Prof. U. T. Ifthikar Fareed, Chairman of the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Council, Karnataka, India, has received the Star of the Year Award 2026 at the 6th International Annual Awards and Conference on Innovation in Rehabilitation Practice and Medicine held at Thumbay Medicity in Al Jurf, Ajman, UAE.
The award was presented by Chief Guest H.E. Sheikh Dr. Majid bin Saeed Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Ruler’s Court, Ajman, in recognition of Prof. Ifthikar Fareed’s years of leadership in promoting allied health and rehabilitation education.
The conference was organised by the College of Health Sciences at Gulf Medical University in collaboration with Thumbay Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Hospital. The CME-accredited event offered eight hours of continuing medical education and brought together physiotherapists, orthopaedic and neurological specialists, occupational and speech therapists, educators and students from the UAE, GCC countries and beyond. The ceremony was presided over by Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder President of Thumbay Group.
Twenty-six leaders and institutions were honoured with the Innovation in Rehabilitation Awards 2026. The recipients included H.E. Majid Al Usaimi, Executive Director of Dubai Club for People of Determination; Mrs. Naima Saleh, President of the Emirates Physiotherapy Association; Dr. Ahmed Al Kharusi, Associate Dean of the Oman Physical Therapy Association; Dr. Yousef Abdulkhaleq Dhuhair of Rashid Hospital; Dr. Hyung Seok Nam of Sheikh Khalifa Specialty Hospital, Ras Al Khaimah; and the Humaid Bin Rashid Foundation. Clinicians from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Al Qassimi Hospital, Ajman University, the University of Sharjah, Kalasalingam University and Thumbay Healthcare were also among the award recipients.
Addressing the conference, Akbar Moideen Thumbay, Vice President of the Healthcare Division at Thumbay Group, announced plans to increase the capacity of Thumbay Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Hospital (TPTRH) by 30 per cent to meet growing patient demand. The expansion will increase the number of treatment areas from 27 to 39 and treatment beds from 36 to 48. It will include six new outdoor and therapeutic treatment areas, along with the expansion of five dedicated treatment zones and seven specialised treatment areas.
The hospital is also deploying robotic and digital rehabilitation technologies, which the group describes as firsts in the UAE. These include the GPARM/MOTUS Gait Trainer for robotic-assisted gait rehabilitation, MLS Robotic Laser Therapy for pain management and tissue healing, Robotic Moxibustion and 3D Nasometry for speech and acoustic analysis, and augmented and virtual reality-based paediatric gait training.
The group said the upgrades aim to position TPTRH as the country’s leading advanced rehabilitation centre.
Dr. Thumbay Moideen also announced plans to open new rehabilitation centres in Dubai, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah as part of Thumbay Healthcare’s expansion. The centres are intended to bring advanced rehabilitation services closer to patients across the UAE and support the teaching and training of students at Gulf Medical University’s College of Health Sciences.
The conference featured sessions on emerging rehabilitation technologies and practices, including robotic exoskeletons, virtual reality, wearable sensors, tele-rehabilitation, neurological rehabilitation, phoniatrics, spine care and compression therapy.
The speakers included Dr. Juan Camilo Cortes, Chair of Neuro Rehabilitation at Dubai Health, and Dr. Gamal Youssef, Professor of Phoniatrics at Alexandria University.
The event was supported by Ekso Bionics, Hpotech Medical, M A S Medical Surgical Articles & Requisites Trading, Bauerfeind Middle East & Africa, Modawina Medical, Fourier Intelligence, and Alpha Medical and Dental Services.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.com / Vartha Bharati, English / Home> Gulf / by Vartha Bharati / October 26th, 2026
The Indian Patent Office has granted a patent to Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) faculty members and research scholars for an innovation titled “A Novel Bioformulation and a Process for the Preparation Thereof” (Patent No. 605826).
The invention was developed by a team led by Dr. Ziaul Haque, along with Prof. Mujeebur Rahman Khan, Sarwar Nawaz, Lavi Haider and Mohd Shahid Anwar Ansari. Filed through AMU’s IP Cell, the patent marks a significant contribution to sustainable plant protection and bioformulation technology.
The achievement highlights AMU’s continuing research efforts in biocontrol and innovation.
source:http://www.indiaeducationdiary.in / India Education Diary / Home> Educational News> University News / by iednewsdesk / October 16th, 2026
Prof. Orus Ilyas of the Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), and research scholar Umrah Viqar presented their research at the 36th European Mustelid Colloquium, held alongside the Białowieża Ecology Conference in Białowieża, Poland.
Prof. Ilyas presented a paper titled “The Underappreciated Apex: Reviewing the Ecological Role and Conservation Status of the Yellow-throated Marten (Martes flavigula) Across the Himalayan and East Asian Bioregions”, examining the species’ ecological significance and conservation status across the Himalayan and East Asian regions.
Umrah Viqar presented her research on “Ecological Insight into the Yellow-throated Martens, Martes flavigula: Habitat Use and Dietary Pattern in the Reserved Forest of Ranikhet Kumaon, Himalayas”, focusing on the species’ habitat use and dietary patterns in the Himalayan region.
The presentations highlighted the ecological importance of the yellow-throated marten and the need for a better understanding of its ecology, distribution and conservation challenges.
Prof. Ilyas received financial assistance from the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), Government of India, and the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) to participate in the conference, while Umrah Viqar received support from the organisers.
source: http://www.indiaeducationdiary.in / India Education Diary / Home> Educational News> University News / by iednewsdesk /October 16th, 2026
Saba recalled her father’s lessons in composure, fairness and thoughtful speech.
Saif Ali Khan and Saba share a bond rooted in family and memories. IANS
Dubai:
Saba Pataudi, sister of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, has opened up about her responsibility for managing the Pataudi family’s legacy, revealing that her late father, former Indian cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, entrusted her with the role.
Saba, the daughter of actor Sharmila Tagore and the late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, oversees responsibilities connected to the family’s Bhopal estate and the Auqaf-e-Shahi trust. The family’s legacy has been estimated at more than Rs 10 billion.
In an interview, Saba explained that her father played a defining role in preparing her for the responsibility.
“Abba left that to me,” she said, reflecting on the trust her father placed in her and the lessons she continues to draw from him.
Lessons from her father
Saba recalled how her father taught her to remain composed, treat people fairly and choose her words carefully. She said those principles continue to guide her approach to managing the family’s affairs.
She also described her father as someone she continues to turn to spiritually, even after his death. His guidance, she said, helped her understand the responsibilities associated with the family’s heritage.
Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, popularly known as Tiger Pataudi, was one of India’s prominent cricketers and captained the national team. His marriage to Sharmila Tagore brought together two well-known families from Indian sport and cinema.
What does the family legacy involve?
Saba’s responsibilities extend beyond the management of a family estate. As the mutawalli of the Auqaf-e-Shahi trust, she oversees the trust’s properties and charitable responsibilities.
These include mosques and other properties linked to the family’s historical ties to Bhopal, as well as facilities for pilgrims visiting Makkah and Medina.
The reported valuation of more than Rs 10 billion relates to the wider family legacy and should not be interpreted as Saba’s personal wealth. Her role involves stewardship and management of the trust’s assets and responsibilities.
Saba has also discussed plans for initiatives benefiting women and girls, including a girls’ school and a hospital for women, subject to the resolution of pending legal matters involving family property.
A responsibility entrusted by her father
Saba’s reflections offer a glimpse into a side of the Pataudi family that extends beyond celebrity and cricket. While Saif Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan are widely recognised for their careers in the entertainment industry, Saba has taken on responsibilities associated with preserving the family’s historical and charitable legacy.
For her, the role is closely tied to her father’s confidence in her abilities and the values he instilled in her. She continues to regard those lessons as central to carrying forward the responsibilities he entrusted to her.
source: http://www.gulfnews.com / Gulf News / Home> Entertainment> Bollywood / by Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor / October 14th, 2026
During extensive field surveys across the Jammu and Kashmir region, researchers identified three previously unknown species of the genus Conocephalus, more commonly known as meadow katydids or long-ho…
During extensive field surveys across the Jammu and Kashmir region, researchers identified three previously unknown species of the genus Conocephalus, more commonly known as meadow katydids or long-horned grasshoppers. The discovery was led by Muzamil Syed Shah and a team of entomologists from Aligarh Muslim University. The new species have been named Conocephalus usmanii, Conocephalus nagariensis, and Conocephalus ganderbali.
Prior to this study, the mountainous region of Kashmir was thought to host only a single species of this genus. The team’s findings suggest that the area’s complex topography, which includes the Western Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range, has fostered a much richer variety of insect life than previously recorded. To find these elusive insects, the researchers trekked through various habitats, including tall meadow grasses, bushes, and deciduous forests, collecting adult specimens during the day.
The researchers used Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to distinguish the new species from their known relatives. This allowed them to capture high-resolution images of the stridulatory files, a microscopic row of teeth on the male insect’s wings that acts like a musical comb to produce their characteristic chirping sound. By counting these teeth and measuring the shape of the insects’ body parts, the team was able to prove they had found entirely new branches of the tree of life.
Each of the three new species possesses unique physical blueprints that set them apart. Conocephalus nagariensis, found in the Budgam district, is distinguished by its spindle-shaped appendages (cerci) and a stridulatory file containing exactly 34 teeth. It is dedicated to Dr. Rajendra Nagar, a researcher credited with discovering several other species of katydids across the country, and bears his name.
In contrast, Conocephalus ganderbali, discovered in the Ganderbal region, is notably small and slender, with a musical file of only 28 teeth and a unique V-shaped incision on its underbelly. Its name is derived from the Ganderbal district in Kashmir, the specific locality where the researchers first collected the specimens.
The third species, Conocephalus usmanii, features a flat, elongated plate on its abdomen and a musical file with 36 teeth. It was named in honour of Professor Mohd Kamil Usmani, a scholar who has made significant contributions to the study of Orthoptera (the group of insects including grasshoppers and katydids) in India.
Beyond the three new species, the study also provided new records for other katydids in the region, such as Conocephalus longipennis and C. kwasiphaiensis, which were previously known only in other parts of India. This suggests that Kashmir serves as a vital corridor for insect migration and evolution.
The discovery highlights how much of the natural world remains unexplored, even in well-known geographical areas. The researchers noted that because Kashmir is so biologically diverse yet understudied, many more species likely remain hidden in plain sight within its mountain valleys. The physical type specimens used to describe these new insects have been deposited in the Museum of Zoology at Aligarh Muslim University, where they will serve as a permanent reference for future generations of scientists.
This article was written with the help of generative AI and edited by an editor at Research Matters.
Wani, historically known as Wun, is an old town of the Vidarbha region whose history reflects the changing political boundaries of central India. At different times, the Wani area was connected with the Nizam’s dominions, while the neighbouring Chandrapur region was historically associated with the Gond rulers. To the east and south lay territories of the erstwhile Hyderabad State, including the area that subsequently became Adilabad district and is today part of Telangana.
Wani’s political identity changed with successive territorial reorganisations. The area was once associated with the Nizam of Hyderabad. After independence, it came under the larger Central Provinces and Berar/Madhya Pradesh administrative framework before becoming part of Maharashtra when the state was formed in 1960.
This layered history is important in understanding the social background of Dr Abdul Razzaq Ahmed, a prominent Muslim of Wani. His family belonged to an established local community whose standing was associated with both landholding and professional achievement. Dr Abdul Razzaq Ahmed was a dermatologist, while later generations entered administration, medicine, and law.
Today, Dr A. Razzaque Ahmed, MD, DSc, is internationally recognised as a dermatologist, immunologist and academic physician, and as a pioneer in autoimmune blistering diseases. He has served as Professor of Dermatology and Director of the Centre for Blistering Diseases at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. He is associated with the Ibn Sina Professorship. His career has brought together clinical medicine, molecular immunology, laboratory research, therapeutic innovation, teaching and philanthropy.
Yet his significance lies not simply in professional distinction. His life represents the transformation of education into knowledge, knowledge into healing, and achievement into service.
Roots, Education and the Making of a Cosmopolitan Mind
Dr Ahmad spent his early childhood in Wani in a house built by his great-grandfather around 1875. He was the son of Salam Ahmed and Begum Noor Jehan and grew up in a family that regarded education and social advancement as important instruments of human development.
That ethos subsequently found institutional expression through the Begum Noor Jehan Salam Ahmed Trust in Yavatmal district. Under Begum Noor Jehan’s leadership, the Trust established educational institutions including the Sunrise English Medium Convent, Wani; the Noor Jahan Begum Salam Ahmed Arts and Commerce College, Wani; and the Noor Jahan Begum Salam Ahmed Women’s College of Law.
The women’s law college was particularly significant, reflecting a deliberate commitment to giving women access to professional education, legal knowledge and greater independence. The family tradition therefore gave education a meaning larger than individual advancement: it expanded opportunity and enabled others to participate more fully in society. That principle would later find expression in Dr Ahmad’s own teaching and philanthropy.
His early education exposed him to unusually diverse intellectual and cultural environments. Until the age of seven, he studied at a convent run by French nuns and later attended a Jesuit Catholic boarding school in Nagpur.
At fifteen, an American Field Service International Scholarship took him to Le Mars, Iowa, where he lived with the Thompson family, attended the local high school and studied at Westmar College. The experience gave a young student from central India an early encounter with American society and education, broadening his intellectual horizons.
Returning to India, he pursued pre-medical studies at Nagpur University before entering the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. At AIIMS, he distinguished himself academically, standing first in many classes and receiving the Gold Medal as the outstanding graduate of his cohort. The movement from Wani to Nagpur and from Nagpur to AIIMS marked the first major stage in a life that would repeatedly cross geographical and intellectual boundaries.
After completing his medical education, Dr Ahmad moved to the United States for specialist training. He trained in Internal Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, Dermatology at the University at Buffalo and Clinical Immunology at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he subsequently joined the faculty.
His growing interest in the molecular basis of disease led him to Harvard, where he pursued advanced research in molecular immunology and earned a Doctor of Science degree. His investigations attracted National Institutes of Health support and developed into the Ahmed Laboratory, which remained NIH-funded for more than two decades.
A defining feature of his career was integrating laboratory science with clinical medicine. Disease encountered in the clinic generated scientific questions; laboratory research sought their answers; and those discoveries returned to patients through improved diagnosis and treatment.
From Molecular Discovery to a New Paradigm of Care
Dr Ahmad became an international authority on autoimmune blistering diseases, particularly pemphigus and mucous membrane pemphigoid. These rare disorders can be debilitating, disfiguring and, in severe cases, life-threatening.
His research examined the immunological and genetic mechanisms underlying these diseases. Among his key contributions was identifying associations between specific HLA-DQB1 genes and pemphigus in different populations. He reported the association of HLA-DQB10402 with Jewish pemphigus patients and HLA-DQB10501 with non-Jewish patients. Studies of relatives helped demonstrate that low titres of pemphigus autoantibodies could occur without full clinical disease. He also distinguished pathogenic from non-pathogenic autoantibodies, demonstrating the pathogenic significance of IgG4 and the non-pathogenic character of IgG1 in pemphigus.
His investigations involving patients from Northwestern Iran and comparisons with Ashkenazi Jewish patients in the United States and Israel revealed striking genetic homology. They contributed to wider research concerning the population history of Ashkenazi Jews.
His molecular research extended to mucous membrane pemphigoid. He identified alpha-6 integrin as a putative antigen in oral pemphigoid and beta-4 integrin in disease involving other mucosal sites, identified epitopes on these molecules and investigated their role experimentally in animal models and tissue cultures. These studies helped shift the field from clinical description towards molecular understanding.
But Dr Ahmad’s contribution did not end with discovery. He sought to create a system that could translate scientific knowledge directly into comprehensive patient care. In Boston, he established the Centre for Blistering Diseases, bringing together specialists in oral medicine, ophthalmology, ENT, gastroenterology, urology, gynaecology, proctology, internal medicine, nutrition and clinical psychology.
The multidisciplinary model reflected the nature of the diseases themselves, which can affect several organs and mucosal surfaces. Rather than leaving patients to navigate separate specialities, the Centre organised care around the patient’s complexity.
His commitment to patients extended beyond medical treatment. In 1993, he established the Boston Blistering Diseases Support Group, recognising that people living with rare and potentially life-threatening disorders also require emotional support, information and a community of shared experience. The model was subsequently emulated elsewhere, including by the International Pemphigus and Pemphigoid Foundation.
Transforming Treatment and Restoring Lives
One of Dr Ahmad’s most consequential contributions was his pioneering work with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in autoimmune blistering diseases.
Severe disease had traditionally been treated with corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive drugs, which could themselves produce serious complications. Dr Ahmad developed and refined IVIg protocols that enabled some patients to achieve prolonged remission and, in certain cases, discontinue conventional therapy.
He also addressed access. Because IVIg is expensive, he presented clinical and pharmacoeconomic evidence involving 160 patients to Medicare authorities. The resulting policy permitting Medicare coverage for IVIg in blistering diseases helped broaden access, and private insurers later adopted similar policies.
His work with rituximab marked another major therapeutic advance. In collaboration with Harvard oncologists, he developed a protocol combining rituximab and IVIg that targeted the B-cell mechanisms involved in autoimmune disease. The results were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, with subsequent long-term follow-up demonstrating sustained disease control in treated patients.
Some patients achieved exceptionally prolonged remission without continuing therapy, in some cases for more than 20 years. His continuing research has examined whether successful treatment can restore immune balance rather than merely suppress disease. Long-term follow-up of patients with pemphigus treated with IVIg contributed to this emerging understanding, with findings reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2024.
His work has also addressed ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, a rare autoimmune disease capable of causing progressive scarring and irreversible blindness. Research into its mechanisms helped establish therapeutic approaches involving IVIg and subsequently rituximab combined with IVIg.
The significance of such work extends beyond disease control. Preventing blindness preserves independence, employment, family life and human dignity. It exemplifies a broader principle in Dr Ahmad’s career: the ultimate measure of medical success is not simply suppressing disease but restoring a patient’s capacity to live a meaningful life.
This philosophy also shaped the institutions he built. He developed an outpatient infusion model that enabled patients to receive sophisticated intravenous therapies without prolonged conventional hospitalisation, attracting patients from across the United States and other countries.
As a teacher and mentor, he has influenced generations of medical and dental students, residents and researchers. Many former trainees subsequently became professors and departmental leaders. He has lectured internationally for decades and served as a visiting professor at universities worldwide. His influence has therefore travelled not only through publications and therapies but through the people he taught.
The breadth of his contribution has been recognised through numerous professional honours, including the William Gies Award, the Walter F. Lever Award, lifetime achievement and research contribution awards, and international awards for excellence. The International Pemphigus and Pemphigoid Foundation honoured him as Physician of the Year, and he has also received India’s Charaka Award. In 1999, the Governor of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts House of Representatives separately recognised his contribution to the Commonwealth’s citizens.
Science, Faith and the Larger Meaning of Service
Another dimension of Dr Ahmad’s life is his religious commitment. During his extensive international travels, he has repeatedly visited Makkah and performed more than one hundred Umrahs. His scientific and spiritual commitments have existed alongside one another. Scientific inquiry seeks to understand disease; faith provides a framework of gratitude, humility and responsibility.
That sense of responsibility has also shaped his philanthropy. In addition to the educational legacy of the Begum Noor Jehan Salam Ahmed Trust, Dr Ahmad has devoted substantial resources to educating disadvantaged young people, particularly women, supporting higher education, professional training, books, computers, transport and leadership development.
The results have reportedly reached thousands of students, with women beneficiaries entering the judiciary, public prosecution and legal practice. The objective is therefore not simply charitable relief but the creation of durable opportunities through education.
Dr Abdul Razzaque Ahmad’s life is not merely a story of migration from India to America or advancement from a small town to elite academic institutions. It is a story of continuity through transformation.
Wani provided the beginning; Nagpur broadened the horizon; AIIMS supplied an exceptional medical foundation; Pittsburgh, Buffalo and UCLA provided specialist training; Harvard deepened his scientific inquiry; and Boston became the centre from which his clinical and research contributions reached the wider world.
The ancestral house in Wani and the laboratories, clinics and lecture halls of Boston may appear to belong to different worlds. In his life they form a single continuum. The family gave him an inheritance of education and responsibility. He transformed that inheritance into scientific discovery and clinical innovation, and then extended its benefits through teaching, patient care and philanthropy.
His legacy is therefore measured not only by publications, professorships and awards, but by what those achievements enabled: patients who obtained relief, individuals protected from irreversible disability, students who gained educational opportunities, physicians shaped by his mentorship, and a field of medicine advanced by his research.
The distance from Wani to Boston is considerable. The distance his ideas travelled is greater still. A journey that began in the hinterland of India entered the global corridors of academia. Its deepest destination, however, was neither fame nor distinction, but service—to the patient seeking relief, the student seeking opportunity, the scientist seeking truth, and society seeking a more humane future.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror /Home>Personalities> Positive Story / by Moin Qazi / October 10th, 2026
Hyderabad, TELANGANA / Birmingham, UNITED KINGDOM :
The Hyderabad-origin doctor’s three-decade pursuit of better diabetes care and fairer health outcomes earns him an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Hyderabad :
The news arrived with all the ceremony one would expect of a royal honour. For Prof Wasim Hanif, however, it also prompted a journey in the opposite direction — back to Hyderabad.
Back to St. George’s Grammar School. Back to Gandhi Medical College. Back to the city where medicine first became more than a profession and where a young student began imagining a life in healthcare.
This month, Prof Hanif was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026 for services to diabetes care and tackling health inequalities. In Britain, the award recognises a career spent shaping policy, advancing research and advocating for patients often overlooked by healthcare systems.
In Hyderabad, the news was received somewhat differently. Here, the honour belongs as much to memory as achievement.
Hanif grew up in a Hyderabad that was very different from the technology hub it would later become. His father served as General Manager of the Azam Jahi Mills at Gunfoundry, one of the institutions that formed part of the city’s industrial landscape. Education was valued, ambition was encouraged and, like many Hyderabadi families of the period, the expectation was simple: work hard, study harder.
Medicine became his path, first in Hyderabad’s classrooms and later in hospitals thousands of miles away. At Gandhi Medical College, Hanif belonged to a generation of students who viewed medicine not merely as a profession but as a public service. The crowded wards, demanding schedules, and constant interaction with patients offered lessons that would remain with him long after he left the city.
When he moved to the United Kingdom in 1995, he joined a long line of Indian doctors seeking advanced training and professional opportunities abroad. Over time, one question increasingly shaped his career: why do some communities experience significantly poorer health outcomes than others?
For Prof Hanif, diabetes was never simply a disease measured through blood sugar levels or laboratory reports. It was also a lens through which broader questions about society could be examined. Why were certain ethnic groups more vulnerable? Why did some communities have less access to healthcare? Why did outcomes differ so sharply between populations living in the same country?
These questions would come to define much of his professional life.
Today, he serves as a professor of diabetes and endocrinology at University Hospitals Birmingham and Clinical Advisor to Diabetes UK. His expertise has taken him far beyond hospital clinics and lecture halls. He has advised the World Health Organisation (WHO), the European Union and the UK Parliament on issues relating to diabetes, obesity, ethnicity and public health.
Yet colleagues often describe him as someone who has remained grounded in the realities of patient care. Behind the research papers, policy recommendations and leadership positions lies the daily work of listening to patients and understanding the circumstances that shape their health.
His work has been particularly influential in drawing attention to the disproportionate burden of diabetes among South Asian and minority ethnic communities. Long before health inequality became a widely discussed public issue, Hanif was highlighting the social, cultural and economic factors that influence health outcomes.
Reflecting on the honour, Prof Hanif responded with characteristic humility.
“I am deeply honoured to receive this award. Throughout my career, I have been driven by a desire to improve the lives of people living with diabetes and to address the inequalities that continue to affect health outcomes across our society.”
The award, he emphasised, belongs to many others as well.
“This recognition reflects the dedication and support of the many colleagues, students, researchers and healthcare professionals I have had the privilege to work with. While this is a tremendous personal honour to my family and me, it is also recognition of the importance of continuing our efforts to deliver fairer, more inclusive healthcare.”
Today, Prof Hanif’s influence extends across some of Britain’s most respected medical institutions. He is President-elect of the British Medical Association, Trustee of Diabetes UK, Non-Executive Director of the BMJ, Chair of the Association for the Study of Obesity UK and Trustee of the South Asian Health Foundation.
Taken together, the appointments speak to the esteem in which he is held within British medicine. Yet honours and titles tell only part of the story. The larger story is about persistence — about a doctor who spent three decades asking difficult questions about fairness in healthcare and working to find practical answers.
For Hyderabad, the recognition carries a special resonance. The city has produced generations of doctors who have built distinguished careers across the world. Prof Wasim Hanif now joins a long list of Hyderabadis whose contributions have transcended national boundaries while remaining rooted in the values and education that shaped their early lives.
The OBE marks a significant milestone. But perhaps its deeper significance lies elsewhere.
It recognises the idea that medicine is not only about treating disease. At its best, it is also about reducing barriers, widening access and ensuring that those most vulnerable are not left behind.
That conviction has guided Wasim Hanif from the classrooms of Hyderabad to the highest levels of British healthcare. The honour may have been announced in London, but its roots lie elsewhere – in the classrooms of St George’s Grammar School, the wards of Gandhi Medical College and a Hyderabad upbringing that first shaped a young doctor’s understanding of service.
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Syed Khaled Shahbaaz is a Hyderabad-based journalist and author of the best-selling coffee-table book ‘The Kohinoors: Distinguished Personalities of Hyderabad.’ He may be reached at syedkhaledshahbaaz@gmail.com.
source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Editor’s Pick>India> Indian Muslim / by Syed Khalid Shahbaaz / June 18th, 2026
A special ceremony was held at the Trinity College in Dublin, to honour all the recipients. Khalid was represented by his father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas.
Umar Khalid is seen speaking at a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, in this file image dated March 3, 2020. Photo: PTI/File.
New Delhi:
Activist Umar Khalid who has been jailed since the last six years has won the 2026 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk.
“Umar Khalid is the 2026 Asia winner of the Front Line Defenders Award. To those who try to silence his work, he is seen as an “enemy of the state’’ and an “anti-national”, but to others, he is a national hero, a voice of the people, and a human rights defender. For the last six years, Umar Khalid has been shackled behind bars for his leadership in the peaceful and democratic civil movement against the unconstitutional and anti-Muslim amendments to India’s citizenship laws,” Front Line Defenders said in a statement on Thursday (October 8).
Khalid has continued to be lodged in jail ever since Delhi Police Special Cell arrested him as a ‘key conspirator’ in the 2020 Delhi riots case on September 14, 2020. He is charged with Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), sedition and 18 other sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder and attempt to murder. A student activist at the time of his arrest, Khalid had played a key role in organising anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in 2019-2020.
The Front Line Defenders statement noted how the CAA impacts India’s Muslim population and how Khalid spoke against this grave injustice.
“The law, which accompanied an increasingly hostile climate of growing Hindu nationalism, threatens to disproportionately strip Muslims of documentation and legal status. Umar Khalid, with a steady trajectory defending students’, minorities’ and citizens’ rights, is seen as one of the key voices speaking out against this injustice. Several major international human rights organisations, as well as the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, have highlighted the illegality of his arrest and detention,” said the statement.
The five winners of the 2026 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk pictured at Trinity College in Dublin, where a special ceremony was held in to honor them.
A recently freed anti-death penalty campaigner from Iran, a feminist pro-participatory democracy… pic.twitter.com/2D9BjFg2bs
Apart from Khalid, the other winners are: Laurinda Manuel Gouveia (Angola) for Africa, Adda Vyctoria Caetano (Brazil) for the Americas, Ljiljana Nešić (Serbia) for Europe and Central Asia and Ahmadreza Haeri (Iran) for Middle East and North Africa.
A special ceremony was held at the Trinity College in Dublin, to honour all the recipients. Khalid was represented by his father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas.
On September 20, the Delhi high court had denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam – also jailed for more than six years – in the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots larger conspiracy case.
Khalid was lasted granted a three-day interim bail by the Delhi high court on May 22 for meeting his mother who underwent a surgery after a trial court had on May 19 denied him relief that he had sought to attend rituals after the death of his uncle and to attend to his mother before and after a surgery on June 2.
source: http://www.thewire.in / The Wire / Home> Rights / by The Wire Staff / October 09th, 2026
Aarian Zeeshan Ahmed of Rangia in Assam’s Kamrup district has brought pride to the state after receiving special recognition from NASA for discovering two new asteroids.
But Aarian’s interest in space research does not end with asteroid discovery. He is currently working with his friend and colleague, Tanfa Yakin Nur, on applying machine learning and artificial intelligence models to study the solar cycle (Helio-Cycle) and solar storms (Helio-Solar Storms).
The research is being conducted independently, without affiliation to any institution.
Aarian Zeeshan Ahmed helps a child with his telescope
According to Aarian, “This project uses advanced technologies to understand the Sun and its impact on Earth. Our objective is to develop an advanced ‘Make in India’ system capable of forecasting space weather by using data from Indian solar observatories.”
Earlier, Aarian had participated in a special project of the International Astronomical Search Collaboration, through which he conducted the research that led to the discovery of the two asteroids. NASA has since formally recognised his efforts.
The International Astronomical Search Collaboration has provisionally designated the asteroids as 2024 VE8 and 2024 VC23. On December 17, NASA contacted Aarian and formally recognised his discoveries.
Aarian Zeeshan Ahmed with friends
NASA is now conducting an extensive study of the characteristics of the two asteroids, a process expected to take at least a year. Once the research is completed, Aarian will have the rare opportunity to give the two asteroids their final names.
A resident of Ward No. 3 in Rangia town, Aarian is the son of Mirajul Islam, principal of Jayantipur Yogeshwar Vidyapith Higher Secondary School, and Ruma Nazrin. He completed his primary and higher secondary education with distinction at Fatima Convent School in Rangia.
He is currently pursuing the first semester of a B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM).
In an exclusive interview with Awaz – The Voice, Aarian spoke about his fascination with astronomy.
“I have been fascinated by astronomy and the movements of celestial bodies since childhood. I experience immense joy whenever I look at the sky, and I read many books on astronomy,” he said.
Aarian began developing a deeper interest in space science in Class VIII. While studying in Class XI, he bought his first telescope. He now owns two powerful telescopes and regularly observes the night sky from the rooftop of his home.
In 2024, he submitted his research as part of the special opportunity offered by NASA to young researchers. Following a year-long observation period, his work received the recognition.
Aarian dreams of joining the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and serving the country. He has already begun preparing for his goal.
His father, Mirajul Islam, said: “It is truly a matter of pride that a boy from an ordinary family like ours, from a small place like Rangia, has achieved such a major success. I hope people will bless him so that he can establish himself as a successful astronomer in the future.”
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Mizan / by Ariful Islam / September 21st, 2026
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has announced that squash players Joshna Chinappa and Shameena Riaz will each receive an incentive of ₹30 lakh for winning a bronze medal at the Asian Games.
The 2026 Asian Games began on September 19 in the Aichi-Nagoya region of Japan and are currently underway.
The Indian women`s squash team won the bronze medal at the Asian Games. In the competition, Tanvi Khanna won 3-1, while Anahat Singh and Shameena Riaz lost 2-3, and Joshna Chinappa lost 0-3 against the Chinese players.
Joshna Chinappa and Shameena Riaz, both from Tamil Nadu, were part of the team that won India`s 61st medal at the Asian Games.
Congratulating the Indian team and the Tamil Nadu players, Chief Minister Vijay said that the Indian team had won the bronze medal in the women`s squash team event at the 20th Asian Games being held in Japan.
He also congratulated Joshna Chinappa and Shameena Riaz and announced that the Tamil Nadu government would provide an incentive of ₹30 lakh each in recognition of their achievement.
The Chief Minister said that their success, achieved through their talent, confidence and perseverance, had further strengthened Tamil Nadu`s sporting achievements. He also said that their victory would inspire young people and women who aspire to achieve success.
He extended his wishes to both players for achieving many more victories in the future and bringing greater recognition to Tamil Nadu and India on the world stage.
source: http://www.livechennai.com / Live Chennai / Home / October 01st, 2026
