Churmujroo Village (Beerwah, Budgam), JAMMU & KASHMIR :
Photo Credit: X.Com
Budgam/Dehradun :
In a historic moment for Jammu and Kashmir, Lubna Naseer, a young Taekwondo athlete from Churmujura village in Beerwah, Budgam, has clinched the first-ever gold medal for the Union Territory at the 4th Cadet & Junior National Taekwondo Championship 2025, held in Dehradun, reported the Brighter Kashmir.
Representing the Khelo India Taekwondo Centre under the Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council, Lubna showcased an exceptional performance, defeating top contenders from Gujarat, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh. In the finals, she delivered a clean sweep against Haryana, securing a flawless victory that highlighted her dominance on the national stage.
Lubna’s journey to the top was anything but easy. Battling a recent injury, she continued training under the dedicated mentorship of her coach, Rohit Sharma. Her perseverance and resilience have earned her praise from sports officials and admiration from across the region.
“This gold medal is not just mine—it belongs to my coach, my parents, my school, and the entire Jammu and Kashmir,” Lubna said, dedicating her win to everyone who supported her.
Looking ahead, the young athlete now aims to represent India in the Asian Games, the World Junior Championships, and eventually, the Olympics. Lubna has also appealed for enhanced sports infrastructure in Budgam, urging authorities to invest in the potential of Kashmiri youth.
Her victory not only marks a personal achievement but also serves as an inspiration for aspiring athletes in the Valley. Lubna Naseer is now a beacon of hope and pride for Jammu and Kashmir, symbolizing what determination and support can achieve.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Markers of Excellence / by Radiance News Bureau / June 12th, 2025
Muslim women-folk with a major chunk of them being home-makers showed keen interest to take up the Afzal-Ul-Ulama degree examinations conducted by the Madras University at The New College premises. Interestingly, this year 93 students from Coimbatore Sundarapuram based Advanced Institute for Modern and Moral Science (AIMMS) wrote their exams with zeal and confidence.
“All I want is education and I am not afraid of no one.” So said Malala Yousafzai, 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, UN Messenger of Peace and co-founder of the Malala Fund, who is credited to be the youngest education campaigner to address the UN Youth Assembly when she was just 16 years old. No doubt, this had a great impact among the Muslim women across the globe to continue their education breaking the taboo and gender bias.
Taking a cue from “Rabbi Zidni Ilma” which is a powerful Quranic Dua from Surah Taha Verse 114 which means “O My Lord! Increase my knowledge”, the Coimbatore Sundarapuram based Advanced Institute for Modern and Moral Science (AIMMS) under the able guidance of noted Holy Quran researcher, writer, orator and publisher Haji Dr Ameer Althaf, about 93 Muslim women aged between 19 and 55 enthusiastically wrote Afzal-Ul-Ulama examinations with confidence.
With a sharp increase this year (last year 85 students), it only proves to show the awareness among the Muslim women to get educated. About 850 students drawn from different corners of the State (last year 827) took up the exams conducted by the Madras University at The New College premises. All credit goes to AIMMS, the maiden Muslim women community college in Tamil Nadu established in 2005 with the sole objective of helping Muslim women mostly home-makers from lower echelons of the society to pursue their education with the support of their family.
From a humble beginning, AIMMS grew from strength to strength to become one of the much sought-after institutes by Muslim women. As to the revelation of the first word “Iqra” in the Holy Quran meaning ‘To Read’, AIMMS left no stone unturned to impart education to women using modern methods in tune with the emerging trend keeping in view of technological development.
Notably, the Institute is located in a good environment equipped with all latest facilities including powerpoint presentation, modernised Arabic computer lab besides scope for doing MA, MPhil and PhD in Arabic while exempting the women from poor family background from paying fees.
Yet another redeeming feature is guest lectures by experts and resource persons giving useful tips to the students in getting their varied skills honed. Thanks to the wholehearted support extended by the AIMMS trustees.
In today’s globalised world, knowing multiple languages can significantly boost one’s career prospects. And one language that stands out for its potential to expand job opportunities is Arabic since it offers a plethora of opportunities right from becoming an Arabic teacher, translator, software pro, Medical Tourism, Language adviser, Editor, E-publishing, Journalism, Multi Media, Advertisement and Data Collection.
It may be noted that the Arabic language is among the oldest and most spoken in the world, serving as a cornerstone of cultural and historical identity across many nations. It is spoken by more than 550 million people and is the official Arabic language in 25 odd countries, mostly in the Middle East and North Africa. To top it all, Arabic is one among the six languages – English, Chinese, Russian, French and Spanish to be recognised by the UN as the official language.
The zeal to excel through education among the Muslim women is definitely a welcome sign at a time when many success stories were pouring in from several quarters with the first Muslim female to become IAS officer in Maharashtra after clearing the civil services in AIR 142 this year while not to speak of S Ajeetha Begum from Coimbatore who made headlines after cracking civil services to become IPS (2008 batch). Age is never a barrier to those who have the will to learn at any stage. AIMMS women-folk have proved this through dedication and determination.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Education> Features> Report / by M Rafi Ahmed / May 07th, 2025
Taldi Village (South 24 Parganas District), WEST BENGAL :
Photo Credit: enewsroom
Kolkata:
Parvin Sultana, a young woman from West Bengal, has secured the top position in the All India Industrial Training Institute (ITI) examination 2024 in the Mechanic Diesel Trade, scoring an impressive 599 out of 600 marks.
Despite financial struggles, she achieved this remarkable feat without private coaching. Recognizing her exceptional performance, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee felicitated her, and she also received official recognition from Delhi.
Hailing from Taldi village in South 24 Parganas district, Parvin ranked first among female candidates nationwide. However, her academic success contrasts with her family’s financial difficulties. Her father, Taziur Rahman Sardar, works as a daily wage laborer in a fish market, striving to support their seven-member household.
Parvin’s educational journey has been one of determination. She completed her schooling at Taldi Surabala Sikshayatan for Girls’ School, securing 42% in her Madhyamik exams in 2017 and 76% in her Higher Secondary exams in 2019. In 2023, she earned a Political Science degree with 66% marks.
Despite financial hardships, Parvin remained focused on her studies, preparing for the ITI exam with the guidance of her college teachers instead of opting for private tutoring. “I couldn’t afford a tutor, but my teachers supported me. I want to prove that girls can excel in every field,” she said.
Lokman Mollah, a social worker in Canning, praised her perseverance, stating, “Many talented students in the Sundarbans go unnoticed due to financial constraints. Parvin’s success is proof that determination can overcome any obstacle.”
Parvin was honored at a public reception in Canning, organized by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and led by MLA Paresh Ram Das. Canning Panchayat Samiti President Uttam Das also recognized her achievements, while her mother, Rijia Bibi, voiced concerns about financial constraints. “She wants to study further, but we lack the resources,” she said.
Assuring assistance, MLA Paresh Ram Das stated, “Just as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee supports meritorious students, we, too, stand by them.”
While excelling in the ITI exam, Parvin’s ultimate goal is to serve society through the civil services. Inspired by her recent success, she has decided to prepare for competitive exams. “Initially, I wasn’t sure what to study for a secure job, but after my ITI results, many suggested civil services. Now, I am enrolling in a coaching center in Kolkata to prepare,” she said.
Parvin’s journey from a small village to national recognition serves as an inspiration, proving that resilience and hard work can overcome financial hardships.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Markers of Excellence / by Radiance News Bureau / February 13th, 2025
In a remarkable display of dedication, Farhana I M has secured second rank in M.Tech Computer Science and Engineering under Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU).
What makes her achievement extraordinary is not just academic excellence but the journey behind it. A mother of three, she balanced family responsibilities while pursuing higher education, proving that determination breaks barriers. Her story is a testament to the boundless nature of passion for learning.
Born to Ismail Kundapur and married to Imran Kundapur, Farhana shares a close bond with her brother-in-law, Mohammed Ashif Karnire, CEO of Expertise Contracting Company in Saudi Arabia.
Reflecting on her journey, Farhana credits her love for education and the desire to set an example for her children as her driving forces. She hopes her success inspires other mothers and students to pursue their aspirations despite challenges.
Her accomplishment stands as a beacon of motivation, encouraging students and professionals alike to chase their dreams with dedication and perseverance.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Focus> Markers of Excellence / by Radiance News Bureau / February 16th, 2025
At The Hindu Lit for Life 2025, Amal Allana speaks about her father Ebrahim Alkazi, who led the modern theatre movement in India with an extraordinary vision.
Amal Allana in conversation with Ritu Menon at The Hindu Lit for Life 2025. | Photo Credit: R. Ragu
Theatre director Amal Allana, who recently released a riveting biography of her father Ebrahim Alkazi: Holding Time Captive gave a racy account of Alkazi’s revolutionary contributions to arts and culture in the creative landscape that was emerging in pre-independence India into the later decades.
She said the title of her book was apt as she found the words scribbled by her father in his notes that read ‘I wish I could live longer to hold time captive.’
A six-minute documentary on Alkazi charting the journey of his quest for a liberal approach to the arts in the Indian sub-Continent preceded Amal Allana’s conversation with Ritu Menon at The Hindu Lit for Life session on the second day.
Setting the narrative in Bombay of the 1940s when Alkazi came as the son of a migrant trader from Saudi Arabia, Amal spoke about how his innovative ideas from the young age of 22 coupled with daring new experimental projects transformed the theatre movements pan-India and later led to the establishment of the National School of Drama in Delhi in the 1960s. It was the time when creative history was under-researched and Alkazi strode the stage with arrogance, resoluteness, and brilliance.
As the daughter, Amal brought a personal perspective to the intangible landscape of Alkazi’s passions as she step-by-step unfolded the layers of his cultural, artistic and nationalistic identity. “His pedagogical skills took form as a response to the social and political life. He introduced language in theatre and nationalised it,” she said.
With Sultan Padamsee (elder brother of filmmaker Alyque Padmasee) and other independent-minded creative individuals, he broke boundaries and embraced the radical and precarious theatre life. They were all progressives and reinforcing each other. Amal narrated how Alkazi went overseas to study modern theatre and took Nissim Ezekiel along. He had the disposition of taking people along with and their idea of total theatre included all forms of arts feeding into one another.
“So with music, lights, costumes, literature, discussions and brochures he created dramatic experiences translating, producing and directing plays from the Western pantheon,” Amal said and added Alkazi was particularly influenced by Tagore’s concept of Santiniketan integrating liberalism with fine arts.
Not only was Alkazi interested in training a body of thinking actors but he also trained audiences to appreciate modernity in theatre, she said.
The Hindu Lit for Life event is presented by KIA India and is in association with Christ University. Associate Partners: LIC, RR Donnelley, Blue Star, Brigade Group, NITTE Deemed-to-be University, PROchure, Singer, Chennai Port Authority & Kamarajar Port Ltd, Uttarakhand Tourism, Vajiram and Ravi, Indian Bank, Akshayakalpa and ICFAI Group. Realty Partner: Casagrand. Bookstore Partner: Crossword. Food Partner: Wow Momo, Beverage Partner: Beachville, Radio Partner: Big FM, TV Partner: Puthiya Thalaimurai Gift Partner: Anand Prakash. Supported by: US Consulate, Chennai, Water Partner: Repute
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Lit for Life / by Soma Basu / January 19th, 2025
Tasneem Fathima Khaleel has had a successful career in academia. However, quite remarkably, she came back to where she started – teaching. M A Siraj reports.
Few people end their careers where they first began; Professor Tasneem Fathima Khaleel is among those few. “I am excited about the opportunity to finish my career in the classroom. And, with a little help, I will be teaching in a new state-of-the-art…facility,” says Tasneem, the first-ever woman to have obtained a doctorate in the State of Mysore in 1970. Prior to returning as a professor of Botany, she served as the dean of faculty at College of Arts & Sciences for a decade at the Montana State University at Billings (MUSB).
Paving a new path
Tasneem has been teaching Botany in the United States for over 40 years and has received many awards for her teaching and research. She has headed, or has been a member on as many as 23 different academic bodies or advisory councils in the US. For her contribution to research, with nearly 50 research publications on subjects ranging from cyto-embriology to plant reproduction, she was awarded the ‘Outstanding Research Award’ in 1995 by the Montana Research Academy and has also won the Faculty Excellence Award five times.
The year 2014 was a special year for Tasneem – she had the rare honour of an award being named after her, for mentoring at the MUSB. Reno Charette, director for American-Indian Education, was adjudged the winner of the first ‘Prof Tasneem Fathima Khaleel Award for Mentoring’.
Tasneem studied in Bengaluru, before heading to the US in 1975 after marriage. An alumna of Central College, Bengaluru, she has coveted every opportunity to visit her ‘City of Gardens’ – which she ruefully admits is more a part of nostalgia rather than reality.
A passionate researcher, she recalls that very few women could be seen in higher studies in those days. Only a couple of them were pursuing PhD while she was registered in Bangalore University as well as teaching biology as an assistant professor at the University of Agricultural Sciences at Hebbal between 1968 and 1975. Her study of ‘Flora at the GKVK Campus’ and ‘Weeds in Karnataka’ are still quoted as seminal works.
Writing her own destiny
Tasneem had finished her BSc and MSc by the time she was barely 19 years old. Wanting to be a teacher, she had put in her application, but was rejected, as the dean told her, “You look like a school girl, how would the students take you seriously?”
Instead, he directed her to register for a PhD programme, which had just been started in the Bangalore University. The Doctorate took longer than usual to complete because there was lack of guidance and direction, and the programme had several fits and starts.
Finally, at 26 when she got her her doctorate, she was being looked as ‘a confirmed spinster’ in her own cultural surroundings. Marriage was nowhere on her mental radar. It took her brother several sittings to convince her of getting married.
Tasneem travelled a long and twisted path – one shaped by her culture and her drive to excel, to become the distinguished professor that she is today. For most Americans who had only preliminary idea of Islam, a woman with covered head and such drive for excellence and perseverance was a combination of incongruities. “Women have rights in Islam. Muslim women didn’t even have to fight for those rights. The religion has given them those rights,” she says.
Dr Stn Waitr, her successor, says, “Dean Khaleel has raised the level of rigour, excellence and success in the College of Arts & Sciences to a standard that should serve as a model for the entire institution.” Interestingly, Tasneem even built a herbarium at the MUSB, which has around 17,000 specimens and is currently engaged in digitising it. She recalls with pride that she was the most productive member on the faculty of science at the MSU, which has nearly 22,000 students today in two campuses. Tasneem’s most significant discovery was the finding of mammalian steroids in plants, which she says, are responsible for sex expression in plants.
Author of four books, 10 external and 17 internal grants at the MSUB, Tasneem is excited about beginning her teaching career once again. “It had never ended. I had maintained a room in my department building, even while I headed the faculty,” she says.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Content / by M.A. Siraj / June 26th, 2015
Professor Tasneem Khaleel is an extraordinary educator, who has set the standard for excellence among her peers and captured the hearts and impacted the lives of her students through exceptional teaching and caring.
For four decades, Professor Khaleel’s leadership in the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences has been innovative and visionary, influencing generations of science students.
Her absolute passion for supporting her students as well as MSUB’s mission have been recognized with numerous honors and awards. But, this year Dr. Khaleel is the recipient of an award she says she is proudest of—the inaugural Faculty Award for Exceptional Support of Students with Disabilities.
Tasneem’s positive nature and friendly manner are a welcoming presence, explained by her student nominator.
“Dr. Khaleel’s guidance has helped me adapt to college life. She patiently taught me how to use lab equipment and spent extra hours in the lab helping me with my assignments. I have talked to other students with disabilities, and they agree that she goes the extra mile to assure they have a fair chance,” her student nominator said.
“This reward is very meaningful to me,” she said. “These students are special to me. Anybody can teach an ‘A’ student—they just need pointed in the right direction. But to bring a student who has no confidence in their abilities due to his/her disability, who has to compete with the ‘A’ students in class, and to have the courage to come to class everyday. I think this is the biggest reward of teaching.”
She adds that she thinks it takes more courage on the part of the student than that of the instructor.
“The least the instructor can do is be supportive and give these students the self assurance they need to perform. Nothing is beyond their abilities.”
She is an example of someone who does not treat her role simply as a checklist of duties, but a mentor who uses her position to educate, inspire and encourage those around her.
As one colleague notes, “Tasneem is an exemplary educator and leader: She is innovative, she thinks about teaching and learning far beyond her own discipline, and she inspires others to do the same.”
source: http://www.msubillings.edu/faculty/2016/khaleel.htm / Montana State University Billings
Giving back to the community that has supported them for over 30 years was so important to Tasneem and Shafiq Khaleel that they set up an endowed scholarship at MSU Billings in 2006. The Khaleels place a high value on education and where it can take you in life. From the moment Billings, Montana, became their home, they have reached out to the community to share their Indian culture and to offer help to those in need or educate those who would discriminate against them.
Since those early years at MSU Billings, Dr. Tasneem Khaleel has achieved full professor, was chair of the Biological and Physical Sciences department for many years, served as chair of Graduate Studies, and was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Shafiq Khaleel has built a successful veterinary practice and a rose garden that is the envy of Billings. According to Tasneem, “We both came to this country with an education that has allowed us to be who we are today. If the scholarship allows even one student to achieve his/her goals, it will be one more educated citizen who will have the potential to make a difference.”
The Tasneem and Shafiq Khaleel Endowed Scholarship was designed to help motivated students achieve their goals and ease some of their financial burden in completing their education. The first scholarship was awarded in academic year 2008-2009.
Impact
I am humbled to have been given the opportunity to receive the special scholarship from you both. Dr. Tasneem Khaleel, you have been a role model for me since I had you as my first science class professor at MSUB. I was honored to meet Dr. Shafiq and shake your hand that one afternoon when you picked Dr. Khaleel up from work. The scholarship you both have provided will give me the opportunity to help pay for my college another year at MSUB; it will forever be remembered. Impacting my life to support one more year of school is a stepping stone that will forever support my future endeavors. Again, thank you.” — Sarah G., Biology and Pre-Professional Medicine major
Prof Farah Ghaus, Department of Anatomy, J.N. Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University with the Best Indian Golden Personalities Award, 2025
Aligarh:
Prof Farah Ghaus, Department of Anatomy, J.N. Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University has been honoured with the Best Indian Golden Personalities Award, 2025 by the Friendship Forum of India, New Delhi.
Prof Ghaus has been chosen for the award for her commitment to advancing educational excellence in India and empowerment through education, and for her relentless pursuit of innovation, creativity and quality of work on the educational landscape.
The award recognises her pivotal role in shaping the future of thousands of students through her deep commitment to educational reforms, mentorship, and for fostering a culture of lifelong learning.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards / by Radiance News Bureau / January 12th, 2025
When we talk about Baseball, India is not the country one would think about, but the game is not only catching up in the country, but India also has an internationally recognised umpire.
Meet Shaheen Begum, India’s first internationally recognised baseball umpire.
source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> Sports / by Shaik Zakeer Hussain / March 20th, 2020
