Category Archives: Amazing Feats

Azharuddin Quazi of Yavatmal secures AIR-315 in UPSC exam

Amazing Feats, Education, Leaders, , , , ,

Yavatmal (Vidharbha), MAHARASTHRA :

“I faced poverty and misery since childhood and my father took up odd jobs to support the family financially,” recalls Azharuddin. Son of Zahiruddin, a taxi driver from Yavatmal, Azharuddin Quazi has made his family proud by securing AIR-315 in the Civil Services examination of UPSC.

A jubilant Azharuddin remembers his childhood full of difficulties and obstacles when irrespective of their troubled socio-economic status, his parents encouraged him to study. “My mother played a huge role in education of all my brothers including myself,” he says. Azharuddin, who is the youngest of his other three siblings, was forced to come back to Yavatmal a year after he had gone to Pune for undergraduate. After securing the merit list in his standard 12th examinations, he was admitted to a college in Pune but could not continue his studies as his parents did not have enough resources to support his expenses in another city. He shares that his own life has been an example of how problems due to financial instability persisted but his mother, having studied till Matric, never gave up on the career of her children.

“For her, education was the only empowering tool,” he says about his mother, Meraj. He recounts that his mother was a bright student herself but due to family constraints, she was forced to give up studies after 10th. After her marriage with Zahiruddin, she continued her zeal for education and pursued her own dream by giving her children the best of education. Throughout schooling, his mother used to teach all her children at home, assisting the four of them with homework and projects. She was disciplined and strict and showed no mercy or excuses when it came to studies, shares Azharuddin fondly.

“I got felicitated by the then SP of Yavatmal, Mr Abdur Rahman Sir who became inspiration for my IAS dream,” says Azharuddin. He narrates that after having to drop out of college in Pune and motivated by his role model, Abdur Rahman, he resumed undergrad at Yavatmal itself. In 2010 after completing his graduation in Commerce, he went to Jamia Hamdard University in New Delhi for preparation of civil service examinations but again due to lack of finances he had suffered a hindrance. His determination, however, led him to grab a job in a Corporation Bank through a competitive exam and he was appointed as the Probationary Officer where he served for 6 years.

Seeing his younger siblings work hard, as the oldest one among them, he had always dreamt of doing something big for his family and community, he says. Azharuddin has three younger brothers – one has completed MBBS, second is a chemical engineer and third a lawyer. His father being a non matriculate and his mother a matriculate, were always focused on providing quality education to their children, he says.

Azharuddin, who is also a national colour holder in handball, served at the Corporation Bank in New Delhi from 2012 to 2018 in various capacities, including his days as a Branch Manager too. As better days were approaching due to his hard work and will, he resigned from the bank job in 2018 and decided to pursue his dream career as an IAS.

Once again, Azharuddin returned to Jamia Hamdard in New Delhi to prepare for civil services and after one attempt in 2018, he ultimately secured AIR-315 in 2019 examinations.

“Hard work, consistency and perseverance always pays,” he states, while describing that he was guided by Noorul Hasan (IPS addt. SP, Yavatmal) and Raj Kumar (SP Yavatmal dist.) during his UPSC preparation. He further praises his family, friends and teachers who guided him through thick and thin.

When asked about a message for the aspirants belonging to minority communities, Azharuddin says, “Those coming from backward regions and poor socio-economic backgrounds like me, I will tell them to not be afraid and distracted by these limitations.” The Constitution of this country as well as independent institutions like UPSC provides everyone with equal opportunities irrespective of caste, creed, religion, region and gender.

He continues, “If you are good at doing hard work, please have patience and confidence in our Constitution and institutions and Insha’Allah you will succeed.”

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslims> Lead Story> TCN Positive / by Maariyah Siddique, TwoCircles.net / August 13th, 2020

Telangana sub-registrar doubles as farm hand to help the needy

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , , , ,

Mulugu & Jayashankar Bhupalpally District, TELANGANA :

Mulugu and Jayashankar Bhupalpally Sub-Registrar Tasleema Mohammad working in an agricultural field. Arrangement  

Distributes her earnings among the poor, aims to educate tribals about welfare schemes

Community outreach during the weekends has earned sub-registrar of Mulugu and Jayashankar Bhupalpally appreciation from tribals in the area.

Tasleema Mohammad, 34, takes up farm work, which is the only form of work available in the area. Whatever money she earns through her labour, she uses to spend on the needy.

Beneficiaries of her weekend and holiday labour include a 15-year-old girl, who lost her parents in a road accident in 2013. Ms Tasleema is now looking after her.

Her service has earned her the moniker ‘Gutti Koyala Peddakka’ (sister of Gutti Koya tribes) in the area.

While pushing files and recording transactions are her routine jobs, the qualitative difference that has come in her life by helping the needy is an unmatched feeling, she told The Hindu.

Even the locals in the area also approach her for solutions to their civic and social problems.

Ms. Tasleema said that she herself was the victim of Naxal violence, as she lost her father when she was just two.

She recalled how her mother single-handedly raised her and her five siblings in the face of adversity.

Narrating her experience working with farm labourers, the Group II officer said that farmers, especially tribals, were not aware of several schemes aimed at improving their lives, like crop insurance and farm subsidy. She feels that there is an urgent need to educate the tribal farmers about government initiatives.

“During weekends and holidays, I work at the farms and interact with them for hours. They pay me ₹300-400 per day, which I give to the needy in the village,” she said. A mother of two, Ms. Tasleema said that she always travels by public transport instead of using her official vehicle.

“My mother has inspired me in every way. She is my role model.”

The officer, who even knows how to drive a tractor, also runs an NGO that provides education and other basic needs to the poor and destitute. She has bagged ‘Best Employee of the year’ award 11 times in 12 years of her service in the department.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by Abhinay Deshpande / Hyderabad – August 16th, 2020

Eye on Olympics, martial arts champ seeks sponsor

Amazing Feats, Sports, World Opinion, , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Jameel Khan Patan clinched gold, bronze in world championship

For over two decades, Jameel Khan Patan has been waging a grim battle against all odds even while quietly collecting medals on the international stage; 18 gold, 12 silver and 18 bronze, to be precise. That’s not all. The martial arts champion also has to his credit four gold, two silver and six bronze medals in World Cups since 2016.

Yet, this spirited Hyderabadi continues to run from pillar to post in search of financial support to sustain his passion. “With the specific goal of making it to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in which karate is being introduced, I am still pursuing my love for martial arts,” he says.

For someone who earns a modest salary by training some schoolchildren in and around Toli Chowki, all that he looks for is some kind of support that would help him realise his goal of making it to the Olympics. “Compared to the support I got in the US with special exemptions to train and compete, the response back in my hometown has been disappointing,” says Jameel.

“Well, I am not from a high-profile sporting discipline but a medal in any World Cup is not presented on a platter. You have to put in a lot of effort. I fail to understand what more I must achieve to get sponsorship,” the 43-year-old asks.

Despite his latest gold win in the adult breaking division, bronze in black belt forms and black belt weapons division in the World Cup final last month in Virginia, he is “struggling to overcome the fact that he remains an unknown personality in the world of sports when so many incentives are being showered on others”. “All I can hope is for some positive response even as I try my best to make it to Tokyo.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – February 26th, 2019

Pathbreakers: The 20th-Century Muslim Women of India

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Leaders, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion

Do not miss this exhibition that extols the contribution of 20th-century Indian Muslim women

An interesting travelling exhibition is set for a re-run in New Delhi once the pandemic containment rules are eased further. Titled ‘Pathbreakers: The 20th Century Muslim Women of India’, it showcases 21 Indian Muslim women who broke the proverbial glass ceiling and refused to be stereotyped. The exhibition was earlier held in the national capital in 2018.

Speaking to the media in 2018, Syeda Hameed, chairperson of Muslim Women’s Forum (MVF), the organisation which assembled the exhibition, had said that the main idea was to bring to the forefront a galaxy of Indian Muslim women who contributed to nation building in various ways but largely remained unrecognised and unsung.

Past Events – MUSLIM WOMEN'S FORUM, INDIA

The women featured in the earlier exhibition include Anis Kidwai, Atiya Fyzee, Attia Hosain, Aziza Fatima Imam, Fathema Ismail, Hamida Habibullah, Hajrah Begum, Masuma Hosain Ali Khan, Mofida Ahmed, Mumtaz Jahan Haider, Qudsia Zaidi, Qudsia Aizaz Rasul, Razia Sajjad Zaheer, Saeeda Khurshid, Safia Jan Nisar Akhtar, Saliha Abid Hussain, Sharifa Hamid Ali, Siddiqa Kidwai, Surayya Tayabji, Tyeba Khedive Jung, and Zehra Ali Yavar Jung. Most of them left their marks in fields as diverse as politics, literature and social work.

Muslim Women’s Forum / 5 months ago / facebook.com

Tyeba Khedive Jung, the first Indian Muslim woman to receive a university degree in 1894, wrote a feminist novel ‘Anwari Begum’ way back in 1905 that spoke about women’s emancipation, and also chaired an annual conference of Brahmo Samaj, a Hindu reformist organisation. Sharifa Hamid Ali was a member of the Constituent Assembly. Although the jury is still out about who designed the Indian National Flag, according to many it was Surayya Tayabji who was responsible for the inclusion of the Ashok Chakra. Qudsia Zaidi, among other things, is famous as the founder of the Hindustani Theatre in 1955, said to be Delhi’s first post-independence professional theatre troupe. Fathema Ismail was instrumental in opening rehab clinics for children suffering from polio.

The exhibition was visiting Bengaluru just before the COVID-19 related lockdown was implemented.

source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook Traveller / Home> Explore > Story / by Uttara Gangopadhyay /August 14th, 2020

Fearless autorickshaw driver turns hero for COVID-19 patients

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Transport, Travel & Tourism, Useful / HEALTHCARE, ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Fearless autorickshaw driver turns hero for COVID-19 patients

Hyderabad: 

At a time when people are turning on their old parents or sick family members, a 48-year-old auto driver, Mohammed Khalid , has become a hero of sorts for those who are dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike most others who would think twice before ferrying across patients, Khalid has been providing service to COVID-19 patients those who require transportation.

Mohammed, since July 13 has been only providing transportation to people from Gandhi Hospital to private and government hospitals as and when required.  Moreover, he also privodes service to COVID-19 patients to others from any part of Hyderabad as well. “This is the time to help people in need, irrespective of cast and culture I have been regularly ferrying COVID-19 patients from Gandhi Hospital to Osmania, King Koti, and Fever Hospital,” stated Khalid.

Mohammed Khalid ensures safety measures for his passengers.

Even after the Centre relaxed lockdown rules a few months (post May) ago, there has been a dearth in passengers, recalled Khalid. “So on July 13 I went near Gandhi Hospital in Musheerabad, the main treatment centre for COVID-19 patients, and noticed that emergency patients were unable to get ambulance services as there were many cases. Then I decided to start service for them at affordable rates,” said Khalid.

The 48-year-old believes that in these difficult times, we must help each other irrespective of any religion, caste or creed. “Sab jane dare to kaisa jo log bimaar hai unlo ku kaun lekar jainga dawakhano ku (If everyone is scared, then  how will people travel to the hospital)” Khalid rhetorically questioned? He has a point however, as several citizens have been complaining of slow or lack of ambulance services.

Mohammed Khalid provides service to COVID-19 patients at Gandhi Hospital in Musheerabad.

The auto rickshaw driver is also not scared of the pandemic. Furthermore, going and waiting for passengers in front of Gandhi makes him proud of what he is doing. “Carrying a patient itself is a matter of pride for me, and sharing the happiness with those who have recovered is amazing,” Khalid added. He also felt that the Telangana government should provide some monetary relief or schemes for autorickshaw drivers, as they have also been hit hard due to the lockdown.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad News / by Mohammed Hussain / August 24th, 2020

Hyder Ali: The ‘Napoleon of South India’

Amazing Feats, Freedom Fighters (under research project), Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

Devanahalli, Mysore, KARNATAKA :

Hyder Ali, who is famously known as ‘the Nepoleon of South India’ for his relentless fighting against the conspiracies of the East India Company and its henchmen and for checkmating the British ambitions of expansion in South India, was born in 1722 at Devanahalli village, Karnataka state. His father was Fateh Mohammad Ali and mother Mujidan Begum.

Though he did not have any formal learning, he received training in martial arts. Hyder Ali was sharp in intellect, strong in will, capable of  handling multiple tasks simultaneously and was brave at heart.

He had participated in Devanahalli war in 1749 as a young soldier of Mysore State. Recognizing his gallantry, Nanjaraj, the Minister of Mysore kingdom, honoured Hyder Ali with the title of ‘Khan’ and promoted him as the Chief of a battalion in the Mysore army.

They attacked Mysore several times with the help of the East India Company.

Though Hyder Ali suffered initial losses, he resisted them successfully and proved a virtual nightmare to East India Company. Even then, the British rulers provoked Hyder Ali again which led to the second Mysore war in July 1780. He went to the battlefield along with his son, Tipu Sultan.

While Hyder Ali captured the Arcot, his son Tipu defeated the East India Company troops and captured Kanjeevaram, which was about 50 miles from Madras. This sent shivers to Warren Hastings, the Governor General of East India Company.

He immediately sent additional troops from Culcutta, Madras with abundant funds under the control of his Commander General, Sir Eyre Coote. While fighting against the foreign enemy on one side, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan taught a befitting lesson to Malabar Nayars and chieftains, who revolted against him with the active support of Nizam of Hyderbad.

Hyder Ali, while leading his troops towards successive victories, fell ill and died in the battlefield on 7 December, 1782, near Narasingarayuni Peta village, which is now in Chitoor district of Andhra Pradesh.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by Nihad Amani / August 22nd, 2020

Indian businessman honoured for his philanthropic work by UAE government

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , ,

Dubai , UAE :

Indian businessman honoured for his philanthropic work by UAE government

The excellence certificate and citation was handed over to Merchant by Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. Image Credit: Supplied

Dubai:

The UAE Ministry of Interior on August 19 honoured Indian businessman Firoz Goulam Merchant for his exemplary community services.

The excellence certificate and citation was handed over to Merchant by Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, in the presence of senior police officers and government officials.

Since 2008, Merchant, the proprietor of Pure Gold Jewellers, launched a philanthropic movement called the Forgotten Society. Spearheading this initiative, Merchant worked tirelessly with several correctional institutions in the country to identify debt-ridden prisoners and assisted them in repaying debts to the tune of millions, thereby securing their release and providing free air passage to their respective countries.

A deeply humbled Merchant told Gulf News: “It was a very proud moment for me to be acknowledged by the government of the land. I would like to express my gratitude to the UAE Government for this honourable recognition for my humble efforts to support the community.”

source: http://www.gulfnews.com / Gulf News / Home> UAE / by Staff Report / August 20th, 2020

Mangaluru-based philanthropist Dr B Ahmed Hajee Mohiudeen dies

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

Dr. B. Ahmed Hajee Mohiudeen passed away on Sunday at a private hospital in Mangaluru after a brief period of illness

Dr B. Ahmed Hajee Mohiudeen, founder of the BA Group, Thumbay, was known for his philanthropic activities.

Dr B. Ahmed Hajee Mohiudeen, 86, entrepreneur, philanthropist, educationist and the founder chairman of BA Group, Thumbay, passed away on Sunday at a private hospital in Mangaluru after a brief period of illness.

According to former Karnataka minister U T Khader, the mortal remains of Dr. Ahmed Hajee will be kept at Thumbay PU College for the public to pay their tribute. Funeral will be held at Thumbay Masjid burial ground after 4pm on Sunday.

Ahmed Hajee, born in 1933 to B. Mohiudeen Hajee and Mariamma in a business family, graduated in commerce in 1954 and began his career soon after as a small scale industrialist in a village called Thumbay on the outskirts of Mangaluru.

He founded the BA Group, in 1957. From a fledgling company in the 1960s, the BA Group is now on the threshold of rapid expansion into areas such as urban housing, education, real estate, healthcare and exports and imports.

Ahmed Hajee, who was married to Bee Fathima Ahmed Hajee, is survived by three sons – Thumbay Moideen (founder president of Thumbay Group, headquartered at Ajman, UAE), B Abdul Salam (Managing Director & CEO – BA Group), B M Ashraf and his daughter Shabana Faizal (co-founder and Vice Chairperson of Kef Holdings).

Mohiudeen Educational Trust has been playing a vital role in the promotion of education by sponsoring a number of educational institutions such as BA Industrial Training and Technical Centre, a Kannada and English medium school, a pre-university college, a nursery school, and Darul Uloom Mohiudeen Arabic College.

Ahmed Hajee is also the founder president of a number of institutions and trusts in Mangalore and the surrounding areas. He is the president of the 80-year-old Badriya Educational Institutions at Mangaluru. He is also the president of Nav Bharat Night High School, which was established before India’s independence. He is one of the Trustees of Islamic Academy of Education, under Yenepoya Group.

source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> World> India / by Staff Report, Mangaluru / August 16th, 2020

August 15: Kirti Chakra for HC Abdul Rashid Kalas, Shaurya Chakra for DIG Amit Kumar

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

NEW DELHI :

On the eve of August 15, the Ministry of Home affairs, government of India has announced President’s Police Medals for distinguished service, for meritorious service and for gallantry. Ninety four Jammu and Kashmir police officers and Jawans have been honoured with these medals. The force has been honoured with the highest number of Gallantry medals this year.


Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence, Government of India has honoured Head constable Abdul Rashid Kalas with Kirti Chakra (Posthumously) and DIG Amit Kumar with Shaurya Chakra.

Director General of police, Dilbag Singh has congratulated Jammu and Kashmir police officers and personnel who have been awarded different medals by Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Home affairs (Government of India). He has expressed his happiness and pleasure on this feat of officers and personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir police. “Untiring and relentless efforts of the officers and jawans of J&K police have been recognized, the DGP said adding that recognition will go a long way to boost the morale of men and officers of police force. The DGP has also congratulated the martyr and awardees families. He has said that these officers/personnel will continue to serve the nation with the same zeal and zest in future.

Among the 94 awardees, 12 have been awarded with President’s Police medal for meritorious services, one officer has been awarded with President’s Police medal for distinguished service and 81 officers and jawans have been awarded with Police medal for Gallantry.


Those who have been awarded with President’s Police medal for meritorious services are SSsP , Randeep Kumar, Tahir Saleem, Romesh Chander Kotwal, Manoj Kumar Pandit, Inspectors, Vikram Sharma, Manjeet Singh, Shashi Kumar, SIs Ghulam Ahmad, Gulzar Hussain Khan, ASI Suran Singh, HC Smt. Rukhsana Kosar, Sgct. Milap Chand.

Aijaz Rasool Ganie has been awarded with President’s Police medal for distinguished service.

Besides, 81 officers and jawans including DIG, Atul Kumar Goel and DIG V. K Birdi have been awarded with Police medal for Gallantry.

source: http://www.risingkashmir.com / Rising Kashmir / Home / by RK News / August 15th, 2020

35 Delhi Police officers conferred Police Medal for their services

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, , ,

NEW DELHI :

New Delhi: 

Thirty five Delhi Police officers have been conferred police medal for their services during Independence Day celebrations. Out of all, 16 officers were awarded police medal for gallantry, three received president’s police medal for distinguished service and 16 got police medal for meritorious service.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Manishi Chandra, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Govind Sharma, Inspector Vinay Kumar, Inspector Sanjay Gupta, Inspector Rajesh Kumar, Inspector Kailash Singh Bisht, and Dharmendra Kumar, Inspector Ravinder Joshi and Vinod Badola, ASI Shiv Yadav, SI Ajaibeer Singh, SI Devender Singh, Sub-Inspector (SI) Banay Singh and Late Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma (posthumously) have been awarded president’s police medal for gallantry.

Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence) Rajesh Khurana, ASI Mahesh Singh Yadav and ASI Bhupender Singh have been awarded president’s police medal for distinguished service, while the DCP Amit Roy, DCP Anil Kumar Lall, DCP Mohammad Irshad Haider, ACP Nirmala Devi, ACP kailash Chandra, ACP Rajesh Gaur, ACP Chandra Kanta, Inspector Narender Kumar, Rakesh Kumar and Pramod Kumar, ASI Manju Chauhan, SI Nirmala Devi, ASI Rakesh Kumar Sharma and ASI Sita Ram Yadav, HC Sudhir Kumar and Mukesh Kumar have been conferred police medal for meritorious service.

DCP Manishi Chandra along with Inspector Ravinder Joshi, Inspector Vinod Kumar Badola and SI Banay Singh have been awarded for their bravery while encounter with dreaded criminal Surinder Malik alias Neetu Dabodha on October 24, 2013.

Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, who was killed during ‘Batla House’ encounter in 2008, has been awarded a police gallantry medal posthumously for the seventh time on the occasion of Independence Day. Inspector Sharma was conferred with Ashok Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, in 2009. He was also a part of an operation in Jammu where he and his team confronted JEM militants in 2007.

IPS Rajesh Khurana, recently posted as Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence), in Delhi, has been awarded president’s police medal for distinguished service. He joined Indian Police Service in 1994 and began his professional career as ACP in Central District, Delhi.

source: http://www.bharatdefencekavach.com / Bharat Defence Kavach / Home> Homeland Security / by IANS / August 15th, 2020