Awais Ahmed, a young entrepreneur from Aldur in Karnataka’s Chikkamagaluru district, has emerged as one of India’s leading figures in the private space sector after his company, Pixxel Space Technologies, became the first Indian space start-up to secure a NASA contract for supplying hyperspectral Earth observation data.
The 28-year-old founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Bengaluru-based company attributes his journey to a childhood shaped by curiosity, encouragement from his parents and a lifelong fascination with space science.
Growing up in Aldur, Awais spent hours reading children’s science encyclopaedias on planets, nebulae, black holes and the solar system. His father, Nadeem Ahmed, who runs a pharmacy in the town, regularly bought him science books from local libraries and bookshops. His mother, Ghazala Tashfeen, also encouraged him to pursue the subject that interested him most.
After completing his schooling in Aldur and Sangameshwar Pete, he moved to Mangaluru for pre-university education before joining BITS Pilani, Rajasthan, where he studied mathematics and manufacturing engineering. During his engineering years, he participated in a student satellite programme alongside ISRO scientists, an experience that deepened his interest in satellite technology.
A defining moment came in 2017 when Awais led Hyperloop India at the SpaceX Hyperloop Competition in Los Angeles. The team qualified among the finalists and presented its project before visiting SpaceX facilities. Meeting Elon Musk and witnessing private space innovation strengthened his resolve to build a career in space technology.
Before completing his degree in 2019, Awais founded Pixxel Space Technologies. The company has launched nine hyperspectral satellites, including six in 2025. The satellites collect detailed Earth observation data that supports agriculture, environmental monitoring, energy and natural resource management through advanced imaging technology.
Awais said the company has raised ₹960 crore from investors. He credited policy support for private participation in India’s space sector for helping young companies grow. Today, Pixxel employs 275 people, with most of its workforce based in India and others working in the United States and Europe.
His father recalled the family’s sacrifices to support his education, including taking education loans and pledging gold. He said watching his son’s dedication and achievements has filled the family with pride. Awais, who is now married to a doctor, continues to pursue his goal of building space technology that serves humanity while contributing to India’s growing presence in the global space industry.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Markers of Excellence> Personality> Report / by Radiance News Bureau / July 20th, 2026
Inayat Khan, the young IAS officer from Agra, came to Bihar when she was just 25 years old.
She is dynamic, she is young, she is upright, she is energetic, she is flamboyant, meet Ms Inayat Khan, IAS, and the new District Magistrate (DM) of Shiekhpura district of Bihar state. She is a 2012 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre. The 31-year-old new district collector of Shiekhpura represents the aspiration of modern Indian Muslim middle class girls. She had cracked UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2011 and got the rank of 176 and secured IAS ranking along with Bihar Cadre.
Inayat is basically from Agra Uttar Pradesh. After completing her school education, she took admission in Anand Engineering College AEC, Agra. She completed B. Tech in 2007 with Electronics Engineering and started working with a software consultancy company.
But after one year, she realized that she is getting no satisfaction from the current job. She resigned and came to Delhi for the preparation of Civil Services exam. She took a room at Gandhi Vihar, near Mukherji Nagar, quite close to Delhi University and started preparing for the coveted exam.
Inayat wrote the UPSC Civil Service exam first time in 2009. She qualified Prelims and Mains but could not find her name in the Interview list. Thereafter in 2010 she qualified the Gramin Bank exam but she did not join the job and moved to Delhi for the preparation of the Civil Service exam. Inayat cracked the prestigious exam in 2011 and secured IAS ranking and Bihar cadre. Bihar is adjacent to her home state UP.
The young IAS officer came to Bihar when she was just 25 years old. She came to limelight during her probation period when she was sent to field for 6 months training program.
It was the election year. She took notice that there was no excitement among rural people about the election. She wrote few plays about election and convinced many folk artists to enact her plays. She organized plays in the rural area and her hard work was well appreciated and she hogged the limelight of the media.
Then her first posting was as the BDO of Pandarak, Patna District. After that she was got transferred to Rajgir, where she worked as the SDO. Then she got transferred to Bhojpur District where she worked as a District Development Commissioner DDC. Here, she single handedly transformed the face of MNREGA project. This employment scheme was deemed as a failure in Bhojpur but Inayat ensured that people get benefit of this social sector initiative. Her tireless and transparent work resulted in the huge increase in the completion of MNREGA project.
That is not enough, she was constantly working in a very praiseworthy manner. She is responsible for installing CCTV cameras and bio matrix machines to register in and out timing of the staff members in each circle offices of Bhojpur. She was also used to go for inspection every now and then and catch officers who are negligent of their duties. Many a time she was seen parking her jeep and walking with officials for assessing the ongoing development work.
Inayat Khan’s, last posting was as Managing Director of the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC). She variously focused on eco-tourism and rural tourism and even cruises on river Ganga. She is reported to have said that Bihar actually is gods own place.
“We are rich in monuments, culture and heritage. Almost the entire Buddhist tourist circuit is here in places like Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Vaishali, Vikramsila and Rajgir. Among these, Bodhgaya alone gets five million plus visitors annually. We have Takht Sri Patna Sahib – the birthplace of the 10th guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh; Jain pilgrimage spots like Jalmandir in Pawapuri and several Hindu temples like the Janki Mandir at Sitamarhi,” she is reportted to have said in an interview.
Inayat Khan is widely regarded as an honest officer who is working tirelessly for the development of the society. There is lot of expectation by the people of Shiekhpura that she will do wonders for this backward district.
Every Indian Muslim should be proud of the officer like Inayat Kan. This dynamic officer whose date of birth is 17th May, 1987 is expected to reach greater heights of the glory of Civil Service Administration of India. She serves as a role model for the Muslim girls of our country. It is expected that more and more Muslim girls should take inspiration from Inyat Khan and aspire to join the Civil Services of India.
[Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He hails from a farming family of Shiekhpura. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com.]
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Education & Career / by Syed Ali Mujtaba / February 07th, 2019
Dr. Hamid Ashraf, Associate Professor and former Director, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Aligarh Muslim University, has been honoured with the Best Innovation in Diabetes Care award at the annual conference of the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI).
The award was presented by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Science and Technology, Government of India during a ceremony held at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi.
Dr. Ashraf got the recognition for his ground-breaking research on “Machine Learning Techniques for Diabetes Detection Using Iris and Conjunctival Images.” He said that this innovative approach leverages artificial intelligence to enhance early diagnosis and management of diabetes by analysing subtle ocular changes linked to the disease.
He expressed gratitude to his co-investigators Dr. Nadeem Akhtar and Mr. Ehtesham Sana from Department of Computer Engineering, AMU for their contribution.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News /Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards> Latest News / by Radiance News Bureau / November 22nd, 2022
In ‘Print and the Urdu Public’, Megan Eaton Robb writes about the impact and role of popular Urdu newspaper Madinah and how it pushed back against censorship.
File photo | Gen. Reginald Dyer | Wikimedia Commons
Madīnah’s community of editors, subeditors, and proprietors illustrate the interconnected network of professionals working on newspapers across North India, with a shared commitment to confounding censorship laws. Editors of Madīnah were products of qasbahs and lived in Bijnor or nearby while employed by the publication. At least one assistant editor, Ḥamīd Ḥasan “Fakīr” Bijnorī (1903–1991), was a relative, having married Majīd Ḥasan’s daughter in the 1910s before he became the editor of Madinah Press’s children’s magazine Ghunchah after 1922. Ḥamīd Ḥasan would later be listed as an assistant editor from 1930 to 1935 and even take over as editor for several months when the need arose in 1945. When a new editor took over the work of Madīnah and was not already resident in Bijnor, he would move into the Ḥasan compound, which acted as the administrative office of the paper. Several small apartments attached to the main verandah, so editors could live in comfort with their families, remaining accessible to the newspaper office while maintaining privacy. Maulānā Majīd Ḥasan’s name, along with the name of the current chief editor, always appeared on the paper’s title page. At any given time there could be up to three editors of the paper, with the chief editor being referred to as “mudīr-i mas’ūl.”
Although Majīd Ḥasan’s proprietorship provided continuity for the newspaper, its different editors influenced the paper’s tone and focus. The turnover between editors could be rapid when legal troubles emerged. For instance, in 1924, when the editor Qāẓī Badrul Ḥasan Jalālī (1891–1956) was prosecuted by the British Raj for an article, he resigned his editorship, but he stepped back into his position once the dust of government scrutiny had settled. If Majīd Ḥasan attracted too much scrutiny from government surveillance, he could retreat from view behind the shadow of his prominent editors, continuing to exert the same influence behind the scenes. This allowed his outfit to survive draconian censorship measures while retaining the continuity essential to the newspaper’s success.
When he launched the newspaper in 1912, Majīd Ḥasan had little local influence. The only person of significance attached to the newspaper initially was a prominent journalist of the period, Nūr ul-Ḥasan Zahīn, who wrote for Ṣaḥīfa as well. Colonial censors initially dismissed Madīnah as a “bigoted Muhammadan organ, inclined to make trouble between Hindus and Muhammadans.” Madīnah first earned the ire of colonial administrators by criticizing the headmaster of Bijnor High School for complying with the British Educational Code. This was only the first of many encounters with censorship legislation.
April 1917 marked the beginning of Editor Mazh̤ ar ud-Dīn Shairkoṭī’s tenure, and the newspaper’s shift to publishing more explicitly political, anti-British stances. Shairkoṭī, a novelist as well as a journalist, was born in the Shairkoṭ qasbah of Bijnor in 1888. Initially educated by Maulānā ‘Abdul Qayūm Arshāq and Miyānji Sa‘ad Allah Sahib, he had attended Deoband as a pupil of Maulānā Mahmud ul-Ḥasan Asīr Mālṭā, known as Shaikh ul-Hind. After completing his education at Deoband, Mazh̤ ar ud- Dīn returned to Shairkot, where he worked on the newspaper Dastūr under the management of Ḥakīm Asrār ul-Nabī and on the newspaper Nagīnah.
Maulānā Majīd Ḥasan saw Maz̤har ud-Dīn’s affiliation with the newspaper as the beginning of a new period of commitment to the Muslim community and wrote an illustrious introduction for his new editor. Majīd Ḥasan’s message in his introduction was clear: he had brought in a power player to man the ship of Madīnah, a man who indubitably linked the paper to a network of powerful publications and individuals. The new editor transformed Madīnah into a more explicitly political entity. Maz̤har ud-Dīn associated with prominent political Muslims of the period, including Syed Ḥasan Imām, who presided over the Indian National Congress’s consideration of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms in Bombay in 1918. His other associates included Nawab Muḥammad Ismā’il Khān. He was, along with Khalīquzzamān, a key organizer of the UP Muslim League, and a prominent member until 1947; he remained in India after independence.
After the end of World War I in November 1918, discussions of independence and postwar reality in India began in earnest. The state of Islam, and the progress of both national and local branches of organizations such as the Muslim League and Congress, became matters of intense concern. Mohandas Karamchand “Mahātmā” Gāndhī (1869–1948) featured in several articles musing on the way forward for political Muslims. In addition, discussions of the fall out of World War I in Turkey and the caliphate took center stage. Under Mazh̤ ar ud-Dīn’s leadership, the newspaper emphasized the connection between the fate of Indian Muslims and of those in Turkey and other nations with significant ties to Islam.
Mazh̤ ar ud-Dīn presided over Madīnah’s publication of an article critical of the government’s role in the Jallianwallabagh massacre, which led to a dramatic conflict with the British Raj. In April 1919 Madīnah published an article criticizing Lieutenant Governor Sir Michael O’Dwyer’s (1864–1940) endorsement. Putting Madīnah on the Muslim Map of the actions of Colonel Reginald Dyer, who had overseen the disproportionate response at Jallianwallabagh. The article minced no words:
His honour O’Dwyer’s government of Panjab, from the very beginning, kept as the foundation of its policy a despotic course of action [ . . . ] This was his honor O’Dwyer’s last period of government; therefore it was necessary that he make amends for his past course of actions. This was the time when, instead of extinguishing the fire with the water Of gentleness and kindness, he inflamed the hearts of the ahl-i Punjab. Perhaps it could be said that he did not put out the fire with water, but instead doused it with oil. If that were not the case, then why would he at the conclusion of his reign, give orders that were so repellent, so far from resembling affection that they approximated hate?
It was actually illegal at this point in time to question the motives of the colonial government; thus, the final statement of the quotation accusing O’Dwyer of “hate” fell afoul of censorship laws. The government banned Madīnah from circulating in Punjab as a result of this piece. Mazh̤ arud-Dīn and Majīd Ḥasan’s response was defiant: in August 1919 they renamed the newspaper Yasrab, an Arabic synonym of Madīnah, as a bid to evade censorship.64 On the cover of each issue of Yasrab an Iqbal couplet appeared, a knowing wink to its readership base:
The dust of Madinah is better than both worlds. How wonderful is the city where the beloved is.
Khāk-i yas̱rab az do ‘ālam khūshtar ast Ā’e khunak shahre ke ānjā dilbar ast.
The couplet hinted at the paper Yasrab’s true identity, offered praise for the paper’s unpretentious popularity, and emphasized the link between the newspaper and the city Madīnah. Madīnah’s proprietor and editors were men who wore their few educational laurels lightly. More important than formal education was the ability to use that knowledge in the service of Indians generally and Muslims particularly. Unsurprisingly, the attempt at flouting the circulation ban was quickly detected. The paper reverted back to the title Madīnah after a few weeks, and the ban on circulation was lifted eventually.66 Madīnah was a space offering a figurative point of access to the community of Islam, the qaum, and it was a space increasingly under siege of colonial censorship laws.
Madīnah had been only one of many significant voices in the press commenting on the Jallianwallabagh fiasco. As the UP fortnightly report complained, “[The] occurrences in the Punjab [ . . . ] practically absorbed the entire attention of the press.” Along with Madīnah/Yasrab, the British excluded from Punjab al- Khalīl of Bijnor, The Independent of Allahabad (a Nehru paper), Hamdam and Akhuwat of Lucknow (Farangi Mahalli papers), Swadesh of Gorakhpur, and Amrita bazar patrika of Calcutta. The government demanded securities, or large sums of money as surety against future crimes of sedition, from papers in Bengal, Nagpur, Lucknow, and Madras. Madīnah’s inclusion in this censorship was a testament to its growing influence; its subterfuge demonstrated a growing sense of urgency in its mandate to reach readers and an emerging resolve to flout British restrictions.
In the 1920s, Madīnah focused on coverage of the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress, showing a preference for Congress.
It was per- haps Maz̤har ud-Dīn’s affection for the League that motivated him ultimately to resign from Madīnah in 1921. It is also possible that Mazh̤ ar ud-Dīn’s taste for politics pulled him closer to Delhi and toward the League after the political awakening accompanying the Khilafat Movement.
It was common for editors to move around among different qasbah-based newspapers, and after leaving Madīnah, Mazh̤ ar ud-Dīn joined Munshī Safīr Aḥmed’s Naginah-based paper Almān as its first editor; he was instrumental in relocating that paper to Delhi. He later became close to the leadership of the All-India Muslim League, including Muḥammad ‘Alī Jinnāh. In the 1930s he founded a paper entitled Vaḥdat (Unity) in order to assist the propagation of Muslim League ideals. When Maulānā Shabbīr Aḥmed ‘Usmānī, a Deobandi who supported the creation of Pakistan, resigned from the pro-Congress Jam‘īat ‘Ulamā and declared his allegiance to the Muslim League and Jinnah, he did so from Mazh̤ ar ud-Dīn’s office. This demonstrated Madīnah was one node in an important network of political power and publishing prestige in this period and had to make considered choices when it came to balancing shifting political alliances.
This excerpt from Print and the Urdu Public: Muslims, Newspapers, and Urban Life in Colonial India has been published with special permission from Oxford Univerity Press.
source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> Page Turner> Book Excerpts / by Megan Eaton Robb /May 15th, 2021
The Karnataka Government has announced Irfan Razack, Chairman and Managing Director of Prestige Group, as one of the recipients of this year’s prestigious Karnataka Rajyotsava Award.
The Karnataka Rajyotsava Award, the state’s second-highest civilian honour, celebrates individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Karnataka in fields such as arts, education, industry, literature, science, social service, sports, and public affairs. The award will be formally presented on November 1, Kannada Rajyotsava Day, which marks Karnataka’s formation as a state.
Irfan Razack, a prominent figure in the real estate and retail industry, has been recognised for his significant contributions to Karnataka’s growth and development through his work in the real estate sector.
With over 48 years of experience, Razack has led Prestige Group with a strong commitment to ethical business practices and a visionary approach to development. Under his guidance, Prestige Group has grown into a major player in the industry, with a reputation for excellence in real estate across India. Razack has received numerous awards and recognitions throughout his career, including the Fellowship of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS), the Real Estate Professional of the Year Award at the Real Estate Excellence Awards in 2008, and the prestigious Sir M. Visvesvaraya Memorial Award in 2015 for his contributions to Karnataka’s growth.
He has also been recognised for his exceptional leadership, being voted one of Asia’s Best CEOs in 2014 by Institutional Investor magazine and receiving ‘The World’s Greatest Leaders’ Award by Asia One in 2015-16. His achievements have placed him among India’s top builders and leaders. Besides his professional accomplishments, Razack is actively involved in numerous philanthropic and corporate social responsibility initiatives, supporting causes that benefit society at large.
Abdulla Monu Moideen, a well-known NRI entrepreneur and dedicated social worker, has been chosen to receive the prestigious Dakshina Kannada District Rajyotsava Award this year.
Recognised for his long-standing contributions to community service, Moideen has been actively involved in various social initiatives for over 30 years. Besides his social work, Moideen has been in the automobile business for 23 years. He is the founding president of South Kanara Muslim Association and currently serves as the president of Karnataka Cultural Association in Doha, Qatar.
He is also vice president at Tulu Koota in Doha and is actively involved with numerous other social organisations.
Dr. S.B. Naseer Abbas from Nelmangla near Bengaluru is selected for the Rajyotsava award for his services in the medical line.
Dr. Naseer is the first person to receive this prestigious award in Nelmangla taluka.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards> Latest News / by Mohammed Atherullah Shariff / November 01st, 2024
The Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), conferred a Lifetime Achievement Award on renowned historian and Emeritus Professor Irfan Habib, recognising his exemplary scholarship, mentorship, and decades of dedicated service to the discipline of history and the University.
The award was presented during a special farewell ceremony organised to honour retired faculty members and non-teaching staff whose formal farewells had been pending for years. The initiative, led by Professor Hassan Imam, Chairman and Coordinator of the Department, marked a significant moment of acknowledgment and collective appreciation.
Across various sessions, the Department paid tribute to several retired professors, including Prof Tariq Ahmed, Prof Roohi Abida Ahmed, Prof Gulfishan Khan, Prof Mohammad Afzal Khan, and Prof Ali Athar, along with 25 non-teaching staff members.
On October 11, 2025, a dedicated ceremony celebrated distinguished historians such as Prof S.P. Verma, Prof Pushpa Prasad, Prof Shireen Moosvi, Prof S. Jabir Raza, Prof S.L.H. Moini, Prof Ishtiaq Ahmad Zilli, Prof K.A.S.M. Ishrat Alam, among others, acknowledging their remarkable academic contributions and institutional service.
Dr Lubna Irfan conducted the programme, while Dr Sana Aziz delivered the vote of thanks, appreciating the collaborative efforts that made the series of farewell events a success.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards> Latest News / by Radiance News Bureau / October 16th, 2025
Prof. (Dr.) Aamir Bin Sabir, a distinguished orthopaedic surgeon at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Aligarh Muslim University, has once again exhibited his expertise on the international stage. With over 25 years of clinical experience and a former Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics, Dr. Sabir’s commitment to professional excellence is evident.
Dr. Sabir’s recent participation in two International conferences has garnered recognition for AMU and the Department of Orthopaedics. At the Annual Scientific Conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, jointly organised by VAAS, APAS, APHS, HAS, and HAA, Dr. Sabir was honoured with a Certificate of Appreciation for his valuable contributions as a speaker and moderator. He delivered a notable lecture on “Periprosthetic Fractures around Total Knee Replacement and Their Solutions.”
Earlier, at the APOA2025 Congress in Cairns, Australia, Dr. Sabir delivered a lecture on “Latest Methods to Control Bleeding during Surgery for Total Knee Replacement”, backed by his research trial. These achievements promote commitment to orthopaedics and contributions to academic and research excellence.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Markers of Excellence> Report / by Radiance News Bureau / September 05th, 2025
Sir Syed Muhammad Saadullah is one among the Indian Muslim leaders who made an immense contribution to shaping Independent India and yet remained unsung. He was the only Muslim among the members of the Drafting Committee for the Constitution of India, led by Dr. Babasahib Bhimrao Ambedkar.
Before shedding light on Saadullah’s role in the Constitution Drafting Committee, let us know about the Assembly that drafted the Constitution of India.
On December 9, 1946, the Constituent Assembly was formed. Its meeting was boycotted by the Muslim League. Soon after, on December 11, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as its chairman. It had 389 members which were reduced to 299 after the partition.
On January 22. 1947 it adopted the Objectives Resolution unanimously. In the same year, the national flag was adopted on July 22, and Independence was achieved on August 15, 1947, with the partition of the country.
On 29 August 1947, a drafting committee was appointed with Dr. BR Ambedkar as its chairman. Other members of the committee were KM Munshi, Muhammad Saadullah, Aladi Krishna Swami Iyer, Gopala Swami Iyengar, N Madhav Rao, DP Khetan, and TT Krishnamachari.
On 22nd November 1949, the ‘Constitution of India’ was passed in the assembly and the last session of the Constituent Assembly was held on 24th January 1950. On 26th January 1950, the ‘Constitution of India’ came into effect after 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days.
The Constituent Assembly in session
Who was Sir Syed Muhammad Saadullah?
Sir Syed Muhammad Saadullah was a member of the draft committee but even before that, he was a well-known leader of India. He was the Prime Minister of Assam in British India. He was also Chairman of Guwahati Municipality and Minister of Education and Agriculture of Assam from 1924 to 1934. Saadullah was a highly educated jurist.
Syed Muhammad Saadullah was born on 21 May 1885 in Guwahati into a traditional Assamese Muslim family and died in 1955. He was educated at Cotton College, Guwahati, and Presidency College, Calcutta. After receiving higher education, he started practicing law in Guwahati and soon made his mark as a lawyer. He also practiced in the Calcutta High Court for some time. He became the Chairman of the Guwahati Municipality and was nominated as a member of the Legislative Council in Shillong.
Assam became a Chief Commissioner Province in April 1912. Saadullah participated enthusiastically in the Council’s deliberations and spoke freely on matters of interest to the people of Assam.
He soon became an important figure in the province of Assam. He established his identity as a lawyer after just a decade of struggle. In later days, he also practiced in the Calcutta High Court. Among his neighbours and contemporaries, were Fazlul Haque, Nawab Attaur Rahman, and Barrister. Khuda Bakhsh and Nawabzada AFM Abdul Ali.
He was also important in British India. He was knighted in the 1928 Birthday Honors and made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire in the 1946 Birthday Honours.
In his political life, Syed Muhammad Saadullah was closely associated with the All-India Muslim League. He attended the 10th session of the League in Calcutta in December 1917 and served as a member of the committee that negotiated the Lucknow Pact between the Muslim League and the Congress.
In 1946, he participated in the demand for Pakistan and supported the inclusion of Assam in Pakistan. However, when Assam seceded from Pakistan at the time of partition, he remained in Assam. Similarly, as the Prime Minister of Assam, he contributed to the building of a modern Assam.
He was an able parliamentarian, an eloquent orator, an experienced administrator, and a moderate and liberal leader in ideology. Saadullah is regarded as one of the architects of modern Assam. As the head of the Assam government, he planned well and developed development plans. He took a special interest in the promotion of industries. He is said to have supported and encouraged the migration of peasants from Bengal to develop agriculture in Assam and to introduce jute cultivation. His critics accuse him of deliberately settling Bengali Muslims in Assam.
Muhammad Saadullah is also known for his generosity, honesty, and competence. He also worked for the tribal people of the North Eastern region and inducted a tribal leader JJM Nicholas Roy in his first cabinet. He was considered the best person because of his experience, ability, and honesty.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Success Stories / by Ghaus Siwan, New Delhi / January 25th, 2023
In the broad landscape of society, administration, education, and culture in West Bengal, the progress of Muslim women has ushered in a new chapter today. Overcoming long-standing social barriers, superstition, and gender-based discrimination, they are now taking positions of leadership. One of the brightest faces of this transformation is Professor Shabina Nishat Omar, whose life journey stands as a remarkable example of women’s self-empowerment in modern society.
Active in the academic world for more than 25 years, Prof Omar is not only an educator but also a skilled administrator, inspiring speaker, and fluent multilingual presenter.
She is currently serving as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Directorate of Higher Education under the Government of West Bengal.
Professor Shabina Nishat Omar – the woman of substance
At the same time, her academic leadership as Head of the English Department at Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose College is equally commendable.
An important chapter of her professional career was her 19 years of teaching at Milli Al-Ameen College for Women, as Principal-in-Charge for 15 years.
During this time, she played a major role in transforming the institution into a modern, well-organized, and student-friendly campus.
Beyond administrative excellence, Professor Omar’s multidimensional activities have given her a distinct identity. She is a skilled debater, eloquent speaker, and outstanding reciter, through which she has expressed her views on various national and international platforms.
Professor Shabina Nishat Omar (Third from left) at a College function
Her active involvement in promoting women’s empowerment, digital education, gender studies, and inclusive education has established her as an influential thinker in contemporary society.
Her presence in seminars, workshops, and academic platforms carries a powerful message for the younger generation—that education is not merely a profession, but one of the strongest tools for social transformation. As a speaker and trainer, she emphasizes leadership development, women’s self-reliance, language proficiency, and strategies to address modern social challenges.
In recognition of her contributions, she has received several honours, including the Damini SHE Award and the Disrupt Women’s Leadership Award.
Her nomination to the International Visitor Leadership Program of the United States Department of State further strengthened the international recognition of her work.
At present, she is also actively involved in several administrative and academic responsibilities associated with University of Calcutta.
Professor Shabina Nishat Omar
As Bursar and Internship Nodal Officer at the college level, her initiatives in connecting students with practical education are especially noteworthy.
The journey of Professor Shabina Nishat Omar is not merely a story of personal success; it is a blueprint of women’s self-establishment in modern society. Personalities like her prove that with the right vision, dedication to education, and commitment to society, a woman not only creates her own place but also opens the path for others.
Her presence on seminar stages is not just participation as a speaker—it is a source of inspiration, where a woman firmly establishes her position in modern society through knowledge, experience, and leadership.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Success Story / by Shompi Chakraborty Purkayas / June 09th , 2026
Dr. Shakila Banu N, a stalwart in the field of education, boasting over three decades of experience, is not only shaping young minds but also uplifting the marginalized through her altruistic endeavors. In her role as Principal at Malnad English School in Rajivnagar, Bengaluru, she exemplifies the essence of compassionate leadership.
Partnering with Major Bari’s team, Dr. Shakila Banu extends a lifeline to orphaned children, ensuring they not only receive an education but also have the necessary resources for their holistic development. From covering school fees to providing basic essentials like school bags, water bottles, uniforms, shoes, and even mattresses, she leaves no stone unturned in her mission to provide a nurturing environment for these vulnerable youths. Her commitment extends beyond the classroom, as she also extends support to widows and their families, offering monthly groceries and special provisions for festive occasions like Eid.
Dr. Banu’s compassion extends further to elderly widows, whom she ensures receive regular access to vital medications, underscoring her holistic approach to community welfare. Her tireless efforts serve as a beacon of hope, inspiring others to join in the noble pursuit of serving the less fortunate. Through her selfless dedication, Dr. Banu sets a shining example of empathy and altruism, enriching the lives of those she touches and leaving an indelible mark on her community.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Focus> Social Service / by Muarrah Nisar / May 09th, 2024
