The Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) Telangana conducted its elections for the term 2025-26 here Tuesday. Chaired by Dr. MKM Zafar, President of JIH Telangana, and Abdul Hafeez, National President of SIO India, the meeting elected Mohd Faraz Ahmed, a Political Science graduate from MANUU, as Zonal President for the term 2025-26. Faraz Ahmed has a notable record of service, having previously served as State Secretary, SIO Telangana, and Secretary SIO Nizamabad. His contributions to SIO’s organ, Rafeeq-e-Manzil, have also been widely recognised.
Mohd Hammaduddin, a student of M. Pharm, was appointed Zonal Secretary. He brings with him extensive experience, having served as President of SIO Hyderabad and as a member of ZAC.
The Zonal Advisory Council (ZAC) members for the 2025-26 are Ashfaq Ahmed, Dr. Osaid Waseem, Suhaib Ahmed Khan, Umar Shahroz, Adv. Ghiyasuddin, Musab Abdul Rahman, Sohail Rizwan, Irfan Khan, Hussain Shahbaz, Abdus Salam Shakir, Samaan Rafid, Qayamuddin, Abdul Khaliq Subhani, Faheemuddin Sufi, Faizan Khan, Azeem Khan, Faisal Khan, Fazl-ul-Bari Irfan.
These leaders took their oath of responsibility during the event, with Dr. MKM Zafar offering prayers for their success.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Report / by Radiance News Report / December 04th, 2024
Wangat Village (Ganderbal District),JAMMU & KASHMIR :
Former President Pratibha Patil presenting the Padma Bhushan Award to gujjar leader Mian Bashir Ahmed, during the presentation of Padma Awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on May 10, 2008
A former minister in Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s cabinet, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan for his extraordinary service for the Gujjar-Bakarwal community and other downtrodden groups.
Veteran Gujjar leader and Padma Bhushan awardee Mian Bashir Ahmed, a resident of Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, passed away on Saturday night after a prolonged illness. He was 98.
Ahmed, a resident of village Wangat in Kangan area of the central Kashmir district, breathed his last at about 10 pm, family sources said.
His Nimaz-e-Jinazah (funeral prayers) will be performed on Sunday at Mizar Shrief Baba ji Sahib Larvi located at Baba Nagari Wangat, they said.
Ahmed was the son of top Gujjar leader and saint Mian Nizam Din Larvi and father of former Minister and National Conference (NC) leader Mian Altaf Ahmad.
Born in November 1923, Mian Bashir Ahmed was a minister in Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s cabinet. Later, he left politics and started working for Islamic Sufi tradition and to help downtrodden people.
In 2008, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan award for his extraordinary service for the Gujjar-Bakarwal community and other downtrodden groups.
Condolences to his family poured in from various quarters.
“Just heard about the sad demise of Mian Bashir Sahib, a spiritual leader & a mass leader revered by many especially in the Gujjar community. His demise will be deeply felt by many of us. My condolences to my colleague Mian Altaf Sb & his family,” NC vice president Omar Abdullah said in a tweet.
His party said Ahmed’s death has felt a void that cannot be filled.
“Grieved over the passing of Mian Bashir Ahmad Laaravi, a renowned spiritual leader & political figure. His death has felt a void that can’t be filled. Our condolences go out to Mian Altaf Laaravi, the entire family & Bashir Sb’s admirers. May Allah grant him a place in Jannat,” the NC wrote on Twitter.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress committee (JKPCC) expressed profound grief over his passing, describing it as a great loss to the UT.
In his condolence message, JKPCC president Ghulam Ahmad Mir expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the eminent religious scholar, socio-political figure, saying Ahmed was known for his spirituality and social work he rendered to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Saddened to learn about the passing away of Mian Bashir Saheb. I have no words to express my grief,” Mir said.
He expressed deepest condolences to Mian Altaf and other members of the bereaved family and Ahmed’s followers.
Praying for the eternal peace to the departed soul, the JKPCC president said, adding that Ahmed’s guidance and teachings shall continue to inspire generations.
Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone described Ahmed as an inspirational leader.
“Deepest and heartfelt condolences to the family of Mian Bashir Sahab. An inspirational leader, defined by simplicity who had a humbling effect on people he interacted with. May his soul rest in peace,” Lone said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Other States / by PTI / August 15th, 2021
We celebrated the 100th birth anniversary of Prof Rais Ahmed, the former head of the Physics Department, Aligarh Muslim University and the person to whom I owe a great deal for starting me off on my career path in plasma physics research.
A one-day memorial cum seminar on Future directions in Physics was held at the University on 5th October 2023 Venue. Prof. Irfan Habib, Prof. of History, AMU, Prof. Siraj Hasan (Former Director, Indian Institute of Astrophysics), Prof. Naresh Dadhich (Former Director, IUCAA), Prof. S. K. Singh (Former VC, HNBU), Prof. Wasi Haider and Prof. Shyam Sunder Agrawal (Director General, KIIT Group of Institutions) spoke on the occasion. I spoke about my association with him and the future of Plasma Physics and Thermonuclear Fusion Research in India.
It was a forenoon in July 1964 when I first met Prof Rais Ahmed, who had become the Head of the Department that very year. I had travelled from Kerala seeking an opportunity to do research. He asked me a few questions on Physics, and I suppose I answered them reasonably well. But then he wanted to know why I wanted to pursue research.
I had rather romantic ideas like research leading to new knowledge and our responsibility to seek pure knowledge etc. It was clear that he did not take me seriously as he went on to say that science is what drives social transformation by changing our perception of our relationship with nature. Another observation was about science leading to technology which improves the quality of life.
Our conversation covered many things. I suppose he was gauging my mind and trying to find what kind of person I was. If it was a test, I passed it as he said that I could join for research. He made sure that I had no preference for Nuclear Physics or Spectroscopy, the areas of ongoing work in the department. He talked to me about Plasma Physics as an emerging field and about the work which was going on in Harwell and Oxford on Thermonuclear Fusion Research.
I did not know about Plasma Physics even at an elementary level. However, I was willing to learn and was asked to talk to Prof. D C Sarkar about the thesis work in more detail. I went through an intense learning programme, primarily reading Physical Review and Review of Scientific Instruments. There was no previous laboratory I could walk into and start work and I had to start from scratch. Looking back, I was taking an enormous risk as I had to build an entire laboratory for me to start the thesis work.
I rigged up a Radiofrequency generator with Japanese power tubes scavenged from the Electrical Engineering Department. Prof Venkateswarlu’s lab was full of microwave equipment, which Rais Sab allowed me to borrow. With all this, I set up an experiment and after a struggle of five years, put together a thesis which got me a degree. Almost immediately he gave me a regular job as a lecturer in the department as some vacancies were due to be filled.
As the Head of the Department, he did much to expand research and teaching in Physics in new areas. As Director of Academic Programmes, he organized the Semester System designed to update courses and provide more rigorous instruction to students. He made an alliance with Uppsala University in Sweden for faculty members to do research there. He arranged for PhD scholars to start teaching postgraduate students.
I recalled my interaction with university life during my eight years there. At first, Aligarh gave me a culture shock. My inability to comprehend Urdu was the first barrier to appreciating the culture. The exalted forms of addressing, and the too formal and exaggerated ‘Tehzeeb’, the gestural ‘adaabs’ strewn around were all alien. The food, though delicious, was completely unfamiliar. But the campus was a dream with beautiful buildings, stately halls, verdant lawns, and lush gardens. The library gave me all the books I wanted to read. The accommodation I got at the Sulaiman Hall was quite adequate. The students from central Travancore preferred this. There was a South Indian mess catering our preferred food. Tea at the Paradise restaurant with friends was fun.
Rais Ahmed had interests ranging from his specialization in Electronics to varied areas of science and education. He published over 100 papers on Electronic Circuit Analysis. Analogue Computers. Speech Recognition and Production, and Creative Teaching of Physics. The work he started in the 1970s on speech perception would eventually become an important branch of artificial intelligence and machine recognition of speech.
I recall a symposium he had organized on higher education, where we were asked to be volunteers to help the organization. The attendees were all academics from Universities and IITs and I was fortunate to listen to many of them. The remarkable skill with which Rais Sab generated consensus on many issues which were debated was an eye-opener for me.
In a department seminar, when his student Moonis Ali spoke on the design of an analogue computer system, some of us, ridiculed the idea calling it a paper machine. Rais Sab defended the presentation vigorously, saying that new ideas were what drove science forward and that they had as much importance in science as building new instruments.
His remarkable organizational skills were brought to bear at the prestigious Annual Meeting on High Energy and Nuclear Physics, sponsored by the Department of Atomic Energy. Prof Roy Daniel from TIFR was the coordinator of the meeting, and his being from Kerala, we used to chat about the preparations for the meeting. The participants included bigwigs like Vikram Sarabhai, Prof M G K Menon and Dr Raja Ramanna. The meeting was hailed as very successful thanks to the planning and preparations led by Rais Saheb.
All of us in the department rejoiced when he was made a member of the Science Advisory Committee to the PM, then Mrs Gandhi. After each meeting, he would call all of us to the lawn near the workshop to convey to us the flavour of the meeting. We had the vicarious pleasure of being informed about the thinking in the places of power.
He would call me occasionally to his office to find out how I was doing. In one of these meetings, he advised me to read journals other than those dedicated to pure physics. He cited the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists as an example.
Rais Sab had an abiding faith in Scientific Socialism and felt strongly about the increasing global dominance of the multinationals and about what he saw as a retreat by India from its independent position both in the Economic and Intellectual fields. He had a strong belief that human capital, in the form of expanding knowledge and scientific spirit, held the key to India’s salvation. For this ideal, he worked tirelessly both as an individual and in administrative capacities.
In the 1950’s he was an energetic organizer of the Association of Scientific Workers of India. Once when I asked him about the ethics of unionizing scientific workers, he defended it by saying that collective bargaining need not be about wages and working conditions only. Professional bodies of scientists had a role in influencing public policy.
After I left Aligarh in 1972 to join the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, I had occasional interactions with him. He made me a member of the UGC Committee to visit Marathwada University to make an academic assessment. He funded my proposal to have an orientation programme for university teachers in the emerging field of Plasma Physics.
I had an exciting and eventful life contributing to Plasma Physics in India, right from its inception at the Physical Research Laboratory, during the Plasma Physics Programme and its eventual transformation to the Institute for Plasma Research and when India became a proud partner in the ITER project of building the world’s first Thermonuclear fusion reactor in France. I owe a debt of gratitude to Rais Saheb for initiating me into the research path, which made all this possible.
source: http://www.john-pucadyil.medium.com / Medium.com / Home / by John Pucadyil / October 06th, 2023
Dariyabad (Barabanki), UTTAR PRADESH / NEW DELHI :
Maulana Rabey Nadwi releasing a book on Daryabadi; to his right stands Maulana Anzar Shah Kashmiri and to his left is Haryana governor, Akhlaqur Rahman Qidwai
New Delhi:
Delhi’s Shah Waliullah Institute and National Council for the Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) jointly organised a national seminar on the life and services of Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi, a famous writer and mufassir of the Qur’an, on 15 January at Rajinder Bhawan, New Delhi.
Haryana governor, Dr Akhlaqur Rahman Qidwai presided over the seminar. Prominent among those who attended were Maulana Syed Rabey Hasani Nadwi, Maulana Anzar Shah Kashmiri, Maulana Wali Rahmani, Dr Hamidullah Bhat and Mohsina Qidwai.
Maulana Nadwi in his speech said that Maulana Daryabadi was a philosopher, researcher, man of letters, critic, and a man of high moral values who worked for the betterment of the nation. Maulana Daryabadi was the editor of Sidq-e Jadeed. India has been the cradle of different cultures and civilisations. We should move forward on the principles laid down by Maulana Abdul Majid, that is unity in diversity, which has been an important feature of our country. Maulana Daryabadi rendered unmatched services to the country, community and religion and we should benefit from his views and lofty ideals, he added.
Dr Akhlaqur Rahman Qidwai praised the services of Shah Waliullah Institute. He said that Maulana Daryabadi’s philosophy was relevant even today. He hoped that both the country and the community would continue to benefited from his views and writings.
The participants presented 17 scholarly papers on different aspects of the life and services of Maulana Daryabadi. Maulana Mohammad Wali Rahmani, Khwaja Hasan Sani Nizami, Dr Hashim Qidwai, Prof. Yaqubur Rahman and Prof. Siddiqur Rahman Qidwai presented papers among others.
Dr Hashim Qidwai, Mohsina Qidwai and Habiba Qidwai talked about their close relationship and shared moments with Maulana Daryabadi and narrated some incidents of his great life.
Dr Hamidullah Bhatt and Khawaja Hasan Sani Nizami assured their cooperation to the Shah Waliullah Institute in any project undertaken on Maulana Daryabadi.
Scholars who presented papers felt that though they had covered many aspects of Maulana Daryabadi’s life, yet there were many other aspects of his life that needed to be studied.
Two books, one written by Maulana Ataur Rahman Qasmi in Urdu, Imam Shah Waliullah and his Philosophy and Ideology and the other, Muslim Personal Law and Uniform Civil Code authored by (late) Maulana Minnatullah Rahmani, were released at the seminar. Shah Waliullah Institute organised an exhibition of books published by it. «
source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> 1-15th February 2005
India’s media innovator Farhat Khan joins global film powerhouse IIFSA as fellow and Astar award council member. Here is the report:
As the global film industry increasingly embraces innovation at the intersection of art, science, and education, an Indian academic has been named to one of its most distinguished international institutions. Prof. Farhat Basir Khan has been elected a Fellow of the International Institute of Film Science and Art (IIFSA) and appointed to its Astar Award Council, becoming the first Indian to hold both positions.
The dual appointment represents a significant moment for India’s academic and cinematic communities. It signals the growing international recognition of India’s contributions to the evolving landscape of film theory, media education, and technological storytelling. As IIFSA prepares to host its inaugural Astar Awards in Bangkok on August 27, and expands its global academic alliances across Europe, North America, and Asia, Khan’s appointment places an Indian voice at the core of international decision-making on the future of screen culture.
The role is more than symbolic. The Astar Council will shape the vision and execution of one of the most anticipated new global awards in film and media innovation. The ceremony will convene leaders from across creative, academic, and technological fields, recognising those redefining what it means to tell stories in the digital age.
Based in New York City, IIFSA is a globally respected think tank advancing the integration of cinematic art with scientific and technological exploration. Its current roster of Fellows includes some of the most influential figures in the field: Demetri Terzopoulos, Oscar Technical Award winner and a pioneer in visual computing; Prof. Patricia Pisters, a leading theorist on neuro-cinema; and George Huang, the UCLA professor whose screenwriting work has shaped Hollywood’s narrative landscape. IIFSA’s initiatives range from academic research and policy reports to cross-continental educational reforms and interdisciplinary artistic collaborations.
Prof Farhat Khan’s journey to this global stage is built on decades of educational innovation. He was instrumental in developing the academic and technical foundation of the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre at Jamia Millia Islamia, now considered among the premier media schools in Asia. Farhat Khan portfolio includes the creation or restructuring of over 24 academic programmes, the establishment of 12 media production labs across Indian institutions, and the launch of the Department of Design and Innovation in 2021 , an interdisciplinary space focused on storytelling, technology, and civic engagement.
Currently heading the Centre for Media and Mass Communication Studies at Jamia Hamdard, Farhat Khan continues to influence media education with an emphasis on accessibility, innovation, and purpose-driven communication. His work extends far beyond the classroom: initiatives like Photos4Peace, ChitthiAayi Hai, and Votography have used visual storytelling as tools for public awareness, democratic participation, and social change.
Farhat Khan also led the Indian student team that won the country’s first Sony World Photography Award (Student Focus category) at Cannes in 2009, competing against teams from around the globe, a milestone still regarded as a turning point in India’s international visual arts recognition.
Farhat Khan election to IIFSA’s Fellowship and Council reflects the organisation’s emphasis on inclusive, global, and interdisciplinary leadership. As IIFSA seeks to shape the next era of cinematic practice and education, perspectives from emerging and underrepresented regions are being brought to the centre of the conversation ,and Khan’s presence plays a key role in that realignment.
Far from being a personal accolade alone, this appointment points to a broader shift: the recognition of India not only as a consumer or producer of cinema, but as a thought leader in how visual narratives will be conceived, taught, and experienced in the years to come.
source: http://www.theokhlatimes.com / The Okhla Times / Home> JMI-Edu / by The Okhla Times / August 08th, 2025
Jamia Mohammadia Mansoora, as this complex is named by its founders, is not only an education hub but also a symbol depicting state-of-the art combination of Islamic and modern Indian culture.
Sultan Manzil (Photo: ummid.com)
Malegaon, despite an appalling history of negligence by successive governments at the centre and state, still has the tag of being a town of literate, erudite and cultured masses firmly intact.
True to this identity, the first thing that greets the people entering the town from the western side on the Mumbai-Agra National Highway and touching the banks of Girna River is the grand educational complex.
Mansoora, as this complex is named by its founders, is not only an education hub but also a symbol depicting state-of-the art combination of Islamic and modern Indian culture.
Lush green lawns, buildings of class architecture, classrooms with modern amenities, model computer rooms – one each for boys and girls, well-equipped laboratories, library with valuable collection of rare books, hostel with suitable lodging, playground – enough not only for cricket but also for games like basketball and football, giant mosque with separate arrangement for women having a capacity exceeding 5000 people and what not. The campus stretched on 56 acres of land has everything that parents would love to have for the education of their children.
Moreover, Mansoora is perhaps the only place in India having a dedicated mosque for girl-students where they not only offer prayers five times a day but also it is they who lead the prayers every day. Above all, they have a unique syllabus for study that not only masters them in Islamic as well as Modern subjects but also train them in meeting the emerging challenges.
The brainchild of Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadvi, who with the help of his friend Saith Mohammad Khaleel of Malegaon initially, and single-handedly later on, turned the Mansoora into a model not only for those working eagerly on Madrasa modernization but also for many schools and educational institutions in India where quality education and desired results have become scarce.
The Beginning
King Abdul Aziz University of Saudi Arabia had organised an International Conference in 1975. The theme of this conference was to deliberate on the possibilities to amend the existing Madrasa syllabus followed at the time by most of the Islamic institutions and bring them in line with the modern requirements. Besides Muslim scholars and Ulema from all across the world, Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadvi and noted Muslim scholar Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Miya Nadvi were also invited to the conference. The deliberations on the all-important issue in the conference kept Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadvi impatient throughout the way back to India. He consulted on the matter with Maulana Ali Miya Nadvi and then tirelessly began searching for options to establish a Model Madrasa in India.
Masjid Aisha of Mansoora is the largest Mosque in Malegaon (Photo: ummid.com)
At this juncture, Maulana Mukhtar Nadvi met his friend Saith Mohammad Khaleel of Malegaon in Mumbai. The two men, though living miles away from each other, had many things in common. While Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadvi had the vision and plan to convert his dream into a reality, Saith Mohammad Khaleel had the required resources in plenty.
Simultaneously, Saith Mohammad Khaleel proved a powerful backer and a great motivator for Maulana Nadvi. The combination worked and what Muslim leaders and Islamic scholars dreamt at King Abdul Aziz University, Saudi Arabia in 1975, became a reality in 1979 thousands of miles away in Malegaon.
Mansoora
A man with a vision, Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadvi was also a master in doing things in novel ways. Hence for his dream Education Institute – running on a unique syllabus based on Islamic as well as Modern Education pattern and stretched on 56 acres of land touching the banks of Girna River along the Mumbai-Agra road in Malegaon – chose Mansoora as its name.
Mansoora, as Maulana Mukhtar Nadvi used to recall, in the 9th century was a historic locality in Baghdad. Iraq’s capital Baghdad during that time was the source of wisdom, knowledge and erudition, and a preferred destination for scholars and academicians. People from all across the globe seeking knowledge and wisdom used to converge at Baghdad. In the heart of the city and centre of all academic activities in Baghdad was Mansoora. A thousand years later, Mansoora took rebirth in Malegaon – a small town in North Maharashtra predominated by Muslim population.
A Model Curriculum
For the Curriculum and Syllabus to be followed at Jamia Mohammadia for boys and Kulliyah Aisha Siddiqua for girls – as he named the first two institutions founded by him in Malegaon – Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadvi worked on two levels.
Realising that the existing Dars-e-Nizami – normally followed by the Mada’ris (plural of Madrasa) in India – is not sufficient to meet the emerging challenges and requirements of even the Islamic studies, he after consulting renowned academicians and scholars of the time, introduced suitable and needful amendments in it.
Abdul Latif Ali Al Shaya Faculty of Engineering, Mansoora (Photo: ummid.com)
At the same time, he introduced the modern subjects like Science and Mathematics, and also the languages like English, Hindi and Marathi for students that included boys and girls both. Finally, the curriculum that came into being out of his efforts was a perfect combination of Islamic and Modern Education pattern.
Simultaneously, he meticulously worked for obtaining the all-important affiliation and recognition from the state education board, and also from the Indian and foreign universities. Thanks to the determination, commitment and speed with which he worked, both of his institutes were very soon recognised by the Mahrashtra State Secondary Board and also by Jamiah Islamia, Madinah Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia and Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
Mansoora: A Force to Reckon With
Due to the hard-work it needed on the part of the students as well as the teachers, the curriculum was really tough when introduced in the beginning. However, once it was on the roll, results started pouring in consistently and with surprising rewards. The Jamia students – both boys and girls, soon found them not only scoring excellently in Islamic studies but also coming with flying colors in state board exams.
Kulliyah Aisha Siddiqua for girls
However, the brightest moment for Mansoora came in 2008-09 when one of its students Abdur Rehman along with sixteen others created history at Jamia Islamia Madinah Munawwara, Saudi Arabia. While Abdur Rehman topped his faculty and bagged student of the year award, sixteen others from Mansoora cleared the University exams with distinction. The results were so impressive that Jamiah Islamia sent its Head of the Education Department to Mansoora. He specially traveled from Saudi Arabia to Malegaon to have a personal and first-hand account of the way students are taught.
JMES Goes National
After he succeeded in his mission, Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadvi invited people from various places – specially those who were part of the deliberations with him at King Abdul Aziz University in 1975 – to have the first hand experience of what was dreamt in that conference. At the same time, while extending all supports, he urged them to replicate the model in their localities.
Independence Day Celebrations at Jamia Mohammadiya Mansoora, Malegaon
However, when he found some of them wary and some others hesitant, he took it upon himself to do the job. Soon JMES spread its wings to other parts of the country and established branches at Maunath Bhanjan, Aakot, Dhule, Bangalore, Mahesla and Mewaat – all running on the Mansoora pattern and affiliated to the respective state boards.
Future Ambitions
The Mission was partly accomplished. Maulana Mukhtar Ah Nadvi died September 9, 2007. Behind him he left, besides Mansoora in Malegaon and a chain of education institutes spread all across the country, an able and equally ambitious son Arshad Mukhtar. At the helm of the affairs now, Arshad is smartly following his father’s footsteps. His dream is to convert Mansoora into a big University – capable of offering every subject that exists on the earth.
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[The writer, Aleem Faizee, is Founder Editor of ummid.com. Aleem Faizee has also worked as a Researcher at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and with Action Aid for its research work published as “BROKEN PROMISES -A study on the socio-economic status of Indian Muslims: Seven years post Sachar”. His research work “Mollywood: The Rise and Fall of a Subaltern Cinema” is part of the book “Creative Industries in India” published by Routledge India of Taylor and Francis Group, London. A prolific writer, Aleem Faizee has also wrote for The Times of India as a Freelance Journalist for over 10 years. The above article was originally published on January 22, 2010.]
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source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Education & Career / by Aleem Faizee, ummid.com news network / August 20th, 2025
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) formally opened its first national headquarters in Daryaganj, marking a major step in expanding its role in Indian politics. The five-storey building, named after party founder Qaid-e-Millat Mohammed Ismail Saheb, was inaugurated by National Affairs Committee Chairman Panakkad Syed Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal in the presence of MPs, MLAs, and leaders from across the country.
The IUML, founded in 1948, has until now confined its activities largely to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In Kerala, it has played an influential role for decades, partnering with both Congress-led and Left-led coalitions. Its participation in government helped secure significant progress for Muslims in education, business, and social development.
To introduce itself in North India, IUML will hold a public meeting at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with senior leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav. Senior advocate and MP Kapil Sibal will deliver a keynote address on “Election Fraud: Death of Democracy.”
IUML leaders said the party plans to engage OBC, Dalit, and minority communities while tackling the challenge of operating in a more polarized political environment. They stressed that the IUML is open to all communities and already has non-Muslims in leadership roles in Kerala.
Analysts believe the Delhi headquarters signals a long-term strategy to counter the influence of AIMIM and provide an alternative Muslim-led voice within the INDIA alliance framework. The move is expected to amplify IUML’s national presence and influence in the coming years.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Report / by Radiance News Bureau / August 24th, 2025
Ruha Shadab in the center (Wearing black top and jeans) with her team
Ruha Shadab acquired a degree in medicine from the Lady Harding Medical College, New Delhi, before joining Harvard University for higher studies. She along with her team at Ledby Foundation are working towards empowering Indian Muslim women to be gainfully employed and become independent. Awaz-The Voice Editor-in-Chief Atir Khan spoke to her about her work. Excerpts:
What was the intent behind starting Ledby Foundation?
There were many reasons why we started Ledby Foundation. The primary reason was that I hardly saw any Muslim women in the offices that I had worked in. Also, the overall socioeconomic indicators of our community made me feel compelled to start this. But the story most close to my heart is that of my mother, who, I think is one of the most intelligent people that I know. Many people like her are there in a community who weren’t able to realize their intellect and develop their professional dreams.
So that was something that influenced me as I started my early career and then went on to do better at Harvard. But I got time to think about what I want to do with my life, and what kind of social impact I needed to create. And I always knew that I wanted to create a social impact for the Muslim community, especially for women. As I spent more time thinking about what I could do for the community I ended up on the idea of professional empowerment of Indian Muslim women and supporting them in the workforce.
Sky was the limit for you at Harvard; you could have chosen to work in any other field. Why did you choose to do what you’re doing?
Even my medical background of becoming a doctor had to do with creating social impact. That was my goal from the beginning. The progression from doing medicine to doing global health to working on policy and helping improve Indian society has just been a natural transition to what I think can have the most impact. And as to why Muslim women, it is one of my core identities, I thought there is a strong need, and if we don’t do it, who else will? I remember when I was 14-year-old I used to tell my mother that I wanted to go to Africa to help people who were suffering from poverty and hunger.
And she said why don’t you first fix your own backyard first? There is so much that needs to be done in India, so much that needs to be done in our community. So, that made me pause and reflect and that’s what brought me here.
Ruha Shadab
Many people must be asking you why you only choose to work to empower Muslim women. Why not others?
Yes, there have been all combinations of questions. Why Muslim women? Why not Muslim men? Why not Hindu women, and X, Y, Z combination? Right. The truth is that I think of this almost from a doctor’s mindset. So, what is the issue that you’re trying to solve? The issue that we’re trying to solve is underemployment, the lack of job opportunities, and the lack of converting your education into employment.
As a Muslim woman, somebody might say, why don’t you work for the education and employment of women from other communities in India? Why only focus on Muslim women? And that’s true. India has one of the lowest female labor force participation rates in the world. And my answer to that is to think of it as seeing two patients in your clinic.
If both patients show up you can give them paracetamol. But as a doctor, I’m also going to run diagnostic tests on them and try to understand what is the underlying cause, what is the underlying disease that they have and then give them specific treatment.
One might have a bacterial infection; one might have a viral infection. Under different segments, different combinations of communities might be suffering from some of the macro issues we have in India with unemployment and job availability. But the reason is that they are not able to realize those opportunities or those unknown opportunities before us.
Ruha Shadab (extreme right) with her team members
So, the root causes differ. And then building on this, you don’t have targeted interventions focused on these root causes. You will not be able to meaningfully address them and solve them. You need to have at least focused approaches to solving that unique set of root causes that is hindering them from getting full participation in India’s workforce.
The constitution of your Ledby foundation is quite interesting. Your team members are Hindu and you have people from other faiths for the cause of empowering Muslim women. Isn’t it great? In today’s world where every community is looking inwards and they’re busy thinking about themselves?
It’s very validating. My chief operating officer is not from the Muslim community. 20% of our 120 advisers and residents are non-Muslims. 100 out of 500 of our volunteers are non-Muslims. And that just goes to show that the narrative that we are told about our country and our brethren in the country is not entirely true.
If you put your head, you will be surprised to see how many people are willing to stand up and support you. And I think that is what this shows. It also shows that supporting Indian Muslim women is not just important if you are an Indian Muslim woman, but it is in the interest of every Muslim woman, and every Indian to ensure that this unity can realize its dreams today.
Absolutely. Very important point. You know, it’s the intent and the good leadership, that you have, these are the things that matter the most. And when reach out to people irrespective of their faiths people come and support you. You have to have a good cause; people are always there to support you. Tell us more about your programs at Ledby Foundation.
Sure. So, our programs are completely virtual fellowships that we offer to Muslim women who are either in college or in the early stages of their careers. Think of it as if you are 18 to 20 years old and an Indian Muslim woman, then getting into one of the best professional development programs is probably in your best interest to expedite your professional career. There are several components to it. So, one component is online training programs that help you with, your interpersonal skills, your communication skills, and some of the basics of being able to find jobs, reach out to people, submit an excellent CV, and do interview preps.
Another workshop modules look at improving your negotiation skills. Our negotiation curriculum is developed in conjunction with Harvard professors who interviewed Indian women and developed case studies with Indian Muslim women as protagonists that we use to teach negotiations to our fellows. And then the third part, which is often cited as one of the long-lasting effects of the fellowships is our mentorship program. And our mentorship program is a 360-degree framework so each young Muslim woman who joins gets mentored.
The other aspect of the mentorship program is that each Muslim woman has to then have sessions with people in her class. And I would just say women are from across India. So, we have a very diverse group, even though we say Muslim women, it’s a very diverse Muslim women group and we get to speak to each other. The last part of this mentorship program is coaching at the school level over six months.
Ruha Shadab with the team of Ledby Foundation at a function
That’s amazing. Tell us how you make these students or candidates job-ready.
Our fellowship is very much about teaching people how to fish rather than giving them fish. So, we teach them how to identify the right opportunity, how to network with folks, and how to help them with an interview. And then we also have them practice interviews with us. They have access to facilitators, who help practice as you continue to progress.
So who are your stakeholders? Of course, the students, then you have the policymakers who are others you reach out to?
So, we try to bridge that supply-demand gap. We are creating a supply of highly skilled professional Indian Muslim women. And then we’re also making sure that there is a demand from companies to intentionally recruit and create a diverse workforce within their organizations. We bridge the gap between our fellows and companies that want to promote religious inclusion in India.
What is the kind of feedback you get from, say, policymakers and the corporate world when you approach them with this kind of information?
So, we usually try to approach them from a very fact-based point of view. We also carry out research to identify what are the barriers to entry and retention of Muslim women in India’s workforce. The research we conduct help a lot of companies see through a fresh perspective. So even if you educate Muslim women, that does not necessarily mean they have the same chances at employment. The company officials tell us that they never thought about this, they were never made to confront this reality. So, we meet them just to reflect.
Ruha Shadab with a support group of her Foundation
So what kind of support and responses you’re getting from people that you’re reaching out to?
Well, overall, it’s been positive. People are interested in understanding what we do, supporting us in even exploring the talent pool that we are creating. And we have several stories of women who’ve gotten recruited through our own pipeline to companies.
That’s wonderful. And there must be some very bright candidates you come across. We see there is an awareness among Muslim families even in small towns for pursuing higher education.
That’s true. There is a very strong drive and fire within the women that we meet. And we try to move more away from urban centers.
Right now, we are more focused on urban centers and ensure that we are able to move farther away from that in the future. And yes, we do see that. See, I think in addition to being pleasantly surprised at how many people from outside of the Muslim community are willing to help us, with very positive insights.
I’m sure that you inspired a lot of Muslim girls, you’re a big success story from India, an Indian who’s doing so well. Do you also think that we need to convey more such success stories to these aspiring girls to inspire them?
Absolutely. And I think what helped was having people believe in me, and we’re trying to make more Muslim women feel that they are heard and that somebody believes in their talent.
You’re doing deep thinking and you’re working in this field, what would be your appeal to the government and the corporate sector for improving the employability chances of Indian Muslim women?
My appeal would be to have intentionality behind getting more Muslim women into the workforce. The truth is that we shy away from talking about religious inclusion in India, which is strange. Because so much of our lived reality is a function of our religious identity. There is no distinction between the personal, the political, and the professional and it is incorrect to create these artificial distinctions.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Atir Khan / February 29th, 2024
While media spotlight often shines on celebrities and politicians, the real engine of India’s progress runs on the resolve of countless unsung heroes who, away from limelight, quietly transform society.
From national defense to grassroots education, sports, science, and civil service, these individuals from Uttar Pradesh show how courage, compassion, and conviction can drive extraordinary change. Here are 10 such trailblazers whose stories deserve to be heard:
Captain Sariya Abbasi: A Woman in Uniform on the Frontlines
Hailing from a small city of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, Captain Sayria Abbasi broke every convention to join the Indian Army. A graduate in Genetic Engineering and with plenty of job offers and career opportunities from big companies was not enough for her to pursue in life. The call of service for the motherland was too strong to be sacrificed.
The world noticed her as a soldier deployed at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India-China temporary border, manning an Air Gun. Today, Sariya leads drone-killer teams and operates L-70 anti-aircraft guns on the border. Her journey from an academic achiever to a defender of the nation’s borders is not just about military precision; it’s about shattering glass ceilings and reshaping how India imagines women in uniform.
Dr. Faiyaz Ahmad Fyzie: Voice for the Voiceless Pasmanda Community
Dr. Faiyaz Ahmad Fyzie, an AYUSH physician, is more than a healer—he is a public intellectual, columnist, translator, and relentless advocate for the Pasmanda (socially backward) Muslim community. Raised in modest conditions, his rise to national recognition is built on fearless writing and tireless grassroots work.
When even the Prime Minister refers to Pasmanda voices, Fyzie’s years of advocacy resonate. His pen continues to empower those whose struggles were long silenced. His work is a call to conscience—and a roadmap for inclusive discourse.
Mohammad Luqman Ali: Wrestling His Way to Glory and Degree
Wrestler Mohammad Luqman Ali, a student of Social Work at Jamia Millia Islamia, is balancing body and brain. Born in Amroha’s tiny village of Mohraka Patti, his father worked on the railways, and his mother gave him religious grounding. Despite limited resources, Luqman’s grit has earned him recognition in India’s wrestling circles.
From the mat to the classroom, his dual commitment shows that excellence doesn’t require compromise. It requires discipline, heart—and a family’s belief in you.
Rubina Rashid Ali: Reviving Mughal-Era Art with a Modern Mission
In a sun-drenched corner of Aligarh, Rubina Rashid Ali has quietly built a movement. Her work in floral appliqué embroidery, a legacy of Mughal art, now supports dozens of women in Aligarh and Rampur. What was once an undervalued craft monopolized by middlemen has been transformed by Rubina into a vehicle for women’s economic empowerment.
Her home resonates not only with the sound of needles and threads but also with the hum of independence. “Real artists were reduced to laborers,” she says. Today, she ensures their hands are not just working — but also earning.
Babban Mian: A Gaushala Keeper Inspired by His Mother’s Love
At Madhu Sudan Gaushalla in Bulandshahr, Babban Mian tends to cows not out of ritual, but reverence — inspired by his late mother Hamidunnisa Begum. “She loved cows like her own children,” he recalls. After she passed away in 2015, Babban vowed to preserve her legacy.
Despite being a Muslim in a Hindu-dominated tradition, he runs a government-recognized shelter rooted in compassion, not controversy. For him, animal welfare is a universal value — not a communal issue. His work quietly redefines what shared culture and interfaith harmony look like.
Khushboo Mirza: From Amroha to the Moon with ISRO
Khushboo Mirza, scientist at ISRO and part of the Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2 missions, is a stellar example of perseverance. After her father’s death when she was just seven, her mother raised three children alone, running a petrol pump and defying social norms.
Khushboo earned a Gold Medal in Electronics Engineering from AMU and was the youngest member of the Chandrayaan-1 checkout team. A practicing Muslim and a symbol of India’s scientific aspirations, she turned down corporate offers to reach for the stars—and took a whole generation of girls with her.
Zaheer Farooqui: A People’s Leader with a Vision for Purkazi
In western UP’s Purkazi, Zaheer Farooqui is rewriting what local leadership means. As Nagar Panchayat Chairperson, he donated land worth ₹1.5 crore for the area’s first Intermediate College and modernized local schools into PM Shri-certified institutions.
His initiatives go beyond classrooms. From India’s first double-storey government-run cow shelter to a gym for Muslim women, and one of the most sophisticated rural CCTV networks in the region — Farooqui’s governance is a blend of tradition and tech, equity and empowerment. His Tiranga Yatra revives local history, reminding citizens that patriotism is inclusive and action-oriented.
Dr. Farah Usmani: From AMU to Global Health Leadership
On a cold morning in New York, Dr. Farah Usmani stood outside an apartment, a folder in hand, her eyes bright with resolve. The daughter of Uttar Pradesh, she is today a formidable presence in global health policy.
n M.D. in Obstetrics & Gynecology from AMU, Farah sought impact beyond hospital walls. Armed with a Master’s in Health Policy from LSE and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, she’s led transformative health initiatives around the world. Her journey is one of intellect guided by idealism — a doctor who chose not just to heal individuals but to reform systems.
Anjum Ara: Bridging Communities Through Compassionate Policing
Hailing from Azamgarh’s Kamharia village, Anjum Ara, a 2012-batch IPS officer, has redefined the image of policing with a human touch. A computer engineer by training, her journey from Integral University to Senior Superintendent of Police in Shimla has been marked by integrity and reform. Known for her work in cybercrime and her community-focused policing model, Anjum is also a fierce advocate for girls’ education.
Together with her husband, IAS officer Yunus Khan, Anjum adopted the cause of Khushdeep, the daughter of a martyred soldier, pledging to support her upbringing. This act of empathy mirrors her professional ethos, proactive, principled, and deeply people-centered.
Mumtaz Khan: From Vegetable Stall to World Hockey Stage
From the bustling alleys of Lucknow’s Cantt area to the turf fields of South Africa, Mumtaz Khan’s journey is pure grit. Once helping her father at a vegetable stall, a single race at school changed her life when Coach Neelam Siddiqui noticed her speed. That moment set her on a course to become a leading forward in India’s Junior Women’s Hockey Team.
Her standout performance at the 2018 Youth Olympics, where she scored 10 goals, earned her national acclaim. Yet, Mumtaz remains rooted, balancing hope and humility as she eyes the Olympics. She is proof that dreams born in dusty streets can blaze across international arenas.
These ten changemakers hail from Uttar Pradesh, from narrow village lanes to bustling metros, from battlefields to laboratories. But they are united by one thing: quiet, relentless courage. In their lives, we find the India that persists, uplifts, and transforms—not with headlines, but with hard work.
At the launch of the book Indian Muslims’ Tryst with Democracy: Challenges and Opportunities at ICCR Library, Kolkata, academics and public figures underlined that meaningful improvements in government schools and hospitals could significantly uplift India’s Muslim community, especially its poorest segments.
Professor Abdul Matin of Jadavpur University stressed that socio-economic realities leave many Muslims dependent on failing public services. “We keep saying Muslims lag in education — but how do we fix it? When families earn only ₹8,000–₹10,000 a month, they cannot afford private schools. They rely on government schools, which have deteriorated so much that students rarely move up in life,” he said.
Matin pointed out that this crisis is not limited to rural Bengal but also affects Muslim-majority urban areas such as Metiabruz, Khidirpur, Topsia, Park Circus, and Raja Bazar. Once-active Kolkata Municipal Corporation schools, he noted, have shut down, worsening access. The state’s public education system, weakened by years of political interference, has hit all low-income communities hard — with Muslims among the worst affected.
He also painted a bleak picture of healthcare: “In rural Bengal, people travel overnight and queue from midnight for a doctor’s appointment. We must revive mohalla-level schools and clinics.”
Jawhar Sircar, former Rajya Sabha MP and bureaucrat, urged the community to prioritise education over religious symbolism and to resist being reduced to a political vote bank. He encouraged Muslims to join democratic, secular movements fighting to restore India’s plural ethos. On the castecensus, Sircar advised patience, saying its 2026 release could be a “game changer” for the community.
Political activist and CPM leader Saira Shah Halim spoke bluntly about systemic discrimination, citing examples from both Delhi and Kolkata. On housing bias, she noted: “People say Muslims are ghettoised — but do they have a choice?” She also criticised the absence of certain MPs, including secular leaders, during critical parliamentary debates on Muslim concerns such as the CAA and the abrogation of Article 370.
From a historical and political perspective, Prof Maidul Islam of the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, traced a steady decline in Muslim political representation — in the Lok Sabha since 1980 and in the Bengal Assembly since 2011. He alleged that parties deliberately withhold tickets from Muslim candidates, echoing warnings made decades ago by B.R. Ambedkar. The lack of progressive leadership, he argued, further limits the community’s advancement.
The book itself — Indian Muslims’ Tryst with Democracy — offers a detailed examination of these socio-political dynamics, combining historical insight with policy recommendations. Described by speakers as “a guide for collective action,” it lays out both the challenges and the concrete opportunities available for India’s Muslims to achieve equitable development.
You can order a copy from Atlantic Publishers & Distributors Pvt. Ltd 7/22, Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi – 110002. Email- aparna@atlanticbooks.com – Phone: 011-40775252 Website: www.atlanticbooks.com
source: http://www.theindianawaaz.com / The Indian Awaaz / Home> Quami Awaaz / August 13th, 2025
