrutika Jadhav, Sapna Gautam, Sara Khan, Pallavi, Florence Silo, Akumjuk, Vishal Yadav, Anushka Pandey, Sarah Furkan, Monika Chaudhary, Anshul Agarwal , Rishabh Pandey.

Nursing
Rachna Gangwar, Indravati Singh, Yogesh Kumar Bansal.

source: http://www.jsnewstimes.com / JS Newstimes.com / December 07th, 2021

Family from Mysuru village donates land to school

Agriculture (since June 07th, 2021), Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Karnataka (under research project), ,

HD Kote Taluk (Mysuru District), KARNATAKA :

The land was handed to the Government Higher Primary School in Bachegowdanahalli, and registered in the name of the headmaster, who can utilise it to enable rural children avail education.

Mohammed Rakib hands over land documents to the Bachegowdanahalli government school authorities at the registration office in HD Kote

Mysuru : 

At a time when the hijab row has engulfed most districts of the state, a Muslim family from a remote village in HD Kote taluk of Mysuru district has donated 2.5 acres of their land to a government school in a bid to promote education.

Fulfilling the dream of their late father Mohammed Jafar, a resident of Marchalli village, who had pledged to donate a piece of land for serving the educational needs of children in the neighbouring villages and improving literacy rate, his children have now donated 2.5 acres, valued at over Rs 50 lakh, for the purpose.

The land was handed to the Government Higher Primary School in Bachegowdanahalli, and registered in the name of the headmaster, who can utilise it to enable rural children avail education. Speaking to TNIE, Jafar’s son Mohammed Rakib said, “My ‘Ayya’ (father) had pledged to donate a plot of land to the school, to ensure that no one is deprived of education and help improve the literacy rate in the region.

We are six siblings — four brothers and two sisters. We had a discussion and decided to give away 2.5 acres as per the wishes of our late father, and we got the land registered in favour of the school on February 15.”

The family, which is into agriculture, owns over 12 acres of land in the village and has donated 2.5 acres of it. Their hope that if there is any dearth of classrooms, new ones can be built on the donated land, or the latter can also be turned into a playground for children, or used for other development activities.

Expressing happiness over the gesture, HD Kote Block Education Officer Chandrakanth said, “The donated land can be utilised to help develop the school and also for the construction of new classrooms, if required, in future. This gesture of the family is exemplary and will motivate others to help.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Karthik KK, Express News Service / Februrary 18th, 2022

WORLD RECORD : Bihar’s Sakibul Gani Creates World Record With Triple Century On First-Class Debut

Amazing Feats, Sports, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Motihari Town, BIHAR :

Sakibul Gani scored 341 runs off just 405 balls with the help of 56 fours and 2 sixes. He maintained a strike rate of 84.20.

Bihars Sakibul Gani Creates World Record With Tripe Century On First-Class Debut

Bihar’s 22-year-old batter Sakibul Gani etched his name on the history books by breaking the record for the highest individual score by a cricketer on first-class debut. Becoming the first batter to score a triple hundred on first-class debut, Gani amassed 341 runs off just 405 balls with the help of 56 fours and 2 sixes in a Ranji Trophy Plate Group match against Mizoram at Jadavpur University Campus 2nd Ground in Kolkata on Friday. He maintained a strike rate of 84.20.

The previous highest on first-class debut also belonged to an Indian. Madhya Pradesh’s Ajay Rohera held the record for more than three years. He had scored an unbeaten 267 against Hyderabad in Indore in December 2018. The third on the list is former Mumbai captain Amol Mazumdar. He had scored 260 on debut way back in the 1993-94 season.

Sakibul, who has a decent List A record with 377 runs in 14 matches, came in to bat at No.5 when Bihar were 71 for 3. He then forged a mammoth 538-run stand for the fourth wicket with Babul Kumar, who was unbeaten on 229 when Bihari decided to declare their first innings at 686 for 5.

On Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy on Thursday, Ajinkya Rahane scored a century for Mumbai in the match against Saurashtra.

Delhi batter Yash Dhull also registered a ton on his first-class debut against Tamil Nadu in Guwahati.

The Ranji Trophy would be held in two phases and now it has been confirmed that the pre-Indian Premier League (IPL) phase would run from February 10 to March 15. The post-IPL-phase would run from May 30 to June 26. The Ranji Trophy this season would see 64 matches being played across 62 days.

There are eight Elite Groups and one Plate Group. There would be four teams in Elite Groups and six teams would make up the Plate Group. One team from each Elite Group will qualify for the quarterfinal stages. The lowest-ranked of the eight qualified teams will have to play a pre-quarterfinal with the top team from the Plate Group.

(With ANI inputs)

source: http://www.sports.ndtv.com / NDTV Sports / Sports Home> Cricket> News / by NDTV Sports Desk / February 18th, 2022

Madrasa’s hospital a boon for a village near Ajmer

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Science & Technology, Useful / HEALTHCARE, , , , , , ,

Oontra Village (Ajmer District), RAJASTHAN :

Dawat-ul-Haq Hospital established by a madrasa in Ajmer district’s Oontra village. | Photo Credit: de31hospital ANKITA

It is providing healthcare at nominal prices to people of all religion

Making a humble contribution to the institutional deliveries of women, a first-of-its-kind hospital established by a madrasa in Ajmer district’s Oontra village has started providing health services in a rural area which lacks basic medical facilities. The 40-bed hospital, built with zakat and other charity funds on the madrasa premises, was formally inaugurated on December 19.

Idara Dawat-ul-Haq, which has started the hospital to cater to the needs of rural population, has been imparting religious education since 1998 and had registered itself with the State government’s Education Department for running multiple schools in 2009-10. One of the schools has since been upgraded to senior secondary level.

The Islamic seminary boasts of a strength of 4,600 students, including girlsThe hospital is the latest addition to the institution’s work for benefiting the villagers.

Idara Dawat-ul-Haq’s head Maulana Mohammed Ayub Qasmi told The Hindu that the initiative for institutional deliveries in the hospital had turned out to be a blessing for the women in the region, who were deprived of medical care during pregnancy and childbirth in the absence of an adequate health infrastructure. The hospital has conducted half-a-dozen institutional deliveries within its first two weeks.

The hospital, which also holds the distinction of being the first medical facility established by a madrasa in Rajasthan, has set an example of communal harmony, as it offers health care at nominal prices to the people belonging to all religions, castes and creed. The emergency, ambulance and medical store facilities are available round the clock.

With a population of 6,000, Oontra, situated 26 km away from Ajmer, has a primary health centre that only refers the patients to bigger hospitals in the nearby Kishangarh town and the district headquarter. The Dawat-ul-Haq hospital, which has installed 16 of the 40 sanctioned beds, has two full time doctors, including a gynaecologist, eight nursing personnel and other paramedical staff.

Anshu Shiv Kumar of Kaipara village, who was advised a Caesarean delivery by the doctors in Ajmer, was the second to undergo normal delivery in the hospital. Shareefa Khatoon of Oontra village said her grandson was born here with full medical care and her daughter-in-law was doing fine.

Kirti Mehta, Nursing Officer in Ajmer’s Jawaharlal Nehru Government Hospital, who has been instrumental in planning and executing the medical facility project at the seminary, said it would help reduce the high infant and maternal mortality rates in the region.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Other States / by Mohammed Iqbal / Oontra (Ajmer), January 01st, 2022

Avesh Khan most expensive uncapped Indian ever after Lucknow Super Giants gets him for Rs 10 crore

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Sports, , , , , , ,

Indore, MADHYA PRADESH :

Avesh Khan became the most expensive uncapped Indian player after Lucknow Super Giants signed him for Rs 10 crore.

Avesh Khan was released by Delhi Capitals.   –  IPL/SPORTZPICS

Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants were locked in a bidding war initially before Mumbai Indians came in as the bid jumped past Rs 4 crore.

Mumbai and Lucknow were then locked in a bidding war, with Sunrisers Hyderabad entering the fray as the bid reached Rs 9.75 crore.

Lucknow then held the bid at Rs 10 crore and acquired Avesh’s services.

source: http://www.sportstar.thehindu.com / Sport Star / Home> IPL Auction> Auction / by Team Sportstar / February 12th, 2022

Can you guess what this journalist’s day job is?

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, ,

Chittorgarh City, RAJASTHAN :

Passionate for journalism, Najir couldn’t pursue a degree in it due to financial constraints. | Photo by arrangement

Najir Hussain wanted to be a journalist ever since he distributed newspapers for work but couldn’t pursue his dream due to financial constraints. His dream came true when Bahujan news outlet The Mooknayak began publishing his stories. 

New Delhi :

40-year-old Najir Hussain wakes up early in the morning and sends his three daughters to school, says bye to his wife, and sets up his vegetable shop in the Bichhor, Chittorgarh city in Rajasthan. Najir is a vegetable seller and a journalist. 

While selling vegetables, he picks up his cellphone and scrolls through messages from his editor Meena Kotwal assigning him a new story. He credits Kotwal for his position as a journalist today. “Without Meena and a Bahujan space like The Mooknayak, who would have given space to my words?”  Najir told TwoCircles.net.

Najir has done all of 20 reports for The Mooknayak  in the last six months. The journey of becoming a journalist was not easy. “I used to  distribute newspapers in my village. Un surkhiyon ke beech kabhi mera bhi naam hoga, maine sapne dekhta tha. (I used to dream of having my bylines in those newspapers),” Najir said.

Najir could not pursue a journalism course, or for that matter any course, due to financial and social constraints. Najir is from a Pasmanda Muslim community. He was married shortly after finishing school and has ever since been a breadwinner for his family. “I used to be very smart in school and secured 1st division in my 12th standard examinations,” he said. 

Ever since leaving school, Najir has been engaged in many casual odd jobs— motor mechanic, a newspaper distributor and now a vegetable seller. His life changed when with the access to social media, and his passion for journalism got rekindled.

“I started using social media around two years ago and saw so many vocal Muslims, Dalits, Bahujans and Adivasis. It greatly inspired me and made me think of the days when I thought I could become a journalist. I started reaching out to editors of progressive newsrooms,” Najir said.

Najir said nobody responded to him, considering he did not have a degree and had no prior experience in the field. However, in September 2021, Meena Kotwal, the founder of The Mooknayak, wrote back to him asking him to send some reports.

Najir Hussain from Chittorgarh, Rajasthan sells vegetables and is a journalist. | Photo by arrangement

Talking to TwoCircles.net, Kotwal said that Najir is passionate about journalism. 

“You won’t believe me, but the truth is that big privileged journalists have failed in front of Najir’s passion. He ran the shop all day long and started reporting many unreported or new incidents of atrocities from Rajasthan. This is what I have intended to do with The Mooknayak, and I am happy that someone as passionate as Najir helps me to pass the mic,” Kotwal  said. 

Najir would make many mistakes when he started and would get help from Meena. “She is such a patient editor,” he said.  

“Other contributors in The Mooknayak would help me out and although I got scolded sometimes, I am glad I learnt so much,” he said. 

Najir used to be scared of the police before becoming a journalist. His socio-marginalised identity as a Pasmanda Muslim affected how he felt around police personnel. Reading news about police brutality made this even more pressing. Being a journalist now has helped him become more confident.

A Twitter threadposted by Meena Kotwal about Najir’s story became viral.

Najir’s eldest daughter is in 9th grade and uses Instagram on her mother’s phone. One day, as she scrolled through her feed, she was excited to find her father’s photo in one of her friend’s posts.

Everyone in the village calls him “Mooknayak vala Najir”. 

“It makes me feel proud to be addressed like this. My family is supportive and appreciative of my work. My heart swells with pride every time my 13-year-old daughter calls me ‘Mooknayak vale papa.’ It is all because of Meena didi, and Bahujan newsrooms like this,” he said. excitedly. 

Suchitra is an independent journalist working on social justice, focusing primarily on gender justice. She tweets at @Suchitrawrites

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead story / by Suchitra, TwoCircles.net / February 09th, 2022

Padma Shri award for Najma Akhtar, first woman vice-chancellor of Jamia

Amazing Feats, Education, Leaders, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , ,

NEW DELHI :

First woman vice-chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Najma Akhtar has been selected for the Padma Shri award.

Najma Akhtar, Jamia VC at ceremony.

New Delhi : 

First woman vice-chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Najma Akhtar has been selected for the Padma Shri award. Akhtar will be one of the 28 Indians, who will be conferred with the award in the field of literature and education by President Ram Nath Kovind, at a ceremonial function, which is held at Rashtrapati Bhawan every year.

Akhtar (67) who was appointed as Jamia Vice Chancellor (VC) in April 2019, scored a historic double – not only was she the first woman to hold the post, but she was also the first woman to head any central varsity in the national capital. 

She has previously served as the VC of University of Kashmir and headed the department of Educational Administration at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) for 15 years. 
Akhtar said that she is grateful that her work was recognised and thanked both the PM and the President.

“I will accept this award just not for myself, but on behalf of my colleagues. Everyone works hard, but not everyone’s work reaches the recognition they may deserve. I thank the PM and the President for recognising my work, especially, the President, who entrusted me as the first woman VC of the university,” she said.

Besides her, three others from the field of literature and education, from Delhi, have been selected for the award including – Tara Jauhar, J K Bajaj and Dilip Shahani.    

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Delhi / by Express News Service / January 26th, 2022

Junior World No 1 Tasnim Mir wins Iran Fajr International Challenge

Amazing Feats, Sports, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World Opinion, , , , , , , , , ,

Gujarat, INDIA :

The 16-year-old from Gujarat, who became the first Indian woman shuttler to claim the world no. 1 status in u-19 singles, beat second seed Susato 21-11, 11-21, 21-7 in 51 minutes.

India’s Tasnim Mir beat Indonesia’s Yosephine Susanto at the 30th Iran Fajr International Challenge 2022. (Photo | Twitter, @BAI_Media)

Shiraz :

Junior World No 1 Indian shuttler Tasnim Mir on Friday notched a three-game win over Yulia Yosephine Susanto of Indonesia in the final to claim the women’s singles title at the Iran Fajr International Challenge here.

The 16-year-old from Gujarat, who became the first Indian woman shuttler to claim the world no. 1 status in u-19 singles, beat second seed Susato 21-11, 11-21, 21-7 in 51 minutes.

Tasnim, ranked number 404 in the senior world rankings, lagged 1-3 early on but she soon clawed back at 5-5 before reeling off six straight points to create a huge gap, which her rival couldn’t bridge.

The Indonesian came out all cylinders blazing in the second game, jumping to a 9-2 advantage.

She kept moving ahead to roar back into the contest in a jiffy.

In the decider, Tasnim got her bearings back, zooming to 6-1.

She didn’t look back and shut the door on her rival to comfortably pocket the title.

En route to the title, Tasnim defeated Iran’s Nazanin Zamani, Armenia’s Lilit Poghosyan, Iran’s Fatemeh Babaei, India’s Samayara Panwar before outwitting top seed and World Number 71 Martina Repiska in the semifinals.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sports> Cricket / by PTI / February 11th, 2022