Tag Archives: Tahseen Banu Dawadi – student – South Western Railway Womens Welfare Organisation School – Hubballi – Karnataka

First UPSC coaching centre for poor Muslim girls in Mumbai

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA:

First UPSC coaching centre for poor Muslim girls in Mumbai
The free coaching centre on Mohammed Ali Road boasts residential facilities for out-of-town girls

Muslim girl aspirants of civil services have just got a reason to rejoice. The Fatimabai Musa Patel Competitive Examination Training Centre for Women (residential and non-residential) at Mohammed Ali Road, opening this week, fulfils an old need of the community.

Initially accommodating 20 residential and around 30 non-residential candidates, the Centre helps give wings to many girls who aspire to become civil servants and want to give the tough IAS and provincial services exams a shot.

“The need for a proper place exclusive for the girls who want to prepare for UPSC and MPSC exams has been felt for a long. Some like-minded people have joined hands to prepare this facility,” said former MLA Bashir Musa Patel who owns this place and has dedicated it to the memory of his mother Fatimabai.

Though Patel and a few other good Samaritans came forward to create this Centre, the motivating force is former CEO of Haj Committee of India and ex-registrar, Mumbai University, Dr Maqsood Ahmed Khan. With experience of mentoring civil services aspirants at the Haj House’s coaching centre, Khan was suited to show the path here too.  “They roped me in to do honourary mentorship here. We have already selected candidates. Initially most of the candidates are those who previously appeared for the UPSC entrance examinations but didn’t succeed and wanted to prepare again,” said Khan.

On Friday, the Centre’s director Zubia Shaikh, through a power-point presentation, explained the abysmal low representation of Muslims in the civil services. According to the Sachar Commission Report, the representation of Muslims in the civil services is only 3%.

“This Centre will propel girls to reach their goals. Even if some don’t succeed in these tough examinations, the very dream and preparations will equip them to face challenges in life,” said Shaikh.

Two candidates who cracked UPSC exams last year and were allotted IPS cadre-Mavis Tak and Tahseen Banu Dawadi-too addressed the small gathering virtually. Both are preparing again to upgrade their UPSC ranks.

“The facility created here for the girls is very important. It is not possible to prepare for this examination at home as you need the right environment, guidance, mentorship and company of fellow aspirants,” said Tak who graduated from Mira Road-based Royal College.

Soon after Tak, daughter of a freelance translator cracked the UPSC exams, several organisations and individuals, including Mira Road based ex-MLC Muzaffar Hussain and Royal College, felicitated her and her parents. In her interview to TOI, she had said that her father was the main motivating force as he had dreams of becoming an IAS. “He wanted me to achieve what he could not,” Tak had told TOI.

Hijab-wearing Dawadi comes from Karnataka and said that hijab was no hindrance to education and qualifying for the UPSC. Ayesha Kazi who is awaiting her UPSC final results this year said a centre like this where girls felt secured, confident and comfortable was needed to encourage others to aim for a career in civil services.

The Centre is getting community’s applause. Philanthropist Kaderbhai Fazlani lauded the amenities.

“The densely populated Muslim pockets in the city do not have enough facilities for students, especially girls, to concentrate and study for UPSC exams. More such centres are needed at different pockets in the city,” said businessman Sabir Nirban.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Mumbai News / by Mohammed Wajihuddin, TNN / February 26th, 2023

Train guard’s daughter only Muslim woman in Karnataka to clear UPSC

Hubballi (Dharwad District) KARNATAKA :

Dawadi secured 482nd rank in her second attempt. 

Tahseen Banu Dawadi
Tahseen Banu Dawadi

Bengaluru : 

Monday was a momentous day in the history of the school run by the South Western Railway Women’s Welfare Organisation (SWRWWO) in Hubballi.

It held a mega felicitation function for its only student in its 32-year-old history who cracked the Civil Services Exam in the results announced a week ago. What makes it all the more remarkable is that Tahseen Banu Dawadi, the only Muslim woman to clear the exams out of 26 in the State, is the daughter of a retired goods train guard. Dawadi secured 482nd rank in her second attempt. 

Khadar Basha, who retired from Railways as a chief trains clerk in 2012, told TNIE, “I was very happy when the results were out. I was confident she would clear it. My two sons and two daughters are all good in academics. It was a proud moment for me when the General Manager, SWR and the Divisional Railway Manager, Hubballi invited us to their office and honoured my daughter.” 

Dawadi, 24, who completed her B.Sc in Agriculture from University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad in 2019, set her sights on the civil services exams when she was studying in the final year of her graduation. 

She told The New Indian Express, “My father and mother Hasina Begum supported me and even sent me to Mumbai Hajj House in Mumbai for my coaching, which is conducted by the Ministry of Minority Affairs. I could not clear even the preliminary exams in my first attempt in 2020. But in my next attempt in 2021, I have cleared the prelims, mains and the interview. I was confident I would clear it as I have been good in academics throughout.” She also took coaching from the Residential Coaching Academy of Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi. 

Dawadi says, “It was a surprise for me that I secured 482nd rank out of 680. I had thought I would be in the bottom five. I am also the only Muslim girl from Karnataka to clear the exams,” she said. Sharing her keenness to take up a career in bureaucracy, she said, “I was keen on civil services as it directly gives one a chance to serve the society. I always wanted to be in a government job.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by S Lalitha, Express News Service / June 08th, 2022