Prof Shahab Fazal of the Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), has been conferred the prestigious National Geospatial Faculty Fellow Award at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.
The award was presented in recognition of Prof Fazal’s significant contribution to advancing geospatial education through his textbooks and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). His work has played a vital role in popularising geospatial technologies and making them accessible to students across the country.
Padma Shri Prof Kiran Kumar, Former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), presented the award during a special ceremony held at the Prof B. Nag Main Auditorium of IIT Bombay.
The award ceremony was a key highlight of the Open Source GIS Day Celebrations, organised by the FOSSEE GIS project of IIT Bombay. This initiative falls under the National Mission on Education through ICT (NMEICT), Ministry of Education, Government of India.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards> Latest News / by Radiance News Bureau / July 18th, 2025
Prof. Bilqis Bano to receive Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. Raouf Khair to be honoured with Allama Iqbal Award.
New Delhi:
An important meeting of the Global Urdu Day Awards Committee (organised by the Global Urdu Day Organising Committee) was held under the chairmanship of senior journalist Jalaluddin at Daryaganj here.
The awards jury included Dr. Syed Ahmed Khan, Ashraf Ali Bastavi (Chief Editor, Asia Times, New Delhi), Suhail Anjum (former correspondent, Voice of America), and Javed Akhtar (Editor, D.W. Urdu, Germany, Delhi Bureau).
As per tradition, the awardees for the upcoming Global Urdu Day on 9 November 2025 have been selected.
The recipients are Prof. Bilqis Bano (Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University) – Lifetime Achievement Award; Dr. Raouf Khair (Hyderabad) – Allama Muhammad Iqbal Award for Literature; Prof. Kauser Mazhari (Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi) – Mirza Ghalib Award for Poetry; Prof. Zehra Khatoon (Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi) – Maulana Ali Mian Award for Urdu-Persian Language; Dr. Aqeel Ahmad (Secretary, Ghalib Academy, New Delhi) – Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi Award for Language and Literature; K.L. Narang Saqi (New Delhi) – Kunwar Mahendra Singh Bedi Award for Literature; Yaseen Momin (Mumbai) – Qazi Mohammad Adeel Abbasi Award for Promotion of Urdu Language; Syeda Talat Nasreen (TN Bharti, New Delhi) – Noor Jahan Sarwat Award for Journalism; Syed Zubair (Muslim Mirror, New Delhi) – Maulana Usman Farqaleet Award for Journalism; Maulana Abdul Hameed Numani (New Delhi) – Maulana Sanaullah Amritsari Award for Column Writing; Abdul Mannan (Editor, Yojana Urdu, New Delhi) – Maulana Mohammad Muslim Award for Journalism; Jamshed Khan (Aaj Tak, New Delhi) – Ameen Sayani Award for Electronic Media; Saurabh Shukla (Red Manak, New Delhi) – Pandit Devnarayan Pandey Award for Journalism; Abid Anwar (UNI Urdu, New Delhi) – Mahfuzur Rahman Award for Journalism; Shohrat Ansari (Khalilabad, U.P.) – Imdad Sabri Award for Journalism; Hafeezur Rahman (Sharq Adeel, Marahra, Etah District, U.P.) – Ismail Merathi Award for Poetry; Mohammad Yamin Zaki (Editor, Hilal, Rampur) – Dr. Zakir Hussain Award for Children’s Literature; Farooq Ahmad (Doordarshan, Delhi) – Ilmat Yasin Award for Promotion of Urdu; Prof. Dr. Ziaur Rahman Siddiqui (Aligarh) – Mazharuddin Khan Award for Teaching; Master Iqbal Ahmad (Former Headmaster, Jamia Middle School, New Delhi) – Maqbool Ahmad Siddiqui Award for Best Teacher; Prof. Abdul Majid Mohammad Siddiq Siddiqui (Malegaon) – Maulana Azad Award for National Integration; Prof. Khalid Mubashshir (Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi) – Hafeez Merathi Award for Naat Poetry; Dr. Ibrahim Afsar (Meerut) – Naseeruddin Hashmi Award for Urdu Research; Dr. Azeer Ahmad (Islampur, West Bengal) – Maulvi Abdul Haq Award for Literature; Dr. Nihal Nazim (Moradabad) – Dr. Abul Faiz Usmani Award for Promotion of Literature; Dr. Abu Saad Asari (Jhanda Nagar, Nepal) – Indo-Nepal Friendship Award; and Hidayat Publications, New Delhi (Syed Abul A’la Subhani) – Munshi Naval Kishore Award for Publishing.
Dr. Syed Ahmed Khan, the convener of the Global Urdu Day Organising Committee, expressed hope that the selected awardees will continue to play a significant role in the promotion of the Urdu language.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards> Latest News / by Radiance News Bureau / July 15th, 2025
Kilakarai (Ramanathapuram District) / Chennai, TAMIL NADU :
Death of Dr. B.S. Abdur Rahman has not only shocked who knew his mission and lifelong works but also those who have benefited by his devotion and those who took inspirations from him. His untimely death has brought a vacuam in Indian educational scenario and it is almost impossible to be filled up in near future.
Indian Muslim Community has legacy of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of the Aligarh Muslim University before it, Dr. B.S. Abdur Rahman has achieved almost that place and has become another inspirational figure.
Dr. B.S. Abdur Rahman was born in kilakarai falling under Ramanathapuram district of Tamilnadu state in 1927. Due to his works and philanthropist bent of mind, Dr. Rahman became a well known personality who devoted himself for the upliftment of the economically weaker sections and minorities through their educational empowerment. He did not lagged behind in providing good facilities of health care to the deprived sections of society.
B.S. Abdur Rahman, Vice Chairman of Emirates Trading Agency LLC and Associated Construction and Investments Co. LLC (ETA-ASCON), the Dubai-based $2 billion industrial behemoth, was a multi-faceted personality, much like the diamonds he dealt with when he began in humble business in Sri Lanka, over half a century ago.
Diamond merchant, industrialist, educationist, philanthropist, shipping magnate, generous contributor and enthusiastic participant in many other business and social activities he is a renaissance man whose outlook was Millennial. Meaning, while his values were classical, his thinking was forward looking.
Kilakarai, on the coast of Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu, where Abdur Rahman (fondly known as Sena Aana) was born, is a town made famous in the region by his illustrious ancestor, Vallal Seethakathi.
The forbears of Abdur Rahman migrated to Kilakarai from Arabia in the 12th century. Kilakarai, which means East Coast in Tamil, was a flourishing port to which mearchants from the east and west came. A densely populated area, predominantly by Muslims, it owned its prosperity to them.
From centuries they traded with Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon), dealing in pealing in pearls, gemstones and conches. Even today, many of them live in Sri Lanka or do business with the island. Abdur Rahman too began his career in Ceylon. Among the pearl traders of Kilakarai was Buhari Aalim. Abdur Rahman was his son.
Aalim was an expert in valuing precious stones and pearls. He would hold a gem between his right thumb and index finger and, looking at it against the sun, study the quality of the watermark within to judge the worth of the precious stone. He would be unfailingly correct.
Watching his father at work, the young Abdur Rahman was soon able to understand the nuances of the trade. This training and experience helped him to become one of the most successful merchants in the diamond trade in due course. When Abdur Rahman first went to Colombo, he was fifteen years old. He had with him just Indian Rupees 149. He worked as an errand boy for diamond merchants, carrying their diamonds and other gems from sellers to buyers and back. He was at the time staying with some traders from Kilakarai and neighbouring villages. They allowed him to stay with them without any payment, but he had, instead, to fetch tea them from a nearby hotel, clean the rooms and perform other menial tasks.
A lesser person perhaps would have thrown in the towel. But Abdur Rahman was made of sterner stuff. Before long, he used his persuasive skills to obtain gemstones from another merchant and began trading in them. In time he became a successful gem trader. The base that Abdur Rahman built in Ceylon was to help him in all his future activities.
He began visiting Belgium, then as now, a centre of the gem trade, the USA, South America and set up business in Penang, Malaysia, Chennai, Kolkata (then Calcutta), and then in Hong Kong. It was in Hong Kong that his business flourished. Incidentally, Abdur Rahman was the first person from Kilakarai to go to Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong he launched the Precious Trading Company in 1954. Later, his very special brainchild, the Amana Group of Hong Kong, was established. It was under its banner that the multinational company ETA-ASCON came into existence.
He was a firm believer in education and took upon himself the task of educationally empower the poor and the deprived. He established a wide network of educational institutions. In 1967, he founded Seethakathi Trust and in 1979, All India Islamic Foundation to achieve his target of serving the community and nation. He founded twelve educational institutions including an Engineering University, a woman’s college, an Arabic College two boys schools, 3 girls schools, a woman Nursing college, a Teacher Training College, B.Ed College for woman and 2 hospitals beside orphanages in rural and urban areas. His biggest achievement was founding a 60 bed Yousuf Zulaikha hospital at Kilakrai and a 150 bed Crescent hospital at Madurai. He did not lagged behind in providing comfort of life to most deprived orphanages and founded Al Momin orphanages for boys and girls at Ottapidram, Tanjore, Kilakarai and Thiruvithancode of Tamilnadu.
Dr. B.S. Abdur Rahman was farsighted man and knew the importance of administration. He was well aware that to uplift community, it is very necessary that Muslim youths join Indian Administrative Services and so he established Crescent IAS and Carriers Guidance Academy in 1994 beside an Islamic Studies & Cultural Centre at Chennai.
His social works span to wide area. Dr. B.S. Abdur Rahman founded B.S. Abdur Rahman Zakat Fund Foundation in 2007 which provides educational grants for students. Through this foundation, B.S. Abdur Rahmand has maintained magniticence of Zakat which may be called a pillar of Islam and which is an instrument for survival of poor Muslims. He 1017 Self Help Group (SHG) which became beneficial to 17093 deprived and helpless women. He also founded and managed various other trusts like Yousuf Zulaikha (1993) Chennai for education, health care and women empowerment. United Economic Forum in 1994 and Seethakathi NGO in 2002.
He also establish new milestones in business field.
He was founder Chairman of Dubai based ETA – Ascon – Star Group and was treated a renowned Indian entrepreneur in UAE. It may be known that the group has a turn over US$ 5.5 billion and employs 50,000 people. With his visionary zeal and entrepreneurial spirit.
B.S. Abdur Rahman has been the guiding force behind many companies in India, among which the most important is the Buhari Group the Indian Multinational. The prominent companies and establishments under Buhari Group include East Coast Construction Ltd. (ECCI) 50 years in the field of construction, Coal & Oil and many other automobile dealership companies.
In recognition of his services he received many awards also.
The Aligarh Muslim University Students Union conferred him life membership while Sathyabama University awarded Honorary Doctorate in recognition of his contribution to Women Education.
In fact Dr. B.S. Abdur Rahman had became an inspirational force to young generation during his own life time. There are very few people who climb the ladder of success and remember the down trodden sections of the society or do anything meaningful for them.
Whatever Dr. B.S. Abdur Rahman has done for the manginalised and deprived sections of society will be always not only remembered but will also be documented in social and educational history of India. The best tribute to Dr. B.S. Abdur Rahman will be to follow the path shown by him not only in business but other fields also.
-Dr. Jasim Mohammad / Author is Editor of The Aligarh Movement monthly
source: http://www.hastakshep.com / Hastakshep.com / Home> Uncategorized / by Dr Jasim Mohammad / March 29th, 2019
Maulana Azad University’s extensive survey of basic education and students’ enrolment in 30 villages of Jodhpur district as part of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)-2024 has found a notable increase in private school enrolment, and a sharp decline of children at age 3 who do not attend pre-school or early childhood education programmes.
However, the survey has found a continued challenge with learning outcomes, particularly in basic reading and arithmetic, meaning that while more children are going to school, many of them are still not learning at the expected level for their age and grade. The survey shows that children in primary classes often cannot solve basic arithmetic problems such as simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division.
Maulana Azad University, Jodhpur, is the first and the largest Muslim-run private higher educational institution in Rajasthan.
The survey was conducted by a total of 60 students of the university. The survey report was released by a non-governmental organisation, Pratham. The students who took part were drawn from the sixth semester and were felicitated at a function in the university here in the first week of July.
The Jodhpur-based university has already set up a Minorities Research Chair for conducting targeted studies and research on the issues, problems and challenges confronting the minority communities in Rajasthan, as part of its initiatives to generate new avenues. The research chair will make important recommendations after its studies.
Maulana Azad University was established by the Marwar Muslim Educational & Welfare Society (MMEWS) at Bujhawar village on the outskirts of Jodhpur in 2013. The institution of higher education is now imparting education to more than 15,000 students belonging to Muslim and other less privileged communities in multiple disciplines of study.
ASER Team Convener Raju Ram Bishnoi said the main points of conclusion of ASER-2024 were an increase in student and teacher attendance, use of smartphones among the youth, focus on pre-school enrolment, learning level challenges and gender gaps in enrolments for the subjects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Bishnoi said the ASER-2024 survey in Jodhpur district assessed enrolment and basic reading and arithmetic abilities of children aged 3 to 16 years in the rural areas. The digital access and skills of children aged 14-16 years were also tested time, with smartphone-based tasks. At the national level, the survey was conducted in 17,997 villages in 605 districts and a total of 6.49 lakh children were reached.
The proportion of older children, in the age group of 15 to 16 years, not enrolled in school has been steadily declining in recent years. About 7% boys and girls of this age group are not enrolled in schools at present. Nationally, more than 90% of rural adolescents have access to a smartphone. About 70% of adolescents in this age group can perform basic digital tasks such as setting alarms, searching for information on the Internet, finding specific online content and sharing with others.
Dean of the university’s Education Department, Dr. Samina, said the ASER survey was switched in 2016 to an alternate year model, as part of which a “basic survey” is conducted every two years in the rural areas of all districts, with smaller surveys focusing on other age groups and regions in the intervening years.
The villages covered in the extensive survey were situated in Bawari, Bhopalgarh, Bilara, Mandor, Luni, Osian, Bap, Phalodi, Balesar and Shergarh blocks of Jodhpur district.
Misbah Noor, a III year student of B.Sc., B.Ed. (combined) at Maulana Azad University, told India Tomorrow that she spent two days at Uchiyarda village in Mandor block to study the educational scenario. Misbah was given a certificate of participation for the survey report submitted by her.
Another student, Afzal Khan, said he went to Bilara block’s Pichiyak village for the survey, in which he recorded the efficiency levels of young children after interacting with them. Afzal is studying for B.Ed. (Urdu) in the university. The surveyors selected 20 houses in each village and tested the basic reading and arithmetic abilities of children aged between 5 and 16 years, besides testing digital literacy skills of adolescents between 14 and 16 years.
Mauala Azad University’s Chairperson and noted educationist Mohammed Atique said the university was willing to work with the government agencies and non-government organisations for works at the grassroots level for the benefit of future generations. Atique said all kinds of support, including financial, would be extended for such works.
University’s officiating Registrar Mohammed Amin, who has earlier worked with several international NGOs, said the ASER surveys had helped out the government, which had incorporated their recommendations in its educational programmes. “I have had the experience of working with ASER since 2010. Our university has made a significant contribution to the exercise with the active participation of students,” he said.
The MMEWS, established in 1929 during the pre-Independence era, runs as many as 330 educational, health and social institutions. Atique, 77, has been instrumental in easing the lives of more than 45,000 youths through these institutions working in varied fields of education, health care, community development, rural development, waste-to-wealth initiatives and skill development programmes during the last four decades.
The then ruler of Jodhpur princely state, Maharaja Umaid Singh, was the patron of MMEWS and had gifted a school named ‘Durbar Muslim School’ to the Society in 1936. The Rajasthan government allotted five acres of land to the MMEWS in 1978, on which the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Muslim Senior Secondary School was constructed.
Since then, the MMEWS has established several institutions, including the Industrial Training Institute, Nursing College, Pharmacy College, B.Ed. College, Mai Khadija Hospital, Rahmatul-Lil-Alameen Blood Bank, Marwar Adarsh Gaushala and Bujhawar Veterinary Hospital. The MMEWS established the university in 2013 with the intention of providing higher education to the most deprived and marginalised sections of society.
The first president (Vice-Chancellor) of Maulana Azad University was the noted Islamic scholar from New Delhi, Akhtarul Wasey. The current president, Jameel Kazmi, hailing from Jaipur, has taken steps for interdisciplinary studies while maintaining the indigenous ethos and the spirit of plurality in the university’s functioning.
About 50,000 students have so far passed out from the MMEWS group of institutions and become doctors, engineers and business people and entered other professions as well. Some of them have also established nursing homes and clinics in remote rural areas, which are often ignored in the government’s development plans. Maulana Azad University has set the motto, “Gain Knowledge and Serve Mankind”, for itself.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow.net / Home> Education / by India Tomorrow Correspondent / July 13th, 2025
Indian envoy and AMU vice chancellor grace the occasion
The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) alumni in Qatar, under the banner of AMUAAQ, celebrated the annual Sir Syed Day on December 27, 2024 at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel.
Prof Naima Khatoon, the first female Vice-Chancellor of AMU, graced the occasion as the chief guest, while the Indian Ambassador to Qatar HE Vipul presided over the gala ceremony.
Other guests of honour included former Vice-Chancellor of AMU Prof Mohammad Gulrez, Moez Wajihuddin and Patron of AMUAAQ Sophia Bukhari. Mustafa M Hariyanawala, Yashir Nainar, Haroon Sataj Khan and Anwar Karim were special guests.
The programme began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by a two-minute silence to mourn the passing of the former prime minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh.
Ghazala Yasmeen welcomed the guests, while Dr Ashna Nusrat and Dr Nayeem Aman conducted the programme as Masters of Ceremony. Dr Ashna Nusrat read a message of appreciation from the former Chancellor of AMU, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, addressed to the members of the AMU Alumni Association Qatar.
President of AMUAAQ Dr Nadeem Zafar Jilani, in his address, paid rich tributes to Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. He recalled how Sir Syed travelled to England to study the British education system and established the MAO College based on the models of Oxford and Cambridge universities.
Prof Naima Khatoon spoke on the selected theme of the event, ‘One Team, One Dream’. She praised the unwavering love of alumni worldwide for their alma mater and its founder, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.
Former Vice-Chancellor Prof Mohammad Gulrez delivered the keynote address on ‘Jobs and Career Opportunities in the 21st Century’.
HE Vipul congratulated Aligarians on the Founder’s Day celebrations and acknowledged the contribution of great visionary Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in nation building.
Other dignitaries who spoke on the occasion included Sophia Bukhari and Anwar Karim.
As in previous years, AMUAAQ presented five achievement awards to eminent personalities. The first award, for lifetime achievement in the field of education, was presented to Prof Naima Khatoon. The award for outstanding community service was given to Safeerurahman, while Haroon Sartaj Khan, President of the AMU Alumni Association Oman, was named Aligarian of the Year. The Media Personality of the Year award was presented to RJ Aafrin of Radio Mirchi. Additionally, Akhtar Mehdi of the renowned Mehdi Hasan Tailors received a lifetime achievement award for his sartorial excellence in crafting traditional sherwanis, which have attracted many celebrities and former heads of state to his shop in Aligarh.
Er Jawed Ahmad, chairman of AMUAAQ, announced the formation of a pan-GCC Federation of AMU Alumni Associations to unite and bring together all Aligarians residing in the GCC countries—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Vice-President of AMUAAQ Faisal Naseem presented a vote of thanks to the sponsors, as well as the executive and advisory committee members of AMUAAQ.
Jawed Ahmad, chairman of AMUAAQ, proposed that the Vice-Chancellor Prof Naima Khatoon become the ex-officio patron of AMU alumni to strengthen AMUAAQ.
Another proposal regarding the establishment of an offshore AMU campus in Doha was also revisited. He further informed the audience that the AMUAAQ will sign MoUs with several companies to provide students with training and job opportunities.
AMU alumni from all walks of life attended the function with their families in large numbers. Many prominent residents of Doha were also present, including literary personalities such as Ateeq Anzer, Aziz Nabeel, Ahmad Ashfaq, Ashfaq Deshmukh, Wasi ul Haq Wasi, and Obaid Tahir, to name a few.
A raffle draw, sponsored by Malabar Gold, was held and won by Farhana, Imran, Kainat and Shoyeb.
An MoU was signed between AMUAAQ and Hind Guru Academy to support and guide NRI students during their stay in India.
In addition to thought-provoking speeches, the programme also featured an interactive ‘Kahoot Quiz’ on AMU and the Aligarh Movement.
Prizes were awarded to the top three winners, with Faisal Abdullah securing first place, Ayan as the first runner-up, and Ashfaque Deshmukh as the second runner-up. The quiz and IT support were expertly managed by Almas Ahmad.
Mementos and certificates were presented on behalf of AMUAAQ to the guests and notable achievers.
source: http://www.qatar-tribune.com / Qatar Tribune / Home> Nation / by Tribune News Network, Doha / January 02nd, 2025
Coping with financial issues, Muhammad Kashif Ghulam Rabbani aced the tough CA exam in his first attempt, becoming an inspiration for many youths in Dhule and beyond
Dhule :
A young man from a humble background has brought pride to his city and community by becoming the first Muslim Chartered Accountant (CA) in the Maharashtra city of Dhule. Muhammad Kashif Ghulam Rabbani, son of a tailor, has successfully passed the final CA examination, considered one of the toughest professional exams in the country.
Kashif’s journey to success was not easy. Coming from a financially struggling family, his father, Ghulam Rabbani, worked tirelessly as a tailor to ensure that his son’s education continued uninterrupted.
“Despite the tough circumstances, Kashif’s father did not let poverty stop his son from chasing his dreams,” said Advocate Sheikh Zubair. “He supported Kashif in every way, and today the result is in front of us.”
Kashif began his education at Muhammadiya Boys Urdu School in Dhule. He completed his 12th Science at SSVPS College and then studied BCom for a year at Jay Hind College. But later, he left traditional studies and shifted his focus entirely to preparing for the CA exam.
Under the guidance of CA Ijaz Sir at Anam & Associates in Pune, Kashif started his onward journey. He did his internship at the ‘Association of Indian Chartered Accountant Firm’ and later studied for the final exam at the Asim Khan Study Centre in Dhule.
Speaking to the media, Kashif shared, “Most children choose fields like engineering, teaching, or law. But when I looked around in our society, I saw a lack of chartered accountants. I decided to step into this field to fill that gap.”
He added, “I worked hard and stayed focused. I had only one goal—to become a CA. I’m happy I passed in my first attempt.”
Kashif’s achievement is not only a personal victory but also a proud moment for the entire city. His success has been widely celebrated by community leaders and educators, who see it as a message of hope for many underprivileged students.
“This is not just a personal success story,” said Advocate Zubair. “It is a message to all youth—especially those who give up studies due to financial problems—that with strong willpower, nothing is impossible.”
Muhammad Kashif’s success has brought honour to his family, school, and city. He now stands as a role model for others who want to achieve big dreams.
With this achievement, Kashif has proved that passion, hard work, and determination can break all barriers.
source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Editor’s Pick> India> Indian Muslim / by Team Clarion / July 10th, 2025
The evocative recapitulation of eminent personalities provides a quick, candid, exquisite and scrupulous portrayal of those who retain their abiding presence without being physically present in the world.
The unprecedented acceptance of monolingualism has put a big question mark on the existence of numerous languages through which people stitch up a warm social rapport and seek to fulfill their cultural aspirations. India, an awe-inspiring repository of innumerable dialects, languages and different linguistic traditions, finds it nerve-racking to carry through the challenges thrown open by the technology-savvy language-English. The domination of English has taken a heavy toll on regional languages, and Urdu, once considered a significant link language, is no exception. Though Urdu is widely used as a spoken language, and its sensitively rendered poetry gets across the country, its script has been fading away with bewildering speed.
It aches much to realize that the popularity draws its sustenance from its oral rendering, and familiarity with its distinct script has been melting away steadily. Barring some notable exceptions, only faculty members and research scholars associated with various departments of Urdu of the universities and colleges use Urdu as the medium of trifling academic discourse. At a time when Urdu faces the threat of obsolescence, the gleam of hope emerges from the citadel of learning, Aligarh, where academicians not belonging to humanities draw on Urdu to initiate a perceptive discourse on a plethora of issues without bringing rhetorical flourish into play.
Professor Saeeduz Zafar Chagatai (Physics), Professor Faseeh Ahmad Siddiqui (Chemistry), Professor Athar Siddiqui (Zoology), Professor Shaan Mohammad (Political Science), Professor Iftikhar Alam Khan (Museology), Professor Zilur Rehman (Unani Medicine), Professor Mohammad Sajjad( History ), Professor Zafar Mahfooz Nomani (Law) Dr Asad Faisal Farooqui (Mass Communication) and the like seek to strengthen non-fiction prose in Urdu.
Autobiography, memories, diary, letters, sketches and anecdotal scrolls are much-adored genres of non-fiction prose, but in Urdu, they usually betray a strong sense of gushiness and sickening self-adulation. The preponderating narrative of reminisces does not go well with the celebrated author, Professor Athar Siddiqui, whose evocative recapitulation of eminent personalities appeared.
The book Rahe wa Rasm-e-Aashnai (sketches and personal memoirs) provides a quick, candid, exquisite and scrupulous portrayal of those who retain their abiding presence without being physically present in the world.
Professor Athar Siddiqui, a widely recognized scientist, has produced a captivating narrative of his eventful life, Main Keya Meri Hayat kaya, with disarming humility and jotted down travelogues vividly calling attention to down reaching human experiences that frequent foreign travels produce. Interactive media frequently carry intriguing stories featuring commonplace occurrences. The stories with a strong sense of moral tutoring dished out by the digital world need to be shared with non technology conversant Urdu knowing people.
He left Professor Athar Siddiqui to supplement what had been missing and started translating these pulsating stories into Urdu. It was left to Professor Athar Siddiqui to supplement what had been missing, and he translated these pulsating stories into Urdu.
Tahzibul Aklaqh, a prestigious periodical launched by Sir Syed in 1870, started serializing it with a suggestive title Hairat Sarai Ki Kahaniyan (The stories of wonderland), and two volumes of these laconic and absorbing stories have appeared so far.
He meticulously edited two autobiographies of two illustrious alums of Aligarh Muslim University–Dr. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah (founder of women’s college, AMU) and Nawab Ahmad Saeed Khan Chattari ( former Governor of Uttar Pradesh). He had astutely done over translating books on Shaheryar and Musa Raza.
Athar Siddiqui’s recently published book, Rah-o-Rasam-e – Aashnai,” creatively maps out the accessible and unchartered terrains of thirty-five personalities in candour-driven idiom, and he hardly holds with the popular notion that put a lock on showing the slightest discourtesy to the deceased. The author asserts, “It is widely mentioned that the sketch writer must not use any indecent or improper word for those resting in the peace. If this sort of exhortation is adhered to, then the sketch, personal article and memories will be read as appreciation and admiration-filled text. If history writing sticks to this principle, then the authentic history of any period could not be produced. I do not buy this argument.”
The subtle wised-up mélange focuses on nine creative writers such as Shahryar, Iqbal Matin, Sajida Zaidi, Qazi Abdus Sattar, Professor Mukhtar Uddin Arzoo, Syed Hamid, Lateefuz Zaman and a couple of close relatives, teachers, friends and former vice-chancellors.
Iqbal Matin, whose awe-inspiring artistic sensibility could not get him the recognition across the country he fully deserved, has come in for a refined exploration. Athar Siddiqui’s reminiscence is peppered with unusual but fascinating details about the author. The author living in Aligarh tried desperately to contact Iqbal Matin (Hyderabad) when the letter was the preferred communication medium. He realized that his letters were not delivered to the addressee, who was prone to change houses. Iqbal changed thirty-five houses and bore testimony to his nomadic lifestyle.
Much has been written on Jnanpith awardee and prominent poet Shahryar but a comprehensive and insightful article highlighting his distinctive personal traits and oeuvre is still looked-for. The piece titled “Shahryar as a man and poet” fills the bill with remarkable ease. Athar saheb cites many instances to prove Shahryar’s unflinching loyalty to his friends but never spitting upon the rivals. The voice of modernism with strong traces of neoclassicism, Shahryar never nurtured animosity and did whatever he could for those who looked up to him in their hours of peril. People, even authors and pushover critics tend to read creative texts in the backdrop of personal details; hence when Shahryar suffering from a terminal illness- cancer–composed a couplet; Aasman ab kuch nahi tere karney ke liye/Ham ne sab taiyaariyan karli hain marne ke liye (O sky, now you have nothing to do/I have completed all the preparations for dying) it was considered as the affirmation of impending death. Employing critical acuity, Athar saheb mentioned that the couplet has nothing to do with a nagging sense of personal extinction; the poet laments how we perfected the art of self-destruction reflected in the depletion of Ozone layer manufacturing of weapons of mass destruction.
Athar Siddiqui wrote an immensely readable sketch of Qazi Abdus Sattar, a much overrated and pretentious writer who always took pride in using ornate and florid language in his fiction. His novel Tamam Sultan has been described as magnum opus, but it is hardly more than an oft-repeated titillating story of unrequited love. Athar Saheb and Qazi have had close ties for over fifty years, but Qazi was so intemperate that he pulled ties into pieces as Athar could not attend his facilitation function. It was an act of civility to describe this narcissism as uniqueness of personality.
Prof Zilur Rehman, a widely- respected academician of Unani medicine, is a well-known scholar of Urdu, Persian and Arabic and has more than fifty books to his credit. His books, especially on Ibne Sina, Hakim Ajmal Khan, Sir Ross Masood, Hakim Ehshanullah Khan, and Hakim Abdul Moid, got widespread admiration. In addition to discussing his well-documented and invigorating writings, Athar Siddiqui effortlessly unravels his amenable nature and inimitable passion for books and artefacts. He has a collection of over 70,000 and set up a museum and library, Ibne Sina Academy, which has its website.
Seldom does one attempt to spell out what essentially embodies his wife, going beyond the adulation and berating with a sense of objectivity. This nagging edginess seems to have no bearing on Athar saheb, who painted a stirring wordy portrayal of his wife Zakia Siddiqui, a renowned academician and former principal of Women’s College, Aligarh Muslim University.
One tends to agree with the author when he asserts that during the first ten years wife is treated as the beloved; with the birth of children, she takes over the role of the mother. If harmonious marital life continues, she becomes an inseparable friend who hardly gets perturbed, no matter how annoying one becomes. It is all momentary, and the bond of affinity never weakens.
Athar saheb also evocatively narrated his mother’s life story, and he recollects his memories and anecdotes to document her extraordinary considerate nature. Suhail (son) and Taab (daughter) get pat on the head by the caring and unerring father for their abiding sympathy for others.
The book turns attention to a dozen vice-chancellors and pro-vice-chancellors of AMU, such as Dr Zakir Hussain, Bashir Hussain Zaidi, Badruddin Tyabji, Abdul Aleem, Ali Mohammad Khusro, Syed Hamid, Syed Hashim Ali, Wasiur Rehman, Naseem Farooqui, Mahmoodur Rehman, Hamid Ansari and Abul Hasan Siddiqui.
The author’s appraisal of them looks convincing, but occasionally subjectivity surfaces. The assortment of sketches offers a discerning peep into the life of all who impressed the author. The nuanced and readable prose is used impeccably, and Athar Siddiqui deserves accolades for producing such picturesque vignettes.
Shafey Kidwai is an Indian academic, communication scientist, translator, columnist, and author. He is the chairman of the Department of Mass Communications at Aligarh Muslim University.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by Shafey Kidwai / September 26th, 2025
Ather Siddiqi was a researcher of eminence in his field and his research has been nationally and internationally recognised in the scientific world.
Professor Ather H. Siddiqi was born on December 29, 1931, in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He attained his early education at the Govt. High School, Saharanpur and obtained the degrees of B.Sc. (1950) and M.Sc. (1953) from A.M.U. Topping the university in Science and Zoology, he received two gold medals. He did his PhD in 1956 under the supervision of Professor Babar Mirza from Aligarh Muslim University.
Ather Siddiqi joined the Department of Zoology as a lecturer in 1953. After three years, he joined Purdue University, USA and completed another doctorate in 1958. He became a reader in 1961 and was appointed as a professor in 1977. Prof. Siddiqi also taught at universities in Nigeria and Libya and returned to India in 1980. He served as the Chairman of the Department of Zoology (1985-88) and as the President of the Indian Society for Parasitology. He also served as the Dean of the Faculty of Life Science in 1988-89, finally retiring from his services in 1994.
His scientific work on helminth taxonomy was published by the New York Academy of Sciences in the form of an exhaustive monograph. Despite that, he received his basic training in classical zoology in the early sixties. Later on, he switched to experimental work in parasitology. Ather Siddiqi was a researcher of eminence in his field and his research is nationally and internationally recognised in the scientific world.
Siddiqi’s Immersion in Urdu Writing
Apart from research articles, his popular writing in Urdu started in the 1980s. His first article in Urdu appeared on the life and scientific contribution of his mentor Professor Babar Mirza in the Quarterly “Fikr-o-Nazar” (January 1987). He published two articles in the early years of “Tehzib-ul-Akhlaq”, Aligarh: ‘Ilm-ul-Hayatiat ke Isatiza se Khitab’ (December 1987), ‘Mohammad Babar Mirza-Apnay Chaman ka Aik Deedawar’ (August 1989).
After his retirement in 1994, he devoted himself completely to Urdu writing. His lengthy article, ‘Mashriq say bezar na Maghrib say Hazar Kar’ narrateing the scientific and cultural activities of European countries was serialised in January 2005-June 2006 issues of “Tehzib-ul-Akhlaq”.
Similarly, his Urdu travelogue ‘Saat Haftay Inglistan Main’ (Seven Weeks in England) was published in the June and July 2006 issues of “Tehzib-ul-Akhlaq”. It carried interesting information regarding the scientific and cultural development of England.
His article based on his visit to Spain ‘Undlus Ka Shandaar Mazi’ (The Bright Past of Spain) discussed the scientific and cultural development of medieval Spain.
Ather Siddiqi along with Syed Zillur Rahman, contributed a chapter, ‘Aligarh Muslim University: Development and Progress of Science Teaching and Research, 1877-1947’ in Science and Modern India: An Institutional History, c. 1784-1947 (ed. Uma Das Gupta), Centre for Studies in Civilisation published in 1999.
A Glimpse into his Published Works
He is regularly contributing a literary column ‘Hairat Sarai Ke Kahania’ to “Tehzib-ul-Akhlaq” which consists of the translation of interesting short stories taken from the internet.
Recently, his popular science articles ‘Parasitism: Aik Dilchasp Tareeq Zindagi’ (Parasitism is an Interesting Way of Life) and ‘Yek khuliya Tufailiati Beenariyan’ (Unicell parasitic diseases) appeared in the February 2022 and February 2023 issue, respectively, of the Urdu monthly ‘Aajkal’, Delhi.
After retirement, Ather Siddiqi devoted himself to Urdu writing and authored, translated and edited dozens of books. The names of some of his books are: ‘Kiya aur meri Hayat Kiya’, ‘Lizzat Aabla Pai’, ‘Nishat Aabla Pai’, ‘Hairat Sarai ke Kahaniyan’ (Vol. 1, 2, 3, 4). In 2022, he published “Rah wa Rasam Aashnai”, his last book. He also rendered Retd IAS officer Musa Raza’s book, “Land of Regrets: Kashmir”, in Urdu as “Kashmir Sarzamin Pashemani”.
Ather Siddiqi was one of the best teachers, an internationally acclaimed Zoologist, and a passionate Urdu writer. And above all, he was a wonderful human being. He passed away on 8th November, 2023, in Delhi at the age of 92 years due to old age illness.
References:
Tehzib-ul-Akhlaq, Aligarh (various issues) Science and Modern India: An Institutional History, c. 1784-1947 (ed. Uma Das Gupta), Centre for Studies in Civilisation, New Delhi, 1999.
source: http://www.heritagetimes.in / Heritage Times / Home / by Dr Asad Faisal Farooqui
The centuries-old Islamic educational centre, birthplace of the Urdu Qur’an translation, struggles to protect its legacy amid growing Hindu-led development projects.
New Delhi :
Hidden along the busy Bahadur Shah Zafar Highway, Mehdiyan — home to the revered Madrasa Rahimiya, also known as Jamia Rahimia — stands as one of Delhi’s oldest Islamic learning centres. Established by Shah Abdul Rahim, father of the famed scholar Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlvi, this madrasa has for centuries served as a vital institution nurturing Islamic scholarship. However, today its existence is threatened by creeping urban development dominated by Hindu groups, threatening to erase a vital piece of Muslim heritage.
“Madrasa Rahimiya was not just a school; it was a movement to bring Muslims closer to the Qur’an’s true teachings,” explains Mufti Muhammad Sabir, a Hadith instructor at the madrasa. “But its history is being erased by those who prioritise development over our heritage.”
Madrasa Rahimiya holds a proud place in history, especially for pioneering the first Urdu translation of the Qur’an. In the late 1700s, Shah Abdul Qadir, a key scholar educated under his father and others, undertook the translation project at the Akbarabadi Mosque. This effort laid the foundation for making Islamic scripture accessible to millions of Urdu-speaking Muslims across India, who were otherwise unable to understand the original Arabic text.
“Shah Abdul Qadir’s translation was revolutionary, yet it faced strong opposition from scholars who considered translating the Qur’an sacrilegious,” says Maulana Sabir. “Despite this, his work endured and shaped generations.”
But this rich history has not been free from hardship. After the 1857 War of Independence, British colonial forces destroyed the Akbarabadi Mosque and shuttered the madrasa. The adjoining Mehdiyan cemetery, the resting place of Shah Waliullah and his family members, was drastically reduced. Historian Rana Safavi laments, “Mehdiyan was once a vast necropolis for saints and commoners alike. Now, much of it is lost to encroachment, with what remains used merely as a washing place.”
In the 1960s, Delhi’s expanding urban sprawl posed new threats. Plans to demolish Mehdiyan to build flats and houses were only halted because of the heroic resistance of Ali Muhammad, known locally as Sher-e-Mewat. “He lay down in front of bulldozers and even Pandit Nehru’s car to protect these sacred shrines,” recalls resident Bilal Ahmed. “He broke his leg but ensured our heritage survived.” Jawaharlal Nehru himself was moved by Ali Muhammad’s determination and ordered the preservation of these sites, which were later enclosed by a boundary wall.
Yet, the madrasa’s survival is once again at risk. Critics point out that the latest wave of urban planning, heavily influenced by Hindu groups, disproportionately targets Muslim heritage areas. Historian Zafar Khan asserts, “Hindu groups have long viewed places like Mehdiyan as obstacles to their vision of a ‘modern’ Delhi. This is not just about land — it’s an attempt to erase Muslim identity.”
Local Muslims feel the marginalisation acutely. “Our history is being systematically sidelined,” says Ayesha Begum, a teacher at Jamia Rahimia. “While Hindu temples receive government protection and funding, our sacred sites are neglected, ignored, or demolished.” She highlights the glaring lack of state support for the madrasa compared to the ample aid granted to Hindu religious institutions.
Despite the ongoing pressures, Madrasa Rahimiya endures as a symbol of resilience and faith. Its small mosque and student quarters continue to operate, preserving the teachings that Shah Waliullah and his predecessors established centuries ago.
“We teach the same Qur’an and Hadith that Shah Waliullah did,” says Mufti Sabir. “No matter the encroachment or neglect, that legacy will not disappear.”
The battle to save Mehdiyan reflects wider tensions in India, where Muslim cultural and religious heritage frequently confronts Hindu nationalist agendas. For now, the madrasa stands firm — a testament to Delhi’s Muslim scholars’ enduring spirit and their steadfast commitment to preserving Islamic knowledge and identity.
source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Culture> Editor’s Pick> India / by Mohammed Bin Ismail / May 24th, 2025
Pallikkere (Kasargod District) / Kozhikode, KERALA / Dubai, U.A.E :
Kozhikode:
PA Ibrahim Haji, one of the most prominent businessmen, educational entrepreneurs, and philanthropists of India and the Middle East, passed away on Tuesday in Kozhikode aged 78.
According to the reports, Ibrahim Haji was first hospitalized on December 11 in Dubai Healthcare City on December 11 after he suffered a major cardiac arrest. He was later shifted to MIMS Hospital in Kozhikode on December 20. He breathed his last on Tuesday afternoon at the hospital.
Ibrahim Haji was the founder vice-chairman of Malabar Gold and Diamonds. He also served as the director of Chandrika newspaper, vice-chairman of Indus Motors, and founder chairman of PACE Group of Institutions.
Born in Pallikkara in Kasaragod district on September 6, 1943, Ibrahim Haji migrated to the Gulf in 1966 where he set up the successful textile, garment, and jewelry businesses. He ventured into the education sector with the launch of Pace Group of Institutions in 1999. At present, 20,000 students from 25 countries pursue many courses in various PACE institutions in India, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. In Kerala, the group owns RIMS International School in Kannur, PACE Residential School, and Blossom Public School, both in Manjeri. The group also owns the PA College of Engineering, PA College of Pharmacy, PA Institute of Physiotherapy, PA Polytechnic, and PA First Grade College in Mangaluru in Karnataka.
His mortal remains will be kept for public viewing at his house in Kuttikkattoor in Kozhikode till 3 pm.
Burial will take place at Vettekkad Juma Masjid in Manjeri after 4pm.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karavali / by Vartha Bharati / December 12th, 2021
