Tag Archives: Positive News of Muslim Women of Maharashta

Dr. Roshan Jahan Sheikh: Turning Adversity into an Extraordinary Journey of Courage

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA:

Dr.Roshan Shaikh’s extraordinary journey from double amputation,a financially struggling family to becoming an MBBS doctor, MD Pathologist, motivational speaker, award-winning personality.

Dr. Roshan  Sheikh is now the eminent name of the field of education and source of inspiration for thousands of students.She specially invited to Moulana Ajmal’s education institute,Assam, Shaheen group of Institutions, Bidar, Karnataka, Anjuman E Islam Mumbai ,and other dozens of prestigious institutes of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

Born in Mumbai to a family where her father worked as a vegetable vendor, Roshan Jahan dreamed of becoming a doctor. Her life changed dramatically when she was in XIth grade a tragic train accident resulted in the amputation of both her legs. She remained bedridden for more than three months, but the tragedy could not break her determination.

Her mother, who had studied only up to the fourth standard, became her strongest pillar of support. She took Roshan to school in a wheelchair whenever practical classes and examinations required her presence. Despite severe physical and financial difficulties, Roshan completed Class 12 with impressive marks and secured third rank in the handicapped category in the state medical entrance examination.

However, her struggle continued when she was denied medical admission because her disability was assessed at 96 percent, while prevailing regulations restricted admission for candidates considered more than 70 per cent disabled. Determined to realise her dream, she approached the Bombay High Court in 2011 with the support of orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Sanjay Kotharia and advocate P.B. Patil, who fought her case without charging a fee. The court recognised her capabilities and allowed her to pursue medical education.

Roshan subsequently secured admission to KEM Medical College, Mumbai. Medical education was challenging, involving practical work, emergencies, movement between buildings and long working hours. Yet she completed her MBBS in 2016 and later earned her MD in Pathology in 2021 from Mumbai.

Several people also supported her during this journey. Congress MLA Amin Patel helped finance her medical education, while BJP MP Kirit Somaiya supported her when she faced difficulties in pursuing postgraduate studies. Her case also contributed to changes that enabled her to continue her higher medical education.

After completing her MD, Roshan worked as a Consultant Pathologist and Cytopathologist. On 28 October 2022 she married to Mumbai based Buisnessman Salman Abdul Latif and became mother in 2026.

She also became a motivational speaker, travelling to educational institutions in Maharashtra, Karnataka and other states and inspiring thousands of students with her life story. She is currently at home, taking care of her three-month-old baby girl, while remaining socially active and sharing her old and new posts and videos.

Her achievements have earned her several prestigious honours, including the Hindustan Times Women of the Year Award (2018) at the national level. Other recognitions include the Shoorveer Award, Bharat Prerna Award, Award for Bravery and Courage from the Bombay High Court, Inqulab Award, Galli News Griffin Award for Women Impact, Cavinkare Ability Award, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award, Sahas Ability Award, Microsoft Bravery Award and SABAL Award from Tata, among others.

Her personal life has also entered a new chapter. Around three years ago, she married Mumbai-based handsome businessman Salman Abdul Latif. Despite her high level of disability, she successfully went through pregnancy and became a mother to a baby girl three months ago.

Dr. Roshan Jahan Sheikh has transformed adversity into purpose. Her life stands as a powerful message that physical limitations need not limit human dreams, and that courage, education and determination can turn seemingly impossible goals into reality.

Speaking to Muslim Mirror Roshan says, “Life may knock you down and may even try to break you, but getting back on your feet is in your hands. If I can overcome such a great storm and become an MD doctor, then you too can fulfil every dream you have. Keep faith in Allah and move forward,” Dr. Roshan Jahan Jawwad Sheikh said.

She further advised people not to dwell on what they have lost or what they do not have. “Do not focus on what is gone or what you do not have. Instead, put all your strength into what remains and into what you can become,” she said.

source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Positive Story / by Imran Inamdar / September 08th, 2026

Indian skimmer conservationist wins award for community conservation model

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

Banner image: Images courtesy of Parveen Shaikh/Whitley Award.

Scientist Parveen Shaikh has been awarded a 2026 Whitley Award by the UK charity Whitley Fund for Nature, recognising her efforts to protect the endangered Indian skimmer along India’s rivers. The award comes with funding to expand her community-led conservation model from Chambal river to Prayagraj, where the Ganga and Yamuna rivers converge.

The Indian skimmer is identified by its vivid orange bill and its habit of flying low over water, skimming the surface to catch fish. India holds over 90% of the world’s population of the bird, with roughly 3,000 individuals, making the country critical to the species’ survival. The birds breed on seasonal sandbars and mid-river islands, making their nests vulnerable to changes in river flow, predators, and human disturbance.

When Shaikh, who works with the Bombay Natural History Society, began her “Guardians of the Skimmer” initiative on the Chambal river, the local Indian skimmer population stood at around 400 individuals in 2017. As of 2025, the population has grown to approximately 1,000. Nest survival has nearly doubled, rising from 14 percent to 27 percent, a direct result of community involvement and scientific monitoring.

“Local guardians help identify new sandbars, monitor nests, and prevent disturbance during the breeding season. Some now proudly refer to the skimmers as “our birds,” which reflects a growing sense of ownership,” says Shaikh.

With the Whitley Award funding, her team will now expand to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradash, a place of cultural significance and also home to breeding populations of Indian skimmers, river lapwings, and little terns. The challenges here include heavy boat traffic, fishing activity, religious practices along the riverbank, and urban pollution all increase pressure on nesting colonies. The team plans to appoint new local guardians, install predator-proof fencing, and use GPS mapping for real-time nest monitoring.

The Whitley Award, also known as the Green Oscars, is given annually to those achieving exceptional success in grassroots community-led protection for threatened species and habitats.

This year, the award includes two Indians among the six winners. In addition to Shaikh, the other winner from India is Barkha Subba who is leading the first grassroots movement to protect the Himalayan salamander and its fragile wetland habitat in the Darjeeling Himalaya, West Bengal.

Read about Parveen Shaikh’s work in Chambal river and the community champions that she works with in this 2021 story on Jagdish, one of the nest guardians.

source: http://www.india.mongabay.com / Mongabay / Home> Global> Beyond Protected Areas / April 30th, 2026

In a first, Maharashtra gets first Muslim female IAS officer – Adeeba Anam Ashfaque Ahmed

Yawatmal (Vidharba Region), MAHARASHTRA :

Do it again and again. Consistency makes the raindrops create holes in the rock. Whatever is difficult can be done easily with regular attendance, attention, and action. Perhaps imbibed by the words of Israelmore Ayivor, an inspirational writer, blogger and LifeSkills Entrepreneur, Adeeba Anam Ashfaque Ahmed from Yavatmal in Maharashtra created a record of sorts to become the first female Muslim IAS officer after successfully clearing the civil services with All India Rank 142.

The success saga of Adeeba only proves the awareness shown by Muslim girls to take up civil services exams breaking the barriers.

On cloud nine are Adeeba’s parents, relatives, friends and more particularly her teachers on seeing her victory after three failures. She came out with flying colours in her fourth attempt after getting the necessary guidance and coaching from Jamia Millia Residential Coaching Academy in Delhi.

Can’t imagine a girl hailing from a parched and drought-prone Yavatmal district bringing glory to her native. All because of her patience and consistency as to the quote of American business honcho Robert Kiyosaki – “Successful people don’t fear failure but understand that it’s necessary to learn and grow from.” It is learnt that Maharashtra hardly witnessed any female Muslim IAS officers in the last one decade or so.

Kudos to her dad Ashfaq Ahmed, an auto driver, who despite financial constraints strained his nerves to make his daughter’s civil service dream a reality. Of course, her mom and uncle were very supportive in ensuring she achieved her IAS after successive failures. Adeeba started her early education at Zafarnagar Zilla Parishad Urdu Primary School, where she studied from Class 1 to Class 7. Thereafter, she finished schooling from Class 8 to 10 at Zilla Parishad Government Girls High School. And she completed her 11th and 12th grades at Zilla Parishad Ex-Government College in Yavatmal.

Armed with BSc Mathematics from Inamdar Senior College in Pune, she joined a coaching academy in Pune to take UPSC foundation classes based on the advice of her maternal uncle Jan Nizamuddin Sahib, who works as secretary at Seva NGO.

She got interested after meeting a few IAS officers and was determined to become an IAS. The road to civil services wasn’t smooth for her as she faced many obstacles. However, she was firm and worked relentlessly to taste success.

Noteworthy to mention that her dad Ashfaq Ahmed dropped out of school after tenth standard due to family circumstances. But decided not to let her daughter face the same fate, left no stone unturned and encouraged Adeeba to do her UG. Right from her school days, she had a fascination for civil services inspired by the young IAS officers’ remarkable feat through newspapers. Since then, she has been working towards her civil service dream.

In an interview to a local television channel, she is reported to have said that studying isn’t easy, especially for girls in patriarchal communities like Muslim, but her parents stood by her. She expressed her gratitude to mom, who extended support for her in her endeavours. The community was against girls pursuing higher studies, but her dad told her not to worry about society, and focus on her goal.

It is interesting to infer that she chose Urdu Literature as her optional subject despite having a science background. However, she displayed her prowess in clearing the civil services with confidence. A total of 32 candidates from Jamia Millia Islamia and 3 from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Residential Coaching Academy (RCA) have figured in the UPSC Civil Services 2024 Merit List. Of the 1009 candidates selected, only two Muslim candidates figured in the top 100.

She said that IAS is the first step to serve the society and added that her area of interest is to work for the underprivileged, more specifically girls. And she wanted to contribute to the education and health sector as a civil servant. Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) RCAs are renowned academies in the field of coaching students for Civil Services. They provide free coaching and training for preparing for the Civil Services Examination for candidates from SC, ST, Women, and Minority communities.

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Focus> Markers of Excellence / by M Rafi Ahmed, Radiance News Bureau / April 28th, 2025

Malkapur Student Nazifa Namus Wins Top Prize in District Speech Competition

Malkapur (Buldhana District) , MAHARASHTRA :

Malkapur, Buldhana :

In a district-level speech competition organized by the Umeed Foundation, Malkapur’s Al-Huda Urdu Girls School and Junior College student, Nazifa Namus, emerged victorious, securing the first position.

Daughter of Tariqullah Khan, Namus impressed judges and spectators alike with her eloquence.

She was awarded an honorary certificate and a cash prize of eleven thousand rupees.

The event, held on Sunday, garnered attention from dignitaries such as Abdul Karim Salar, President of the Education Society, and Rajesh Akde, a prominent member of the Provincial Assembly.

Also present were Maulana Ashfaq Qasmi, Haji Rasheed Khan and senior police officials from the city.

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Education / by Zaina Aman (headline edited) / Radiance News Bureau / March 06th, 2024