Prof. Nizamuddin Khan, former faculty member of the Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh:
Prof. Nizamuddin Khan, retired faculty member of the Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University, has been conferred upon the ESDA Environmental Excellence Award 2025 by the Environment and Social Development Association (ESDA), Delhi. The award was presented during the 6th World Environment Summit, recently held in Bangkok, Thailand.
The honour recognises his significant contributions to geography and environmental studies over a distinguished academic career spanning 35 years. A former Chairperson of the Department of Geography at AMU, Prof. Khan has worked extensively on socio-economic and environmental issues at the grassroots level across diverse geographical regions.
He has completed nine major research projects funded by premier national agencies, and published 127 research papers in reputed international and national journals, along with 18 books.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards> Latest News / by Radiance News Bureau / November 22nd, 2025
Sabir Ahamed, Programme Director at Pratichi Institute, Pratichi (India) Trust, and Founder Director of the Sabar Institute
Sabir Ahamed is the Programme Director at Pratichi Institute, and Founder Director of the Sabar Institute. His research spans the socio-economic status of Muslims in India, child protection, and education. He is proficient in analysing official datasets (NSS, Census, DISE, AISHS) using tools like Stata and R. Sabir has led largescale research and evaluation projects for the Government of West Bengal, including assessments of Kanyashree Prakalpa, Sabooj Sathi, Duare Sarkar, Lakshmir Bhandar, and the PM Poshan School Nutrition Garden Survey. He is currently leading the Human Development Report 2025 for West Bengal and directed the Second Human Development Report for Tripura. His experience includes work with international organisations like Railway Children UK on projects supported by the European Union and UNICEF. He served as the West Bengal State Lead for a UNICEF-commissioned study on secondary education transitions and was awarded the Just Transition Writing and Research Fellowship at IIT Kanpur (2022–2023). He actively promotes the RTI Act (2005) in West Bengal and is a core member of the Know Your Neighbour campaign. He contributes op-eds to national dailies and has co-edited publications on development issues. Excerpts from his interview with Mohd. Naushad Khan:
Q: How was the idea Know Your Neighbour conceptualised, when and how did it start, and what was the basic objective of this campaign?
We started the initiative because we noticed a deep division between different communities in our city. The immediate context was the publication of a report titled ‘Living Reality of Muslims in West Bengal’ in 2013. The findings shed lights on the deplorable condition of Muslims in West Bengal, yet a large section of people was unaware the status of Muslims. Many academics and Journalists were surprised to see those facts, especially they were educationally and economically backward. Secondly, historically different communities are living in the city for generations, Partition has created some chasm between Hindus and Muslims. The worst outcome is the spatial segregation – this led to the concept call ‘living together separately’. This gave birth of a plethora of myth and misconception about the Muslims.
We found that even well-meaning and educated people in Kolkata knew very little about the city’s Muslim community, even though it makes up 20% of the population.
We learned that most people didn’t visit Muslim-majority neighbourhoods because they didn’t have friends there or, in some cases, they believed the areas were unsafe.
To break the misinformation about Muslims and its neighbourhood, Know Your Neighbour (KYN) started neighbourhood walk in 2026. Till then, thousands of young people had participated in the walks and discussion.
The main goal is to build familiarity between communities that live close to each other but knew little about the other. The campaign aims to break down stereotypes and overcome the ignorance and distrust that can grow from different religious identities. This ignorance and distrust are the biggest barriers to communal harmony.
Q: Since its inception, how do you see the journey of KYN, and what were the challenges faced so far?
The journey of KYN involves actively bringing people from different backgrounds together. The main way it does this is by organising walks or visits to:
Areas with large Muslim populations, like Metiabruz and Rajabazar, Kidderpore, etc.
Places with shared, syncretic histories, like the Daptaripada area near College Street, where book-binding communities have co-existed.
Sites that remind people of the legacy of past communal violence, such as Selimpada.
Areas facing common problems that affect everyone, like pollution in the Rajapur canal, where both Hindus and Muslims use the water.
The campaign also organises events like Dosti ki Iftar (Friendship Iftar) and joint Durga Puja celebrations, allowing people to learn about and join in each other’s religious festivals.
The main challenge the campaign faces is ignorance, stereotypes, and fear that keep communities separated from each other.
Q: What has been the impact of KYN in Bengal, and how have people responded to this campaign?
Over the years, neighbourhood walks conducted by KYN have made a lasting impression on young minds, promoting peace, social cohesion, and pluralism. Around 1,500 students have joined us in exploring overlooked neighbourhoods across Kolkata through these immersive walks.
The initiative aims to instil core constitutional values – secularism, pluralism, and fraternity – through lived experiences and encounters with historical memory embedded in the urban fabric. These walks offer students a unique opportunity to engage with diverse communities, reflect on shared histories, and foster a deeper understanding of inclusive citizenship.
In collaboration with Maulana Azad College, our language course in Arabic, Persian, and Bengali enabled about 90 students to learn the basic reading of these languages. These programmes strengthen cultural roots and encourage appreciation for linguistic plurality.
We run a WhatsApp support network of over 850 students from marginalised areas, offering career counselling, peer mentoring, job opportunities, and regular workshops to help them navigate academic and professional spaces. We have trained more than 250 students on career counselling.
In partnership with Swayam and Azad Foundation, we’ve held group counselling sessions for children affected by communal tension, providing psychological support and nurturing safe spaces for recovery.
We conducted a hands-on RTI (Right to Information) workshop for students and professionals, teaching them how to use RTI to uncover critical datasets and hold government institutions accountable. Many participants have since used RTI to pursue issues of social relevance.
We host regular book reading and discussion sessions with acclaimed writers and scholars. Sabar Institute’s data for better lives initiative regularly post data on discrimination, lack of opportunity among the disadvantaged communities.
People, including college students, have started visiting Muslim-majority areas, even without our facilitation. The response from students has been particularly rewarding. These students, who had often been told by their parents not to go into minority areas, visited them and reported that they do not feel unsafe.
Q: Why do you think such campaigns are necessary in Bengal and elsewhere in the country?
Campaigns like KYN are necessary to repair growing divisions in our society. They are needed to address the loss of camaraderie between communities. The goal is to stop ignorance and indifference from turning into alienation.
Even among the educated city-dwellers, there is often a lack of friendship and familiarity with people from other communities. Campaigns are necessary to remove the distrust and ignorance that come from religious differences, calling this the biggest barrier to communal harmony. In a time of divisive politics and attacks on secular values, new ways of building unity are needed. Campaigns like KYN are important because they build social solidarity and brotherly or sisterly bonds directly between citizens.
Q: Finally, how can such a campaign add to the concept of a value-based society?
These campaigns are a key part of building a value-based society, as they focus on human connection.
The campaign helps build fraternity, which is a core value in the Indian Constitution. This means it focuses on building strong relationships and bonds of trust among citizens.
Instead of just using rational intellectual arguments for equality, these campaigns use shared cultures, local histories, and neighbourhood connections. This has a broad emotional appeal and helps trigger empathy in people.
By creating deeper emotional solidarity, the campaign helps people connect based on the shared value of equality. Ultimately, by creating new friendships and shared celebrations, these campaigns help to repair and restore the social fabric and build a more inclusive and united society.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Face to Face> Focus / by Mohd Naushad Khan / November 20th, 2025
Boys team of Al-Kareem School won the Taluk-level U-17 Throwball Tournament for Boys organised at St. Philomena’s High School recently.
The team defeated Ramakrishna Ashram in the final match.
Members of the team included Mohammed Attaulla (Captain), Farhan Khan (Vice-Captain), Mohammed Junaid, Mohammed Nadeem, Afreed Ahmed Khan, SinnanShariff, Roshan Ali, Mohammed Toufiq, Zaid Ahmed and Zayan Ahmed.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / November 10th, 2025
Kashmiri local guide Nazakat Ahmed Shah, who saved the family of a BJP youth worker during the April Pahalgam terror attack, received a warm welcome in Chhattisgarh nearly six months after the incident. The attack in South Kashmir had left 26 people dead and several injured.
Shah, who has been visiting Chhattisgarh for over three decades to sell clothes, became a hero after rescuing the family of BJP youth wing worker Arvind Agrawal. During his first visit to the state since the attack, Shah was felicitated by Agrawal and around 50 residents in Chirmiri, Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur district. The group expressed their gratitude with garlands, flowers, and a shared lunch.
Agrawal recalled that Shah’s quick thinking saved his wife and four-year-old daughter. “When the firing began, he asked us to lie down and shielded my daughter and my friend’s son. He took them to safety and returned to rescue my wife,” Agrawal said.
Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Shah said he felt emotional meeting the families he had saved. “Chhattisgarh feels like home to us. We come here for three months every year for business, and people here have always treated us like family,” he said.
Shah’s act of courage has been widely praised across communities, highlighting the enduring human bonds that transcend politics and geography.
source: www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Reports / by Radiance News Bureau / November 01st, 2025
Twenty passengers burnt alive, 16 critically injured in Jaisalmer-Jodhpur bus fire Tuesday.
A devastating tragedy unfolded on the Jaisalmer–Jodhpur highway on Tuesday evening when a private air-conditioned sleeper bus carrying nearly 50 passengers went up in flames near Thaiyat village in Rajasthan.
Amid the panic, bus conductor Rafiq Khan displayed extraordinary bravery. Positioned near the back when the smoke appeared, he rushed forward to open the main gate and allow passengers to flee. As he moved toward the front, the ceiling burst into flames and an explosion knocked him down.
Despite sustaining severe burns, Khan crawled through the aisle, managed to unlatch the door, and helped several passengers escape before collapsing. He is now battling for his life at Dr. S. N. Medical College in Jodhpur, where doctors say he has suffered extensive burn injuries.
The fire, which is believed to have started from the rear of the vehicle, spread rapidly, trapping dozens inside. At least 21 people have been confirmed dead, while several others sustained critical burns and remain hospitalized.
According to preliminary reports, the incident occurred shortly after the bus left Jaisalmer for Jodhpur. Passengers noticed smoke rising from the back, prompting the driver to stop on the roadside. However, before most could react, a sudden blast shook the bus and flames engulfed the upper berths. Survivors described chaotic scenes as people screamed for help, some breaking windows in a desperate attempt to escape. The situation was worsened by the fact that the bus had only one functional exit door, which became jammed as the fire spread, leaving passengers trapped inside.
Medical officials confirmed that fifteen injured passengers were brought from Jaisalmer late Tuesday night. Five of them, including Khan, are on ventilator support with burns exceeding 70 percent of their bodies. The remaining have burns between 40 and 50 percent. Identification of the deceased has been difficult due to the extent of the burns, and DNA testing is being carried out to help families claim the bodies. Ten bodies have been kept at the S. N. Medical College mortuary, while others are at AIIMS Jodhpur.
Eyewitnesses and local residents who rushed to the scene recalled horrific visuals of the burning bus and passengers trapped inside. One survivor, Peer Mohammad, managed to smash a window to rescue his wife, sister-in-law, and a child but lost two of his young children who were asleep on the upper berth. “I could see them burning, but the flames were too strong. I tried to go back, but I couldn’t,” he said, breaking down.
Officials suspect that an electrical short-circuit in the air-conditioning system may have triggered the fire, though a detailed forensic and mechanical investigation is underway. The bus owner, driver, and the vehicle body-builder have been detained for questioning, while a technical team from the Central Institute of Road Transport (Pune) has been called to examine possible safety lapses. Authorities are also probing whether the bus had been illegally modified and if its emergency exits met regulatory standards.
The Rajasthan government has announced financial compensation for the victims’ families and injured passengers, but the relief policy has already drawn criticism over the cap imposed on payments to households that lost multiple members. District Collector Pratap Singh stated that a helpline has been set up for the families and that DNA matching and identification will be expedited.
As the state mourns one of its worst transport tragedies in recent years, questions are being raised about the enforcement of passenger safety rules, particularly in private buses converted into AC sleepers. Critics say the incident highlights the urgent need for mandatory fire-safety mechanisms, functional emergency exits, and stricter monitoring of vehicle modifications.
In the midst of this overwhelming loss, the courage of conductor Rafiq Khan stands out. A man who risked his own life so others could live. His selfless act amid the chaos has earned him praise across the state and beyond, a rare moment of humanity in an otherwise grim tragedy that exposed fatal gaps in India’s passenger transport safety system.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Positive Story / by Muslim Mirror Network / October 18th, 2025
Seeds of Change Muslim Women from Dharwad Who Won the UN’s Biodiversity Prize / source: youtube.com/Radiance News
Awardee of the prestigious UNDP Equator Prize 2025 – often called the “Nobel Prize for Biodiversity.”
A Global Recognition for Rural Women: In a small corner of Karnataka, far from the corridors of power and the glare of television studios, a quiet revolution has been taking place. In Teertha village of Dharwad district, a group of Muslim women farmers have done what many thought impossible: they have revived traditional agriculture, empowered women, and built a sustainable rural economy – earning them global recognition.
Earlier this year, the Bibi Fathima Self-Help Group (SHG) was named one of the 10 winners of the UNDP Equator Prize 2025. Often described as the “Nobel Prize for Biodiversity,” the award recognises outstanding local initiatives that offer nature-based solutions to climate change and development challenges. Out of 700 nominations from 103 countries, these women stood out.
From Small Beginnings to a Wider Network
The journey began in 2019, when the SHG was formed under the guidance of the NGO Sambhvida. What started as a modest effort soon grew into a larger movement. Today, the Bibi Fathima SHG is part of a federation of 83 self-help groups, linking together nearly 300 women across Dharwad.
At the forefront is Bibi Fathima, a graduate in Arts, whose vision and determination have inspired women from different backgrounds to participate. Under her leadership, the SHG has become more than just an economic unit – it has become a space for learning, cooperation, and social change.
Millet: From Margins to the Mainstream
At the heart of their work lies a humble but powerful grain: millet. Once a staple of Karnataka’s fields and kitchens, millets were pushed to the margins by the Green Revolution’s focus on rice and wheat. The result was water scarcity, soil exhaustion, and loss of dietary diversity.
Their focus on millets also resonates globally. In fact, the United Nations declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, recognising the grain’s role in ensuring food security and combating climate change. Governments, scientists, and nutritionists around the world are now looking at millets as the “crops of the future.” What the world is beginning to rediscover, the women of Dharwad have been practising for years – placing millets back at the heart of farming and household nutrition.
The women of Teertha decided to turn back to their roots. Through the SHG, they revived millet-based mixed cropping systems, promoting traditional practices that require less water, restore soil health, and provide nutritious food. They did not stop at farming – they built a movement around biodiversity.
The Seed Bank: A Living Library
One of their most significant achievements is the establishment of a community seed bank, where dozens of indigenous varieties of millets and pulses are preserved in earthen jars and carefully catalogued. The seed bank is more than a storage system – it is a lifeline. It ensures that farmers do not have to depend on costly hybrid seeds from outside markets.
The shelves lined with jars of foxtail, little millet, kodo, and pulses symbolise something larger: the preservation of biodiversity for future generations. As one member put it, “Every jar holds not just seeds, but the story of our ancestors and the hope of our children.”
Voices from the Ground
Speaking to Radiance News, Bibi Fathima explained how cooperation has been the backbone of their success.
“No single group can do this alone. We work together – sharing seeds, knowledge, and experiences. The seed bank has become our lifeline. It is not just a storehouse of grains, it is a storehouse of trust,” she told Radiance correspondent Mushtaq.
Her words capture the essence of the movement: solidarity across communities, generations, and villages.
From Seed to Market
The SHG’s innovation extends beyond cultivation. Recognising the need for value addition, they established a solar-powered millet processing unit, managed entirely by women. This unit transforms raw millet into flour, snacks, and packaged products that are finding markets in both rural and urban areas.
Partnerships have been crucial in this journey:
With Sahaja Samruddha, the SHG built marketing and certification channels.
With the Indian Institute of Millets Research, they accessed technical expertise.
With the Devadhanya Farmer Producer Company, they entered wider markets.
This blend of grassroots energy and institutional cooperation has turned a local SHG into a regional model for sustainable farming.
Breaking Stereotypes in a Polarised Society
In today’s climate, Muslims are often asked – sometimes with suspicion – what they contribute to the nation. Muslim women, in particular, are portrayed as silent or confined to the margins.
The Bibi Fathima SHG challenges these stereotypes powerfully. Here are Muslim women, in a rural corner of Karnataka, who are not just participating but leading. They are reviving biodiversity, protecting food security, and building rural enterprises. Their work proves that Muslim women are at the heart of India’s agricultural and social transformation.
Building Bridges: Hindu and Muslim Women Together
Perhaps the most inspiring part of this story is its inclusivity. The network of 83 SHGs is not confined to one community. Hindu and Muslim women farm together, share seeds, and manage enterprises as equal partners.
In an age when some try to inflame communal divisions for political purposes, these women are building bridges of unity through the soil itself. Their fields are places of cooperation, not conflict; of shared harvests, not suspicion. Biodiversity conservation here is not just ecological – it is social.
Faith and Social Service
Their commitment is also rooted in a broader moral principle of service. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
“The best among you are those who are best for society.”
Through farming, seed conservation, and entrepreneurship, the women of Teertha embody this ethos. Their contribution benefits not only Muslims but the entire community, from farmers and consumers to future generations.
A Long History of Muslim Contributions to Agriculture
This achievement is not an isolated story. For centuries, Muslims have enriched India’s agricultural landscape:
Irrigation systems built by engineers in medieval India turned barren land fertile.
New crops such as guava, pomegranate, and certain citrus varieties spread through trade routes maintained by Muslim communities.
Orchards and gardens in the Deccan and Mughal India reflected a philosophy of harmony between beauty and utility.
Women in rural households played critical roles in livestock, kitchen gardens, and seed saving – long before these terms became development jargon.
The women of Teertha stand in this tradition, carrying forward a legacy of stewardship and innovation.
Global Recognition, Local Pride
The Equator Prize 2025 is more than a trophy. It comes with a cash award of USD 10,000, but its symbolic value is greater. It tells the world that solutions to climate change and food insecurity are not found only in international conferences, but also in the daily work of rural women.
Later this year, representatives of the SHG will be virtually honoured at the UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Brazil. Their story will stand alongside other grassroots champions from Africa, Latin America, and Asia – proof that local action has global relevance.
Seeds of Hope for Plural India
The journey of the Bibi Fathima SHG is more than a story of millet farming. It is a story of agency, dignity, and unity. It shows that Muslim women are not passive observers but active leaders – biodiversity promoters, community builders, and entrepreneurs.
Their fields are not just producing crops – they are producing harmony, resilience, and hope. At a time when divisions are deepened for political gain, these women remind us that India’s real strength lies in cooperation across communities and in valuing every contribution, no matter how small.
The seeds planted in Teertha are not only for Karnataka’s soil. They are seeds for India’s future.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Features> Focus / by Mohammed Talha Siddi Bapa / Radiance News Bureau / September 09th, 2025
Students of the Department of Business Administration, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), showcased their talent at the National Practicum Competition organised by Christ University, Delhi.
A six-member team, led by Chairperson Prof. Salma Ahmed, represented AMU in the competition. The participants included Safdar Khan (Travclan), Arsalan Haq (IMCS), Manaal Tehsin (TeleCRM), Arham Ullah Khan (Powergrid), Mohd Arish (ITC), and Mohd Adam (ITC). Each student presented their summer internship work before a panel of experts and an audience comprising students and faculty from institutions across the country.
The event turned into a proud moment for AMU as its students secured both the first and second prizes. Safdar Khan won the first prize for his presentation based on his internship at Travclan, while Arsalan Haq earned the second prize for his internship work with IMCS.
Prof. Salma Ahmed congratulated the winners and praised all participants for their efforts, assuring continued support for students to take part in similar competitions. She said the recognition highlighted the department’s commitment to providing strong academic and practical exposure.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News >Markers of Excellence / by Radiance News Bureau / September 20th, 2025
Orus Ilyas with Shahzada Iqbal, Mohsin Javid and Aeimon Hafeez, and Yashi Singh during the 2nd International Conference on Hangul at at SKUAST-Kashmir
Aligarh:
The Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), under the leadership of Professor Orus Ilyas, made a stellar mark at the 2nd International Conference on Hangul and Other Threatened Ungulates (2IHUC-25), held at SKUAST-Kashmir.
Four research scholars of the department, including Shahzada Iqbal, Mohsin Javid (PMRF fellow), Aeimon Hafeez, and Yashi Singh (both associated with the ANRF-SERB funded Tahr Ecology Project), presented their work at the conference. In a proud moment for the university, Mohsin Javid won the first prize in the oral presentation category, while Yashi Singh and Aeimon Hafeez secured gold and silver prizes, respectively, in the poster presentation segment.
Adding to the department’s achievements, Professor Orus Ilyas delivered an invited lecture on “Ecology and Conservation of Himalayan Tahrs”, drawing upon over two decades of Himalayan field research and insights from her current ANRF-SERB funded project. She also chaired two important technical sessions at the conference.
The conference brought together global experts to deliberate on conservation strategies for Hangul, Markhor, and other Himalayan ungulates, and AMU’s delegation not only earned top academic accolades but also reaffirmed the university’s reputation as a leading centre of excellence in wildlife research and conservation.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News > Markers of Excellence> Uncategorized / by Radiance News Bureau / September 17th, 2025
If anyone wishes to see a living example of honesty, loyalty, sincerity, and dedication, they need only look at the life of Mohammed Jaffar, son of Mohammed Ismail Jambar, who recently retired after serving the Majlis-e-Islah wa Tanzeem Bhatkal for more than five decades.
At just 22 years of age, a simple-hearted young man stepped into the Tanzeem office as a humble worker. His journey began as an attender with a monthly salary of only Rs. 125. But for him, this was never just a job. It was a sacred trust, and for half a century he fulfilled it with absolute honesty and commitment. With time, his responsibilities grew, but never once did he complain or show displeasure. His salary may have risen from Rs. 125 to Rs. 19,000 over the years, but his true earnings were the respect, love, and prayers of the community he served.
One incident still shines brightly in the history of Tanzeem. A philanthropist once came to the office to make a large donation. At that time, only Jaffar was present. The donor called the then-secretary and asked if he could entrust the money to Jaffar. The secretary’s reply has become immortal: “You may have doubts about the secretary, but never about Jaffar.” These words stand as the greatest recognition of his lifelong honesty and trustworthiness.
Jaffar witnessed every rise and fall of Tanzeem. Leaders changed, committees came and went, decisions were made and debated – but he kept every secret buried deep within his heart. His service extended beyond office hours: riding a bicycle up Bhaktal’s steep slopes to distribute agendas, arranging files and meetings, ensuring everything ran smoothly. His quiet efforts became the very foundation that kept the institution strong through all seasons.
In his personal life too, he lived with simplicity. He built a small mud house on the hillside of Bhatkal, later covering it with tiles, then adding a concrete slab, and eventually, through a generous contribution during Tanzeem’s centenary celebrations, the humble dwelling was turned into a modest yet permanent home. But simplicity and contentment always remained his true identity.
Now, after 51 years of continuous service, his health has weakened. Walking has become difficult, and illness troubles him, but his heart still beats for Tanzeem. His only wish is to continue visiting the office daily and spend time in the institution he loves so dearly.
The lifelong service of Mohammed Jaffar is a priceless asset for the community of Bhatkal. He is a shining lamp who not only illuminated his own era but also set a lasting example of service, honesty, and loyalty for future generations.
We owe him deep gratitude for devoting the golden years of his life to the service of the community. May Allah grant him complete health and strength. Ameen.
Note: How wonderful it would be if our youth federation were to organize a grand felicitation program in his honour.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / by Mohammed Yahya Damudi / September 08th, 2025
