Category Archives: Education

Meet the 18-year-old from Tamil Nadu who designed the world’s lightest satellite

PallaPatti,  TAMIL NADU :

On June 21 this year, history will be made with the launch of the world’s smallest ever satellite — KalamSat. The launch will also hold special significance for India, with 18-year-old Rifath Sharook, a native of Tamil Nadu, being the brains behind the satellite. This will be the first time an Indian student’s experiment will be operated by NASA.

18-year-old Rifath Sharook; Source- New York Post
18-year-old Rifath Sharook; Source- New York Post

Hailing from the Tamil Nadu town of Pallapatti, Sharook has truly achieved something special with the KalamSat. The satellite will be launched by the US-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and weighs only 64 grams. Named after India’s former President and nuclear scientist A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the satellite is slated to be launched from a NASA facility in Wallops Island.

Rozina Sheikh, whose mother works as a tailor, scores 97 percentile rank in Class 12; aspires to become a doctor

Vatva Village (Ahmedabad) , GUJARAT :

Ahmedabad:

On the morning of Thursday, May 11, Rozina Razil Shaikh, 17 along with her two brothers and mother were glued to the internet to check her Gujarat class 12 science stream result. Within moments, the family had a lot to celebrate.

Rozina Razil Shaikh
Rozina Razil Shaikh

Rozina had scored 97.07 percentile in the Science Stream.

The Shaikhs live in Vatva village of Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Their house has since been flooded with people visiting them to congratulate the feat achieved by Rozina.

“I am feeling quite good and relaxed after the result. I wanted to score good and I scored well,” Rozina told TwoCircles.net .

Her percentile rank in science theory is 99.36 and percentile rank in overall theory is 96.74, whereas the overall percentile is 97.07.

Rozina’s father, a doctor by profession, died in a car accident in 2010.

After her father’s death, the family of four is being supported by her mother, Maqsuda Shaikh, who works as a tailor and earns about Rs 5,000 a month.

Rozina02MPOs16may2017

“The income of my mother barely supports our expenses. I had applied for scholarship after finishing my 10th and I did get one from a Baroda-based charitable trust which gave me 18000 per year to study. It covered my school fee and books expenses,” said Rozina. The 17 year old girl was dedicated to score well and pursue her dream of becoming a doctor like her father.

“11th and 12th are very crucial from the perspective of getting into a medicine career. For these two years, I studied 8-10 hours every day apart from lectures at school. My mother and brothers have been continuously supporting me,” says Rozina.

The girl’s mother is more than happy and says that she was determined to get her children educated, at any cost. She works as a tailor to support her children’s and sometime a few relatives also extend help.

“Mai bohut khush hui beti ka result sunke.Paise ki dikkat thi ghar main magar bache bhi aqalmand the ki paisa khali padahi ke lie mangte the (I felt very happy about my daughters result. There is financial problem, but my kids were quite wise that they asked money only for studies),” Maqsuda Shaikh told TCN.

“Inke walid bhi khete the ki bacho ko padhana hai, ye nhi ki ladki hai toh nahi padhani hai.Unka ek hi arman tha ki bachoo ko achi taleem deni hai.Aur humne bhi himmat nhi hari (Their father was also determined to get them good education and not like others, who think that girls shouldn’t be provided with education. He had only one dream that his children should be good and well educated and we also didn’t lost the hope),” she added.

Rozina appeared in National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) on May 7 and she is hopeful that she will go through it.

“I can only pursue MBBS if I get seat in a government college and fee. If not, then I will opt for pharmacy because we don’t have money to pay the fee of private MBBS colleges,” she says.

Those who wish to help the girl pursue her dream of becoming a doctor can contact the family at +919924379287

source:  http://www.twocircles.net / Two Circles.net / Home> Indian Muslim> Lead Story / by Raqib Hameed Naid, TwoCircles.net / May 14th, 2017

Showing the way

NEW DELHI :

RoshanaraMPOs14may2017

Roshanara Khan from Nizamuddin Basti is all set to tell her story of struggle in the US before a distinguished audience for the benefit of other girls like her

What strikes about 19-year-old Roshanara Khan is her confidence and clarity of vision. The struggles of her life has suffused her with a fighting spirit but not desperation. The self-belief becomes evident when she says, “I will do it. I can handle it. It is my story. I have to narrate that and how difficult can it be,” says Roshanara. As we write this, the young spark, is en route to the US for an annual fundraising event by NGO, Room to Read, in the US. Representing India, Roshanara will give a speech at the Gala Dinner in New York and Washington DC on May 11 and 15. Navtej Sarna, India’s ambassador to the United States will be the special guest at the event. The money generated will be utilised for life skills training and mentoring of girls.

But this isn’t a first for Roshanara. She has travelled to the UK, Zurich and Switzerland earlier to share her compelling story. A story that must be shared. Living in the slums of Nizamuddin Basti, her father, a rickshaw puller at times, couldn’t even give her and four siblings three meals a day. “On top of that, he used to gamble. And then one day, my parents fixed my marriage. I was only 15. I refused. I told my mother, I don’t want to be helpless like her, dependent on someone else for every penny, struggling to raise kids, falling sick every now and then because of early marriage and motherhood. They understood my point but due to the societal pressure, they went ahead and fixed it. I kept refusing but they wouldn’t get convinced but finally, they gave in,” recalls Roshanara.

Gathering courage

But how did she gather courage in such dire circumstances? Without any support, how did she avert marriage and follow a different path? Through her school, Roshanara was able to connect with Room to Read, an NGO working towards literacy and girls education. “I have been associated with their Girls’ Education Program for a long time and my mentor there guided me through this. I discussed my problems with her and she told me how to handle it. She gave me lot of strength.” She says, the life skills she acquired at the sessions held by teachers at Room to Read, helped her immensely. “I learnt how important it is to say what you feel. You have to express yourself,” said Roshanara at the press conference held at Indian Women’s Press Corps.

At the press conference, a five minute film on the young girl made by Room to Read was also screened. It will be shown in the US as well.

Though not fluent in English, she will deliver her speech in English. The young girl shows no sign of anxiety. “We have only helped her but every word is hers. She has decided how her story needs to be told. Even the decision to use the word change or or transform was taken by her,” said Randeep Kaur, Programme Director, GEP, Room To Read.

The NGO tracks the girls’ education programme graduates for three years and seeing the commitment and strength of Roshanara, the outfit chose zoned in on her for the job.

Working at a doctor’s clinic and alongside pursuing a bachelor’s degree from Jamia Millia Islamia, Roshanara is attracted to the world of computers. “I love computers and want to make a career out of it.”

source:  http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society / by Shailaja Tripathi / May 11th, 2017

PU results reveal maids of steel in Bengaluru

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

MAKING A CLEAN SWEEP: Elu Afshan working at one of her employers’ homes
MAKING A CLEAN SWEEP: Elu Afshan working at one of her employers’ homes

by Sana Khan

Washing, cooking, cleaning, feeding, teaching, studying… the days are packed for this PU student who has managed to shine despite working in 10 households, a bed-ridden father and a mother who was frequently falling sick during her exams. We salute you, Afshan

On Thursday Elu Afshan, a PU student, managed to fulfil a part of her mother’s dream. Her mother works as a domestic help and wants that her child never has to do the work she does. With a First Class in Commerce, Afshan has a shot at taking a path different from her mother.

This student of Government PU College goes to some of the houses for domestic work, and takes care of her father, who was bed-ridden, and two younger siblings.
“My mother is the sole bread-winner of our family. Some days she gets tired or needs help, so I join her,” Afshan said. As her mother works in about 10 houses, hardly any day goes by without Afshan having to help.

After college, she used to head to the homes her mother works at and help her. “I washed vessels, clothes and cleaned the house. Everyone at the houses too was supportive and never complained about my mother’s work. Some of the persons used to send me back as they knew my exams were nearing,” Afshan said.

But being the eldest child in her family, Afshan felt the need to take on part of the responsibilities. Her brother has just finished 10th and sister is in the 8th standard.

Another chunk of the 17-year-old’s time would go in nursing her father, who has been bed-ridden since a fall.

“My father was working as a painter, but after a fall, his knee broke and he was bed-ridden for many months. That was a distressing time for us,” Afshan said.

She worked in all the houses her mother used to work. “All of employers took care of me like their kid,” she said.

Feeding the child of the household is a delight for her too
Feeding the child of the household is a delight for her too

During the exams, Afshan had a tough time as mother too started falling sick often. “It was difficult, with my father in this condition and my brother and sister also studying for their exams. I could barely study for two hours a day. There were days when I had to stay back in college to study before coming home,” she told Bangalore Mirror.

All the housework used to take the toll on Afshan on some days. There were times when she felt she should just study and not do any of the other work, but she had to help the family out.

After all this, Afshan is happy with the results.

Her mother Zaheeriunssa told BM, “I want my daughter to study well and take care of her life. She is an asset to the family. We want to give her more time to study, but sometimes it does not happen.”

Afshan said her mother treats her like a queen. On her future plans, she said, “I want to study, but my family’s condition is such that I do not know what I can do next. My mother says I must get job at an office,” she said.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Cover Story / by Sana Khan, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / May 11th, 2017

Newly appointed AMU VC bats for discipline, promises crackdown on lumpen elements

Aligarh, UTTAR PRADESH :

Prof Tariq Mansoor, newly appointed vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.
Prof Tariq Mansoor, newly appointed vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.

Aligarh :

The newly appointed vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Prof Tariq Mansoor, has said that his priority would be to maintain discipline in the university and get rid of all the criminal elements who are giving a bad name to the institution.

Talking to TOI, soon after the notification of his appointment, Mansoor said the responsibility to head the institute is “huge” and he would ensure that students get a secure environment for their studies. Maintaining that there are only a handful of students who create problems on the campus, Mansoor, who would take charge after the end of the term of the present VC, Lt Gen (retd) Zameer Uddin Shah, on May 17 said his priority would be to get rid of such elements.

Responding to a question on the impeding audit of the AMU regarding academic, research, financial, and infrastructural ordered by the UGC, the newly appointed VC said he would ensure that all help is extended to the probe team and everything is done in a transparent manner. Mansoor said such audit can prove beneficial to the university also.

“Whatever deficiencies the audit points out would be taken care of”, he said. In response to a question on resistance by students organization against allowing leaders of right wing Hindu organizations for organizing debates in the university, Mansoor said, “Ideologies can differ but exchange of ideas should be welcomed in any academic institution”.

Maintaining that he was as it looking after 1/3 of the university in his present capacity as the principal of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, he said he would ensure total transparency in AMUs working.

Incidentally Mansoor is the first “local” vice chancellor of the university in the past five decades. Mansoor secured the highest number of votes (94) in AMU court. Out of three candidates, Prof Mansoor was the only candidate who was a professor in the university and having academic and administrative experience in a university system.

Rahat Abrar, director of Urdu Academy and former public relation officer of AMU said that the last local VC, Prof Abdul Aleem, was appointed 49 years back in 1968.

Three candidates including Mansoor were in the fray for the post of VC of the AMU. The other two candidates were: Abusaleh Shariff, executive director and chief scholar, US-India Policy Institute, Washington and Shahid Jameel, CEO, Welcome Trust and DBT India Alliance. The three names were sent to the Union human resource development ministry two months ago by the AMU Court.

Mansoor, born on September 20, 1956, completed his MBBS from the JN Medical College in 1978 and MS (Surgery) in 1982. In 1994, Mansoor completed FICS from the International College of Surgeons. Mansoor became the principal and chief medical officer of AMU’s JN Medical College in September 2013. He had first started working at the college’s department of general surgery as a clinical registrar in 1983 and taught MBBS classes.

Mansoor’s father late Prof Hafeezul Rahman was founder dean, Faculty of Law at AMU and his elder brother late Prof Rasheeduz Zafar was professor of Civil Engineering at IIT, Delhi, and professor and head of the department of Civil Engineering in AMU and vice-chancellor of Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi from 1992-1994. He has published 90 research papers and works in national and international journals.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Agra News / by Anuja Jaiswal / TNN / May 04th, 2017

Clearing the rural hurdle to reach the top

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Principal Secretary, Higher Education, Ranjeev Acharya, TSREI Secretary Seshe Kumari with the state toppers of Intermediate hailing from residential schools
Principal Secretary, Higher Education, Ranjeev Acharya, TSREI Secretary Seshe Kumari with the state toppers of Intermediate hailing from residential schools

TSRJC students figure in the top 10

They come from financially and socially poor backgrounds, but their faith in the government residential school system paid rich dividends. And it was no mean achievement figuring in the top 10 ranks in the Intermediate examinations this year, studying in a remote village far away from the hustle and bustle of town life.

Five students from the Telangana State Residential Junior College, Sarvail in Yadadri district, figured in the top 10 in the Intermediate examinations this year, an achievement that went unnoticed in the publicity blitzkrieg of private colleges. However, the government recognised their performance and felicitated them with laptops worth ₹ 45,000 each.

The laptops were presented by Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari at the Secretariat and he said it showcased the power of government institutions and the potential they have in throwing up State rankers. The awardees included Ch. Saicharan, State 2nd ranker in MPC; D. Ahmed Waseem, who got 9th rank, P. Vasantha Reddy and J. Bharathu Kumar, who secured 10th rank and D. Nipun Rai, who was at 4th place in the BiPC stream.

The students met the Prinicpal Secretary, Higher Education, Ranjeev Acharya, who said it was a commendable achievement and lauded the efforts of the teachers who made it possible.

The TSREI Secretary, Seshu Kumari, explained the effort that went into identifying good teachers and providing them with the right atmosphere to excel. “We want to take TSRJC, Sarvail, on par with the erstwhile APRJC, Nagarjunsagar, which was the first option of all State SSC toppers.

The achievers were elated that they were getting recognised on a par with private college students, who generally hog the limelight during the results period. “Commitment from teachers and their focussed guidance coupled with our hardwork is the reason for the success,” they said in unison.

TSRJC Sarvail Principal Surender Reddy said that all these students also secured good marks and ranks in the JEE Main. They would surely clear the JEE Advanced to get into the top IITs, he added. Mr. Reddy said that 14 students from the TSRJC Sarvail, 7 from TSRJC, Hasanparthy and one each from TSRJC L.B. Nagar and Nagaram qualified for the JEE Advanced.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by P. Ravikanth Reddy / Hyderabad – May 04th, 2017

This record holder is not all hot air

Podanoor (Coimbatore), TAMIL NADU :

BaloonsMPOs03may2017

When was the last time you blew a balloon? Probably, when you were a child?

But, for 22-year-old N Sadham Hussain, son of a flower seller from Podanur, inflating balloons is the route to fame.

This engineering graduate has been in the news ever since he blew 500 balloons in a matter of 68 minutes at an event held in the city.

Hussain attempted a record in three categories- most balloons blown in a minute, most balloons blown in three minutes and the fastest time to blow 500 balloons. At the recent event, he managed to inflate 11 balloons in a minute, 29 balloons in 3 minutes and 500 balloons in 68 minutes.

“It all started in 2011 when I started doing a part-time job in balloon decorations. I was in charge of blowing balloons for birthday parties and private events. Later, I came forward to blow balloons at a symposium held at my college. (Dr NGP Institute of Technology) The pace at which I was blowing the balloons impressed a friend of mine, who later suggested that I could put the skill to good use.

That’s when I decided to give the records a shot.

Since then there has been no looking back. I blew 486 balloons in an hour at an event and that was considered a record. It’s been two years I completed my studies but I continue my passion for blowing balloons.”

Sadham now accompanies his brother in installing smart boards in schools. He already has his name etched in the Limca Book of World Records for blowing 486 balloons in one hour and 1,000 balloons in 147 minutes.

So, does he practice blowing balloons on a regular basis? “Not really! Since, I continue my job in balloon decorations and I get the opportunity to practice regularly. The only ritual I have been following from day one is to keep a glass of water and glucose next to me. You lose a lot of moisture when blowing a balloon and it’s imperative that you don’t feel tired while at it. You need a lot of stamina as well.”

However, he adds that blowing balloons is not a cakewalk while attempting a record. “The balloons diameter should be 20 cm after blowing it; you have to tie it up. Many a time I have burst a number of balloons during the process. I get extremely nervous then and lose out on time.

But, I carry on with the attempt as I have to finish inflating the maximum number of balloons at a particular time.”

The electrical engineering graduate aspires to set a world record in blowing balloons. “I want to set a world record and I am working hard towards it,” says Sadham, who is still hunting for a job that will help fulfill his dream.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Coimbatore News / by P. Sangeetha / TNN / April 30th, 2017

Who was Quaid-E-Millat ?

Chennai, TAMIL NADU / KERALA :

That was a question I was recently asked in connection with a reference I had made to Umda Bagh and its links with education in the city for nearly 125 years. Good question, and off I went ahunting for information.

Into the Umda Bagh campus moved c.1895 the Madrasa-I-Azam, the chief Muslim school in the South and which was established in 1849. This developed partially into a Government Muhammadan College with its own buildings in 1934.

In 1948, the College was reconstituted as the Government Arts College for Men. The College moved to Nandanam in 1972 and a women’s college opened in its stead in 1974. This was named the Quaid-E-Millat Government College for Women, leaving many a student puzzling over the prefixed name, which I’m told means ‘Leader of the Nation’.

A Tirunelveli Rowther, Mohammed Ismail went into business in the 1920s and became a leader in the worlds of leather and Madras commerce. That leadership led him into politics, in which he had shown interest from when, as a 13-year-old, he started in 1909 the Young Muslim Society in Tirunelveli.

Nine years later, he founded the Council of Islamic Scholars and joined the Indian Muslim League. In 1946, he led the League’s Madras unit in the Assembly elections and became Leader of the Opposition. He was also elected to the first Lok Sabha, which simultaneously served as the Indian Constituent Assembly. And, an intriguing election that year was as the founding President of the Madras State Mutton Dealers’ Association, which he remained till his death 26 years later.

When Pakistan was born in 1947, the Muslim League divided and an Indian Union Muslim League came into being. Mohammed Ismail was elected its first President. After serving in the Rajya Sabha from 1952 to 1958, he moved into Kerala politics with States’ Reorganisation in 1956. Leading the IUML, he won Lok Sabha seats in 1962, 1967 and 1971. He died a year after his last election, revered in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala as the Quaid-E-Millat, a leader who ensured communal harmony. Interestingly, his education had been in Hindu, Catholic and Protestant schools and colleges!

Perhaps the greatest tribute paid to him was by Congress Chief Minister M Bhaktavatsalam who, describing his dignified and conciliatory behaviour in the Legislature, said he was “a model for all Opposition leaders”.

The chronicler of Madras that is Chennai tells stories of people, places and events from the years gone by and, sometimes, from today

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> History & Culture / Madras Miscellany / by S. Muthiah / May 01st, 2017

Around 400 Muslim students clear IIT-JEE 2012

NEW DELHI :

New Delhi:

This was just a dream until some years back. The presence of Muslims in such top layer entrance tests like IIT-JEE was just negligible. The successful Muslim candidates could be counted on fingers. This year, around 400 Muslim candidates from across the country have cracked IIT-JEE. This could be a record.

A total of 24,112 students have secured ranks in various categories in IIT-JEE 2012. Muslims are 391. According to JEE Chairman GD Reddy, only 19,426 of the successful candidates have been shortlisted for counseling for admission to 9,647 seats in the IITs and other institutes. Fortunately, Muslim candidates have got ranks within 19,000 – 188 have got ranks within 10,000 — it means all will get chance to face counseling. The highest ranker among Muslims is Mohammad Hafeezul Rahman (Rank 159) and the lowest among Muslims is Shoaib Khan (Rank 18408).

Rahmani-30’s successful candidates in IIT-JEE 2012 at the campus of the coaching institute in Patna on 18th May 2012
Rahmani-30’s successful candidates in IIT-JEE 2012 at the campus of the coaching institute in Patna on 18th May 2012

The greater presence of Muslims in IIT-JEE could be attributed to some minority-focused coaching centres established in last five years, the foundation of which was laid by Rahmani-30. Set up in 2008, the Patna-based free residential coaching centre of Rahmani Foundation, under the patronship of Maulana Mohammad Wali Rahmani, has been sending its candidates to IIT-JEE since 2009 and every year it has got results.

Only this year, a total of 16 students of Rahmani-30 have cracked IIT-JEE. Seven of them were of the current batch that ended in March 2012 while six from the last two batches of 2010 and 2011 – they had not got success in previous attempt but succeeded this year. Besides, 3 Muslim students of Bangalore centre of Rahmani 30 have also qualified this year.

More than 5.6 lakh students had appeared for the IIT-JEE on April 8, 2012 for admission to nearly 9,600 undergraduate seats in the 15 IITs and other institutions.

IITs in India
IIT-Bhubaneshwar
IIT-Bombay
IIT-Delhi
IIT-Gandhinagar
IIT-Guwahati
IIT-Hyderabad
IIT-Indore
IIT-Kanpur
IIT-Kharagpur
IIT-Madras
IIT-Mandi
IIT-Patna
IIT-Rajasthan
IIT-Roorkee
IIT-Ropar

JEE 2012 Rank List : Muslim students
Rank Name Category Registration No.
159 MOHAMMAD HAFEEZUL RAHMAN OBCM 6037448
289 JASEEM UMAR M OBC 6112333
406 SHEHZAD HATHI GE 1002007
524 PARVEZSH AHAMED HMS OBC 6137244
560 SHAFEEQUL ISLAM GE 2147412
675 NASIRUDDIN AHMAD GE 2054364
840 MOHAMED FASIL C P OBC 6110005
858 MOHAMMAD OSAMA GE 2146595
870 SHAIK KHAJA MOHIDDIN OBCM 6003074
872 KAZI SAIF RAHAMAN GE 1051186
920 SOHAIL AHASAN GE 5141033
999 ASIF AHMED SARDAR GE 5130180
1128 NAJMI HAMZA ISMAIL OBCM 1025213
1208 GHULAM AHMED ANSARI OBC 6027044
1245 AMEER HAMZA OBCM 5006275
1428 MURTUZA RAJA GE 2104088
1437 BASHAMAKH YAZEED GE 3070042
1438 HUSSAIN BOHRA GE 2099383
1753 INZAMAMUL HAQUE OBCM 2039366
1772 ABDUL AZIZ GE 5139304
1816 MOHD SAOOD SHAKEEL OBCM 2068412
1874 ADIL REZA OBCM 4099681
1891 SHAIK AZHAR MADAR OBCM 6073297
1934 MD DANISH KALIM GE 1079150
1994 SHAIK ABDUL AKRAM OBCM 6076203
2149 ZAHID SHARIEF GE 7012132
2191 ABUZAR GAFFARI GE 2106044
2209 IQBAL OBC 7021256
2238 ABID HAQUE GE 2052109
2257 SAFDAR AHMAD WANI GE 2097117
2336 KHAN UZAIR SUHAIL GE 1055304
2376 MD NADEEM AKHTAR OBCM 3122087
2379 NABEEL AHMAD KANGOO GE 2091362
2452 MD ENAYAT ULLAH GE 7096120
2580 HAMMAD ABDULLAH AYYUBI GE

source: http://www.twocircles.net / Two Circles.net / Home> India News> Indian Muslim / by TCN Staff Reporter / May 23rd, 2012