At the recently concluded Global K-12 Summit, organised by Business Reconnect in Hyderabad on 8th September 2023, Ashraful Madaris High School, an Urdu Medium High School of Hyderabad was awarded for “Excellence in imparting value education and spirituality”.
Global Business Reconnect, is an event management company based in New Delhi. Started in 2000, it has executed corporate events PAN India & throughout the Globe on several occasions for several industries.
The Global K-12 Summit is an event of Global Business Reconnect where one can network with top school Directors/Principals, business people in related industries, important educators, and some of the most well-known thought leaders, corporate executives, government officials, consultants and policy makers.
In 2023, they held the K-12 Summit in Hyderabad. They award schools that have added innovative features in the methodology of teaching whether in their day school, boarding schools, residential school, etc.
This year the award went to Ashraful Madaris High School of Hyderabad which has a unique feature of “day boarding”, where the students of Urdu medium come to school right from the morning prayers at 5:30 AM after which they do some physical exercises, study Islamic tenets and the Holy Quran, then join regular classes after a nutritious breakfast, then are provided lunch in the afternoon. In the evening after classes, they stay back and do their homework, offer the night prayer, have their dinner and go home.
“I had applied for the award and forgotten all about it. When I got the news that our school has been chosen for the award, I and my team were exhilarated. We have been struggling to keep the school functioning smoothly, which despite being aided by the government is running with hiccups because the government has stopped recruiting teachers in place of the retired ones. Hence, we are recruiting private teachers and are paying the teachers’ salaries from our pockets” explained Khalid Hasan, who is an Advocate and now the Academic Administrator & PRO of the school. He received the award on behalf of the school.
“We are managing the school with donations from generous donors and have started an English Medium school to cover at least some of the expenses.
This is the first award received by Ashraful Madaris High School in its 110-year history. “I am sure this school will witness many more glorious days ahead”, said Khalid Hasan who has been at the helm of the affairs of the school from the last one year and whose tenure has been extended till 2026 as the Academic Administrator of the School.
Ashraful Madaris standing on 2 acres, has a large playground with sports facilities, a well-equipped library, 30 classrooms, and qualified staff. Other highlights apart from the day boarding school, are its moral and Islamic education, Arabic language curriculum, Quran Nazerah and other subjects of Deeniyat.
This Urdu medium school has produced several successful students who have gone to achieve great laurels in their careers. Two of the alumni who stand out are Padma Bhushan awardee, late Syed Abid Hussain, who was Indian Ambassador to the USA and IAS bureaucrat late Syed Turabul Hassan.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslim> Lead Story> TCN News / September 25th, 2023
Three years older than Hakim Ajmal Khan, one was reminded of him when Ajmal Khan’s great-granddaughter came for admission to Hamdard University last week, accompanied by her father.
While Ajmal Khan’s name lives on beyond his ancestral haveli, Sharif Manzil in Ballimaran, Hakim Nabina had no fixed abode and believed to have been born in the Walled City too, got most of his fame in South Delhi where he was brought by some dealers in Unani medicine.
Born in the same year as Rabindranath Tagore, he was 105 when Dr. S. A. Ali of Hamdard met him in 1965 to seek medication for a digestive problem. The hakim, who had probably been born blind or had lost his vision in childhood, felt the patient’s pulse and diagnosed that his heart and liver were in good trim but not his digestive system. “Did you by any chance eat arbi (yams)?” he enquired. Dr Ali confessed that he had in fact had a piece of the vegetable though he was not fond of it. The hakim told him to have light food in future and prescribed some medicine which cured his ailment.’
Syed Ausaf Ali, himself an octogenarian now, says Nabina lived at Hazrat Pattey Shah’s dargah, behind Humayun’s Tomb. What he prescribed was dispensed by dealers in Unani drugs. When someone complained that the charges were very high, he advised them not to go to the dispensers but take medicine from him directly.
Pattey Shah or the saint amid tree leaves was actually named Shamsuddin Ataullah and died in AD 1300 during the reign of Alauddin Khilji. He got the nickname because whenever Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya visited his khanqah or hospice, he would hide behind bushes and tree leaves, saying he was not worthy of coming face-to-face with the Auliya. This is what has been affirmed in Sadia Dehlvi’s book on the Dargahs of Delhi. It is said that the Shah belonged to the Chishti silsila or order of saints. “During the day he would light a fire and cover himself with its ashes, while at night he slept in a grave-like hollow (something emulated by the eccentric Spanish painter Salvador Dali, who spent his nights in a coffin). When he died Hazrat Nizamuddin led the funeral prayers as per the Shah’s last wish. Hakim Nabina seems to have developed a spiritual rapport with Pattey Shah and lived most of his long life at the latter’s shrine. When he died is not known but it was probably during Indira Gandhi’s first prime ministership, which would mean that he was nearly 110 years old at that time.
The hakim is not to be confused with Hafiz Nabina Doliwale, the blind mendicant who lived under a tree near the southern gate of the Jama Masjid. Nobody knew his real name also, except that he was one who could recite the Quran by heart (Hafiz), was blind (Nabina), wore no clothes and loved to travel free in a doli or palanquin. He and Hakim Nabina were both born in the same year (1860), when Bahadur Shah Zafar was passing his last days in Rangoon. But Hafiz Nabina died at the age of 87 much before the hakim sahib. Everybody in the city knew him and he also finds mention in Ahmed Ali’s “Twilight in Delhi” as he often visited the hero of the book, Mir Nihal. He was regarded as a majzoob (a man possessed), lost in himself and supposed to be in contact with the jinns, without much care for hygiene.
However Hakim Nabina, despite his mystical leanings, never gave the impression that he was a majzoob. His direct communion was with Pattey Shah and he passed his life in the service of those who came to him to be healed. That he could tell a patient what his illness was merely by touching him and pointing out, “Thou ailest here and here,” was a sign of his deep knowledge of human nature and anatomy and the Unani system of medication. Like Hafiz Nabina, he was a recluse but of a different sort who did not discard the ways of the world in matters of dress, behaviour and etiquette. Old-timers remember him as a worthy contemporary of Hakim Ajmal Khan, who had acquired the halo of Massiha (messiah) of the ailing populace!
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> /Down Memory Lane / June 22nd, 2014
Success comes to those who believe in hard work and this sentence fits the case of Dr Shaikh Muna Afroz, who is all set to join the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and probably become the first Muslim female Gastroenterologist (GI) surgeon in India.
In a message to the youth, Dr Muna says, “Perseverance and determination are the keys to success. I have experienced that my consistent efforts have enabled me to surmount every obstacle on my path to success.” Intending to become an academic surgeon, she struck an optimum balance between patient care, teaching, and research. She has authored more than five indexed research publications.
Dr Muna has presented her research papers at numerous conferences and won many accolades. Her inspiration is her grandfather, who is a General Surgeon and has been serving the community since 1967.
Dr Afroz hails from Maharashtra’s Aurangabad and bagged the All India Rank (AIR) third in MCh GI-HPB Surgery in the INI-SS 2023 and she also secured an All India Rank (AIR) – 10 for the Minimal Invasive Surgery Fellowship in 2021.
Prior to it, she aced CET-UG by securing the 93rd rank and completed her MBBS in 2017 from GMC Aurangabad.
In 2022, she acquired the Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) in Edinburgh, UK. Having cleared the licensing examination from Dubai Health Authority (UAE) in 2022, Dr Muna is currently licensed to practice medicine in India, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
This report is filed by ANI news service.
source: http://www.thenewsmill.com / The News Mill / Home / by ANI / pix: edited / June 04th, 2023
We, The Indian Muslims are proud to be citizens of this great country. We have been an architect of this land all through centuries since the days of dynastic rule. Whether it was construction of world class network of transport facilities like Grand Trunk Road linking major cities, founding new cities of highest standards for that age, huge monumental structures to attract the world, development of living standards and maintain cordial relationships between groups belonging to various religions, languages, castes and cultures, we pioneered justice and maintained the system.
With the passage of years, decades and turn of events, the foreign forces got attracted to it and slowly took over the rein of rule.
We were first to challenge and fight for country’s independence valiantly. Even our clergymen took to streets and fought, thousands laid down their lives. Colonel Balwan Singh Nagial, a third-generation Indian Army officer who retired in 2019 wrote in Times of India (April 23, 2022), thus: “Muslim leadership contributed enormously to divergent phases of the Indian struggle for independence. They (Muslims) played a larger-than-life role and made significant sacrifices in this struggle for independence.
From the last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar to nawabs, princes, landlords of all sizes, clergy, ulema and the ordinary people, they all stood for the cause and took on enormous challenges and made supreme sacrifices.
When the INC was formed in 1885, the Muslims responded enthusiastically and supported all its efforts throughout the freedom struggle until India became free. The most enthusiastic support for the INC was from the Muslims of the conservative Ulama of Deoband. Earlier, the Ulama had participated in the 1857 uprising with heart and soul.
They made great sacrifices, and hundreds of them were sent to Andaman-Nicobar and many to Malta, an island to the south of Italy.
Muslim leaders who contributed to India’s struggle for independence were:
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Maulana Muhammad Ali, Maulana Shaukat Ali, Allama Iqbal, Muhammad Barkathulla, Bi Amma (mother of Ali brothers), Badarudeen Tyabji, Hakim Ajmal Khan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Dr M.A. Ansari, Dr Siafudeen Kichlu, Dr Basheer Ahmad, Syed Ameer Ali, Dr Syed Muhammad, Hasrat Mohani, Nawab Abdul Latheef, Altaf Hussain Hali, Syed Ahmad Sirhindi, Syed Ahmad Bareilly, Maulana Shibli Numani, Munshi Karamat Ali, Munshi Zakaullah.
Hindus and Muslims together fought the foreign forces shoulder to shoulder. A report by the ‘Milli Chronicle’ says that names of 95,300 freedom fighters are etched on the India Gate in Delhi, and remarkably, 61,945 of these names belong to Muslims, signifying that 65% of these brave individuals were Muslims. The significance of this statistic is eloquently captured by the renowned writer Mr. Kushwant Singh, who boldly declared that the story of Indian freedom is etched in the blood of Muslims, emphasizing their large contribution to the freedom struggle, considering their dis-proportionately smaller population percentage.
The annals of history are adorned with the stories of Muslim freedom fighters who put their lives on the line to liberate India from the shackles of British oppression. These individuals, driven by an unwavering determination to secure their homeland’s independence, demonstrated exceptional courage and resilience.
All through ages we find tall personalities like Sultan Haidar Ali, father of Tipu Sultan, (he pioneered the fight against British colonial forces); Tipu Sultan, son of Haider Ali; (he pioneered the use of iron-cased rockets); Ashfaqullah Khan,(noted for his daring attacks on British government trains); Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, the youngest President of the Indian National Congress,(who rallied Hindus and Muslims alike against British oppression); Maulana Hasrat Mohani, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, (a pivotal figure in the Khilafat movement); was jailed for 13 years by the British), Sirajud Daula, (the last Nawab of Bengal), Badruddin Tyabji (of Indian National Congress); his wife, Suraiya Tayabji, who designed the present Indian flag., Zain-ul-Abideen, an officer of the Indian National Army (INA), coined the iconic patriotic slogan “Jai Hind.”
While recounting the names of every Muslim freedom fighter may be an impossible feat, their contributions and sacrifices in the fight against British colonialism are immeasurable and undeniable. The fact that many chose to remain in India underscores their deep-rooted connection to the land. Despite attempts to distort history, India will forever be the cherished home of its Muslim citizens. We gave the independent India Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Education Minister, Dr. Rafi Ahmed Qidwai, Dr.Zakir Hussain (an Educationist and Vice President), and numerous figures as servants to the country in the form of politicians, officers, industrialists, entrepreneurs, researchers, technocrats etc. in every field.
Our very recent contribution to the nation’s public service has been the world famous Scientist/Technocrat and President Dr.A.P.J. Kalam. He set the highest, un-believable standard of honesty, transparency and clean image in public life. A glimpse into the life he spent in the Rashtrapati Bhavan as President gives a shocking information. The same is as under: Mr. P M Nair, (retired IAS officer, then Secretary to Dr. Abdul Kalam, the President writes in his book “Kalam Effect” that Dr. Kalam used to receive costly gifts whenever he went abroad (as it is part of custom & protocol) used to ask the gifts to be photographed and then catalogued and handed over to the archives. Afterwards, he never even looked at them. He did not take even a pencil from the gifts received when he left Rashtrapathi Bhavan. It was a regular practice for every President to host an Iftar party, a routine. Upon being reminded about it Dr. Kalam asked Mr. Nair why he should host a party to people who are already well fed. Instead he estimated and donated Rs.22 lac being the cost to a few selected orphanages in the form of food, dresses and blankets besides a cheque for Rs.1.lakh from his personal funds. Though himself a devout Muslim, he never organized Iftar parties in President’s house at Public expense. Once Dr. Kalam invited 50 of his relatives to come to Delhi and they all stayed in Rashtrapathi Bhavan. He organized a bus for them to go around the city which was paid for by him.
No official car was used. Their lodging and food bill which came to Rs.2 laks was paid by him as per his instructions. Dr. Kalam’s elder brother stayed with him in his room for the entire one week as Dr Kalam wanted his brother to stay with him. When they left, Dr. Kalam wanted to pay rent for that room also. Imagine the President of a country paying rent for the room in which he is staying. This was any way not agreed to by the staff who thought the honesty was getting too much to handle. When he was to leave Rashtrapathi Bhavan at the end of his tenure, every staff member went and met him and paid their respects. Mr. Nair went to him alone as his wife couldn’t as she was confined to bed due to fracture. Upon noticing her absence and knowing the reason Dr. Kalam visited his house and chatted with her for some time. The following property was left behind by Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam: 16 doctorates, 1 website, 1 twitter account, 1 email id, 2500 books, 1 Padmashri, 1 Padmabhushan, 1 Bharat Ratna, 1 flat (which he has donated), 6 pants & 4 shirts (DRDO uniforms), 3 suits (1 western, 2 Indian). He didn’t have any Car, jewelry, stocks, TV, AC, land or any bank balance. He had even donated the last 8 years’ pension towards the development of his village. He was a real patriot and true Indian Muslim. We are proud of him.
Our character building efforts continued even through the present 21st century in the country with unique results as records vouch. For example, the city of KAYALAPATTANAM (in Tamil Nadu) with 100% Muslim population goes. There is no Police Station, no cinema and no crime in the city because there had been no crime there for decades.
The present day situation in the country may appear to be disheartening and disappointing for some. The irresponsible attitude towards Muslims by some extremist groups in the country belonging to a certain ideology should be viewed as a momentary period. Their efforts to demoralize, degrade, deny civil rights are synonymous with their declared intentions. A great majority of country-men still believe and practice true Hinduism as had been for centuries in the past. True Hindus do not endorse hatred, support arson and distrust.
A long history of peaceful co-existence of Muslims and Hindus for centuries with mutual respect, rejoicing specially the occasion of festivals and long socio-economic ties in every nook and corner of the country is its evidence.
Our country has been an example of ‘Unity in diversity’ for the world for a long time. Nobody from either community can imagine a survival without another. The bond has been and will surely be strong as Steel. The ever increasing social evils like Corruption, nepotism, frauds, woman-bashing and vandalism like termites in the country have made the life of common man miserable.
Decline in the values like increased greediness, and wide spread of dishonesty, revenge, vindictiveness, and non-adherence to law need to be challenged and controlled. The ‘PLEDGE’ we used to read in our text books once in first page is long missing both from the book and in practice.
We the Indian Muslims, whether a common man, clergy, intellectual, and technocrat, worker or even those with any political group should realize that notwithstanding the company or area, we have a responsibility towards the country and duty-bound to work for our own community. We need to understand todays challenging scenario and strengthen its unity. We are the inheritors of a great legacy, and not followers of the ilk of this day. We Muslims should remember that we are ordained by the Almighty Allah to be united, behold his Commands; make efforts to spread virtuous deed and work eradicate evils. The entire country is looking forward for the honest.
As the phrase rightly goes, ‘Service to humanity is service to God’. Our population in the country according to 2011 census stands at about 200 million which constitutes 15%. We need to contain our extravagant life-style especially in matters of functions and festivals.
We should stop depending on politicians, their promises and focus on a self, collective effort. We need to move forward together in the fields of education, employment opportunities generating plans through mutual cooperation. For this purpose and as in the days of our Prophet, we should make our area Masjid a center for gathering, deliberation, planning, guidance and service as per law.Experts and experienced in relevant fields can be roped in for the purpose and the available resources can be put to work.
سبق پڑھ پھر صداقت کا، شجاعت کا، عدالت کا۔۔ لیا جائیگا تجھ سے کام، دنیا کی امامت کا۔۔
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim / by Syed Ilyas Basha / October 03rd, 2023
Salima Khan is seen with Dr Pratibha Sharma and her great-grand daughter-in-law
Salima Khan is a new Internet sensation who enrolled herself in Chawli Primary School in Bulandshahr at the age of 92, becoming an inspiration to many.
Bulandshahr (Uttar Pradesh):
Remember Swara Bhaskar’s much acclaimed film “Nil Battey Sannata” released in 2016 where the ace actress goes back to school, attending class right with her daughter much to her dismay?
The plot is “recreated” in real life in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh though for a different reason where a Muslim woman in a video is seen sitting in a classroom with her great-grand daughter-in-law.
Salima Khan is a new Internet sensation who enrolled herself in Chawli Primary School in Bulandshahr at the age of 92, becoming an inspiration to many.
The immediate reason behind Salima Khan’s inspiring endeavour at this age is to receive pension given to elderly citizens under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS).
The government under this scheme gives a monthly pension of Rs. 200 to elderly citizens of 60 to 79 years and Rs. 500 thereafter.
“Amma used to come to me with a request to help her in getting pension. I promised her help provided she come to school every day for at least half an hour and learn something”, the Headmistress told media.
Despite facing a number of age-related issues, including hearing loss and weak eyesight, Salima Khan started coming to school and attend classes.
“Salima is a regular student and is never absent. She is attending the school since the last ten months. In this period, she has learnt a lot of things”, Dr Sharma said.
“Even at this age the interest and dedication with which Salima Khan learns is motivatinf for other students”, she added.
Salima who was unable to recognise letters is now able to write her name with fare fluency and can also confidently count up to 100.
“Acha lagta hai padhna. School aana bahut badhiya lagta hai. (I like to study and attend school)”, 92-year-old Salima Khan said in the video now going viral.
Inspired by Salima Khan, as many as 25 other women of the village, including her daughter-in-laws, have decided to go to school.
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Education & Career / by ummid.com news network / September 29th, 2023
In a heartening development, two Kashmiri girls – Sadaf Mushtaq and Farhana Imtiyaz Makroo – have topped the 10th class examination conducted by the J&K Board of Secondary Education (BOSE) by scoring 498 out of 500 marks.
While their achievements are similar their stories run on two different tracks.
While Sadaf comes from Srinagar’s well-off family, Farhana who is from south Kashmir’s small town of Bijbehara, (Anantnag district) has faced many challenges in life.
Farhana Imtiyaz told Awaz-the Voice on the phone from her home in Bijbehara that she had lost her father when she was in eighth standard. “My mother never let me and my siblings feel the pinch of economic deprivation this tragedy brought us,” she said.
Her mother Lateefa Akhtar has been supporting the family with her meagre income of Rs 5,000. She works with Anganwari (Integrated Child Development Services, ICDS) in her town.
No wonder Farhana hero-worships her mother. “She never lost hope and courage nor did she allow us, the children, to feel depressed. We continued to focus on our education.” Her elder brother is preparing for his medical entrance examination and has joined a coaching centre in Srinagar while her younger sister is in school.
Farhana has excelled in academics throughout her schooling.
Farhana said she believes in “the power of consistency and determination; these two have been the guiding principles in my studies. Nothing is impossible as long as one is persistent and focused.”
Inspired by her late father, who was an Ayurvedic doctor and had a clinic in the town Farhana says she wants to become a doctor and “carry forward his legacy.”
She says her father was a generous practitioner and would give medicines and offer treatment to the poor free of cost.
She wants to qualify for both the NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) and AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) examinations for the MBBS course so that she can join the best Medical College.
Farhana says she believes that one’s financial circumstances should never hinder one’s pursuit of education and dreams.
Farhana with her younger sister
Farhana says her Mamu (maternal uncle) Mushtaq Ahmed Wani has been another source of her strength. “Her uncle had given the family’s apple orchard to her family for using the proceeds of harvest for their needs.
She said her uncle’s support saw the family through difficult times. Farhana expressed her gratitude to her Mamu, and his contribution to making her dreams come true is immense.
In her pursuit of excellence, Farhana advises aspiring students to display consistency in their studies. She firmly believes that unnecessary breaks and interruptions can impede one’s path to achieving excellent results.
Farhana emphasizes the importance of maintaining a steady focus and dedicating oneself to continuous learning and improvement. She encourages students to set clear goals, develop effective study habits, and remain committed to their educational journey.
His generosity and belief in her potential have alleviated the financial burdens that could have hindered her progress. Farhana expresses her heartfelt gratitude to her maternal uncle, recognizing his invaluable contribution to making her dreams a reality.
Her advice to those seeking to emulate her is: consistency and regular study are important; one must do proper time management and make daily study a compulsive habit.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Mehak Banday, New Delhi / July 01st, 2023
Jamia alumnus and Okhla resident Umar shines at Shanghai event
Jamia Millia Islamia alumnus and Okhla resident, Mohd Umar, shines at the BS2023 competition at Shanghai.
Son of Professor Asif Zameer and Gauhar Asif, he is a resident of Nazir Apartment in Okhla.
Four students from India – Arjita Gupta, Debanjana Das, Mohammed Umar, and Mohi Saxena – participated in the event.
Of the 19 entries received from the USA, Australia, China, Africa, and other European countries, the CEPT team from Ahmedabad, conducted an in-depth performance analysis of the Students’ Activity Centre (SAC) at Tongji University, Shanghai, China and brought home the trophy.
This year’s competition programme aims to design and optimise a nearly net zero carbon emission building by computer simulation, it said.
source: http://www.theokhlatimes.com / The Okhla Times / Home> JMI/EDU / by the okhla times (headline edited)/ September 15th, 2023
A Muslim woman Principal of Mahatma Gandhi Government English Medium School in Jaipur has scaled new heights in educational excellence with her innovations, which have led to the inclusion of her school in the Rajasthan government’s pilot project for complete digitalisation programme. The school headed by her is among the first 11 institutions in the state which have been digitalized for their operations.
The new English medium co-educational schools named after Mahatma Gandhi have been opened by the Rajasthan government in all districts of the state as part of an ambitious drive to give the students a level playing field to enable them to compete with the elite private schools. These flagship schools are an attraction for the public at large in view of low cost of education and an assurance for upward social mobility with the proficiency in English.
Sarwat Bano, serving as Principal of Mahatma Gandhi Government School, Adarsh Nagar, Jaipur, for the last four years, has taken steps to impart quality education to underprivileged children and empowered them with knowledge and skills. Under her leadership, the school has progressed so much that the number of applications received for admissions at the beginning of each academic session are many times more than the seats available.
Since the school functioning in the same building earlier was a girls’ Hindi medium institution, which was converted into the Mahatma Gandhi Government School in 2019, the English medium was introduced first for the class VI students. This first English medium batch of students appeared in the State Board of Secondary Education’s X class examination this year and came out with flying colours. The school’s result for the Board exam was an impressive 96.25% pass percentage.
Bano, 53, has played multiple roles while bringing laurels to her schools and guided her colleagues as a Master Facilitator at the State Resource Group in the Rajasthan Leadership Academy at Goner, Jaipur, functioning under the State Institute of Educational Management and Training (SIEMAT). Her efforts for improvement of academic standards and skill development of students have been widely acclaimed.
As part of the digitalisation of operations, Bano’s school is set to get a new and robust infrastructure, sponsored by an educational technology company with its corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund, for e-education, smart classes, virtual reality lessons, robotics lab and information communication technology lab. The similar digital education facility, approved by the Rajasthan School Education Council, is being provided to nine other schools in Jaipur district and one in Rajsamand district.
The State government’s Education Department has shifted teachers from the pool of its regular academic staff who were willing to join the Mahatma Gandhi Schools to create a separate cadre of English medium teachers. Private teachers have also been appointed as the guest faculty to overcome the shortage of teachers. The schools have been adding one class every year to accommodate the promoted students.
Bano’s salutary initiative to introduce an English language proficiency programme for underprivileged children of all communities through a unique microscholarship scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic, for which she invited the U.S. Embassy’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs to her school, has won her all-round praise. The programme has met with encouraging results. Incidentally, Bano has an educational background of chemistry, as she completed her post-graduation and M.Phil. in that subject.
The English access microscholarship programme has sought to strengthen the foundation of language skills among the selected students and enable them to avail of educational and employment opportunities in future. The children selected for the initiative were in the age group of 13 to 16 years. They learnt the linguistic skills with distinction and were later felicitated at a “graduation ceremony”.
After being taught in an online mode for more than a year, the students joined the after-school physical classes and intensive sessions in March 2022. The programme, implemented through New Delhi-based Learning Links Foundation, adopted a communicative approach to teaching English, infusing a spirit of participatory learning among the children and helping them groom their personalities. The students also attended the regular school for VIII to X classes.
Bano said the students selected for the programme had excelled in extra-curricular activities, with an all-round development visible in their personality, and they were winning awards in various other competitions as well. “Our students have developed confidence to overcome the impediments and improved their writing and speaking skills as well as critical thinking. Such a project is the need of the hour because students of government schools, coming from poor background, face language barriers,” she said.
American Embassy’s Regional English Language Officer Ruth Goode, accompanied by specialist Rachna Sharma, visited the Mahatma Gandhi School before the launch of physical classes. Goode interacted with the students and obtained their feedback, while informing them of the scope for studying in the U.S. through the exchange programmes.
The students trained in the programme will later be selected for attending the South Asian meets, where they will be exposed to the educational atmosphere in India’s neighbouring countries. The global microscholarship programme is operative in as many as 90 countries, where an assistance is provided for development of curriculum, textbooks and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching methodology.
The learning material provided to the students in Mahatma Gandhi School laid emphasis on content creation by writing unified paragraphs, developing vocabulary with the talks about hobbies, interests and people, using visuals to support comprehension, identifying sequence of events, asking questions and understanding the cause and effect of natural phenomena. The science of fun, wonders of the sea, long ago and today and “good idea” were some of the lessons taught to the selected students.
The State government has recently honoured Bano with a “certificate of excellence” in recognition of her leadership skills, tireless efforts and valuable role in building the foundation of children’s future in the school. The Joint Director, School Education, signed the certificate presented to the Principal on July 25. Muslim organisations of Jaipur, including the Association of Muslim Professionals, have also praised her educational innovations.
Bano told India Tomorrow that she was inspired by the Muslim woman from Tunisia, Fatima Al-Fihri, who had founded the world’s first university, the University of Al-Qarawiyyin, in Morocco more than 1,000 years ago. “If a Muslim woman in the 9th century could have the vision for promoting education in her community, nothing stops the women today from taking similar initiatives with the help of modern technology,” Bano said.
Bano shared an anecdote about a class IX girl student of her school, who was given the responsibilities held by the Principal for a day on International Women’s Day on March 8 as a fun activity. The student, Pragya Patel, played the role with perfection and said at the end of the day that she desired to become a Principal in future. “Her reaction made me think that if only one initiative can help a student in having a clear vision about her career, then we should continue to take such innovative steps in future as well,” she said.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education / by The Correspondent, IndiaTomorrow.net / September 19th, 2023
Also present at the event were Gujarat Congress MLAs Amit Chavda and Imran Khedawala, former Congress MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh, AMC leader of Opposition Shehzadkhan Pathan, and late Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Patel’s daughter Mumtaz Patel.
Arnazbanu Sipahi from Mehsana at the IMCR event on Saturday. (Express File Photo)
The Indian Muslims for Civil Rights’ (IMCR) Gujarat unit on Saturday felicitated 15-year-old Arnazbanu Sipahi from Mehsana, who was not called for a felicitation ceremony by her school despite holding the first position in the Class X board exams at her school, on Independence Day.
A former student of K T Patel High School, who had topped her school in Class X state board exams in March, Sipahi has now shifted to a nearby grant-in-aid school for her Class XI studies.
K T Patel High School principal has maintained that the August 15 award ceremony was organised by the school staffers and the school would felicitate Sipahi instead on January 26, next year.
Speaking to The Indian Express , Mehsana District Education Officer A K Modhpatel had earlier said, “I had checked with the school and learnt that the August 15 award ceremony for first three toppers from Class X and XII was organised by the teachers. They had collected funds to motivate school students. The girl and those who were not studying in the school (when the felicitation ceremony was held on August 15), will be awarded on January 26.”
Maintaining that she was “wronged” by the school, the IMCR – at a state-level conference on constitutionalism and secularism held in Ahmedabad – called Sipahi on stage to felicitate her in the presence of a host of Muslim leaders. Azam Baig, national general secretary (organisational) of IMCR, announced that he would personally fund Sipahi’s education, including higher studies.
Handing her a plaque and a flower bouquet on stage were former IMCR trustee and Congress leader Salman Khurshid, former member of Planning Commi-ssion, Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, as well as Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi, among others.
Addressing the conference on the topic of ‘constitutionalism and secularism and the way forward’, Hameed cited Arnazbanu’s “experience” and the recent viral purported video of a Muslim boy being hit by his classmates upon being goaded by their teacher at a Muzaffarnagar school, as “examples where children are being discriminated against (on religious lines).” “We have to build a common front… work in an organised way (to counter the polarisation)… The Gujarat riots’ blueprint, which is now being attempted to be implemented elsewhere in India, we must not let it succeed.”
K Rehman Khan, former deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha , urged Muslims to be “givers” and not “seekers”, emphasising that they must empower themselves and “saving the Constitution should be the first priority”. “Only if the Constitution and secularism is saved, can we live a life of dignity,” Khan added.
Former Union minister Salman Khurshid said that “it is not acceptable that rule of law is replaced by rule of bulldozer”. He added that the “public must understand that what is happening today at someone else’s household can also happen at your household”. “We want that the majority speaks for the minority and the minority speaks for the majority,” Khurshid said.
Also present at the event were Gujarat Congress MLAs Amit Chavda and Imran Khedawala, former Congress MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh, AMC leader of Opposition Shehzadkhan Pathan, and late Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Patel’s daughter Mumtaz Patel.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> News> Cities> Ahmedabad / by Express News Service, Ahmedabad (headline edited) / August 27th, 2023
Social media was awash with people talking about the wilful insult of the Muslim girl. Although mainstream media, as is their wont, did not report the issue, some news outlets gave a prominent space to the sordid affair. Muslim individuals and organisations and some secular-minded people also vociferously raised the issue
New Delhi:
Over a week after denying the topper award to a Muslim girl student on the occasion of Independence Day, the school authorities in Gujarat’s Mehsana district have tendered an apology and facilitated the meritorious student at a special event on Thursday.
Authorities at the K.T. Patel Smriti Vidyalaya in Lunava village of Mehsana district did not give the topper award to Arnaz Banu, who had secured the highest marks in Class X, during the prize distribution event held on the occasion of Independence Day. Instead, the student who was in the second position was called on the stage for felicitation. Banu broke down at the deliberate denigration and informed her parents.
The dismayed parents immediately contacted the school authorities but could not get any satisfactory response.
Former Congress MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh visited the student’s home and felicitated her this week. He told Clarion India that Banu’s parents informed him that the school principal had come to their house on Wednesday evening and apologised.
“After a lot of outrage on the issue, they felt ashamed. Then, the principal visited her house yesterday evening (Wednesday) and apologised. On Thursday, they felicitated the girl at a small function at the school,” Shaikh told Clarion India over the phone.
Earlier, Shaikh had tweeted a report about the school authorities apologising to the student.
twitter
After the incident was reported, social media was awash with people talking about the wilful insult of the Muslim girl. Although mainstream media, as is their wont, did not report the issue, some news outlets gave a prominent space to the sordid affair. Muslim individuals and organisations and some secular-minded people also vociferously raised the issue. This pressurised the school authorities to rethink and they decided to apologise to the girl, Shaikh said.
“This is wrong. It should not have happened. The incident had a very discouraging impact on her mind. This is disgusting. Hatred has made people do so. PM Modi (Narendra) talks about ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao,’ and ‘The Qur’an in one hand and Science in another’. But, such incidents happen,” Shaikh said.
Shaikh told Clarion India that he and his colleague, Jamalpur MLA Imran Khedawala, had also written to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Gujarat chief minister and education minister about the issue.
“It is truly disheartening to witness such unjust behaviour from responsible individuals within the school itself. This incident tarnishes the reputation of the sacred field of education. Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel’s Gujarat was known for treating innocent children without discrimination, irrespective of their background. Such acts go against the principles of humanity and the teachings of these great leaders,” reads the letter written to the state Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel.
Describing the incident as “a discriminatory act against a student in school solely based on their Muslim identity”, the letter urged the chief minister to conduct a thorough probe and called for strict action against the erring officials.
“The individuals responsible, whether school administrators or the principal, must be held accountable for this shameful act. We request you to take strict action against those who engage in such discriminatory practices,” stated the letter.
twitter 02
source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Big Story> India / by Waquar Hasan, Clarion India (headline edited) / August 24th, 2023
