Category Archives: Business & Economy

Private Breeding Farm in Telangana Rears Goats of Imported Breeds

Bhoothpur Town (Mahbubnagar District), TELANGANA :

Anwar, a native of Bhoothpur town in the Mahbubnagar district, opened a private goat breeding farm in his native town in 2018, with the intention to rear goats of different breeds.

A private goat breeding farm in Telangana has been rearing goats of different breeds with utmost care. Anwar, a native of Bhoothpur in the Mahbubnagar district, opened a private goat breeding farm in his native town in 2018, with the intention to rear goats of different breeds.

They include African Boer, a breed developed in India after being imported from South Africa, Mewati of Haryana, Hyderabadi and other domestic and foreign breeds of goats.

The farm has been developing new breeds by mating a male goat of one breed with a female goat of another breed.

In a first of its kind in the state, the farm has implemented a cage system, where the goats are kept in cages according to their breed. The cage system is built on a plastic floor with holes three to four feet height from the ground for the disposal of waste from the goats. The cage system is built in a way that helps keep the cages clean and the goats safe from diseases, Bhoothpur animal husbandry development officer Madhusudan said.

In order to develop a new breed, one male goat has to mate with female goats of three generations. The process takes almost two-and-a-half years depending upon the preparedness of the female goat to mate with the male.

“We bought goats and sheep from different places and performed some experiments in which we succeeded. We are not selling them as we aim to supply the best breeds to the farmers. It is a costly procedure but we are doing it for the farmers,” Anwar told News18.

The farm has been mating breed couples such as Mewati – Sojat, Mewati – Hyderabadi, Domestic breed – African Boer and so on.

Anwar told News18 that he has spent Rs 25 lakh on the farm so far. Currently, the farm has 160 goats, but Anwar aims to rear as many as 10,000 goats on his farm.

source: http://www.news18.com / News18.com / Home> English edition / by Mohd Rafi Ahmed Ahmed / April 01st, 2024

10 inspirational stories of visionaries from Kerala

KERALA :

Kannur

Among the change makers from Kerala are pioneers and achievers in various fields of life. They have either been trying to bring about changes in society or the fields of business. They have used music, literature, and sometimes love to bring humanity closer, to spread joy and peace.

The list includes social activists, singers, spiritual mentors, lawyers, teachers, and even IAS officers.

Ayisha Abdul Basith

Ayisha sings Naat or Islamic devotional songs, and at the age of 20, she has enthralled listeners in over 80 countries. Born in Kerala, Ayisha has migrated to Abu Dhabi, where she is pursuing spiritual music as a way to universal peace and joy, as she puts it.

Safna Nazruddin

She dreamt of becoming someone who could help the disadvantaged sections of society. Safna Nazruddin thought being an IAS officer would help her achieve that goal.

And she took her dream so seriously that at the age of 23, she became Kerala’s youngest Muslim IAS officer.

PC Musthafa

He wanted to pull his family out of their poverty. Growing up in rural Wayanad, watching his father toil in the fields as a farm labourer, he wanted to change his parents’ lives for the better.

When he completed his studies at IIM, he started small with his cousins in a 500 square feet room, selling 100 packets of idli batter to 30 shops in Bangalore.

Today, he is the king of idli batter supplying in more than 10 countries outside India and reigning over a 4000 crore business.

VP Suhara

VP Suhara has been fighting for changes in the Muslim personal law and is one of the petitioners appealing for equality of gender in the matter of succession rights.

She says she is not very optimistic, but she is not ready to give up her fight.

Kadeeja Mumtaz

Kadeeja is a novelist who won the Sahitya Academy award for her novel. But today she has taken to activism on a full-time basis, and her main preoccupation is with bringing different religious communities together to improve mutual understanding and communication.

Advocate Sukkur

Advocate Sukkur did the unthinkable when he remarried his legally wedded wife just to make a point to all his fellow Muslims.

He wanted to tell them that they can overcome the barriers to succession rights of their daughters by remarrying their spouses under the Special Marriages Act.

Noor Jaleela

Noor means light, and the luminous smile on Noor Jaleela’s face echoes her name. She was born without her four limbs. But her smile does not betray any such disability. She has been a model for courage and creativity in the worst circumstances.

She has been an influencer and also an artist, and a singer.

Padma Shri Mumtaz Ali

Mystic and spiritual mentor Padmashri Mumtaz Ali, or Sri M as his followers call him, hails from Thiruvananthapuram and heads a spiritual group called Satsang Foundation. His spiritual pursuits and his work among the people as a symbol of the oneness of humanity and the divine have made him transcend all man-made boundaries and divisions.

He has become an example of universal oneness and love as his life’s work and teachings appeal to people of different nationalities and religions. He asks them to continue following their religion while practising meditation and other spiritual pursuits to realise themselves.

 Hadiya Hakeem

Can a football mean anything other than a game? Well, Hadiya Hakeem has turned a football into a statement for the empowerment of women.

She is a freestyle football performer born in Kozhikode who has overcome all possible barriers of gender, nationality, and religion through her talents and her hard work in excelling in a unique kind of performance.

Onampally Faisy

Progressive scholar and Sanskrit enthusiast Onampally Faisy has tried to transcend boundaries by promoting interfaith education in his madrassa. A well-known scholar from Thrissur in Kerala, he has been working towards building bridges of understanding and communication between Muslims and other communities in Kerala.

Since he believes in becoming the change he wants, he started teaching holy texts of other religions in his madrassas in order to remove the veil of ignorance and bring communities closer.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> The Changemakers / by Sreelatha Manon / August 17th, 2025

Small Traders Emerge as Models of Financial Discipline in Bidar

Bidar, KARNATAKA :

Abdul Jabbar Siddiqi, a key leader of Karunya Society, addressing the event titled Community Connect Mission & Vision in Bidar

Bidar:

In a remarkable example of ethical finance and grassroots development, small and medium traders in Bidar have demonstrated exemplary financial discipline by repaying their loans promptly and in full. This achievement, driven by the Karunya Society’s interest-free microfinance programme, was celebrated at a recent city event titled Community Connect Mission & Vision.

Abdul Jabbar Siddiqi, a key leader of Karunya Society, revealed a striking figure – 98% of loans issued to small traders have been repaid on time. To him, the statistic is more than a financial milestone; it reflects the honesty, sincerity, and perseverance of the beneficiaries.

“These traders were once trapped in debt cycles with exploitative moneylenders,” Siddiqi said. “Today, they are finally enjoying the full rewards of their hard work.”

Karunya Society operates 47 branches nationwide, disbursing nearly ₹1.25 crore in loans each day and supporting around 1.25 lakh families.

Branch head Mujtaba Khan detailed the local outcomes: over the past seven years, around 3,500 families in the district have benefitted from ₹60 crore in business loans and ₹2.4 crore in emergency hand loans. Beneficiaries – such as Panchsheela Garments, Pramila Tailor, Ravi Kani Footwear, Shiv Kumar Udaygir, and Faheem Qureshi – shared heartfelt testimonies of how the programme transformed their livelihoods.

Karnataka Minister for Municipal Administration and Hajj, Rahim Khan, praised the effort, admitting he had doubts when the society launched seven years ago.

“Many banks were struggling back then, and I wondered whether this interest-free model could survive,” he said. “But its growth and impact are nothing short of a miracle.” He commended the society’s volunteers for their selfless service, noting none take personal profit.

Former Managing Director of Bidar District Credit and Cooperative Bank, S. Kudre, underlined the programme’s significance, pointing out that many interest-based microfinance institutions are now in crisis. “An interest-free society with 3,500 active members thriving like this shows the model works – and India needs it now more than ever,” he said.

Dr. Abdul Qadeer, Chairman of Shaheen Group of Institutions, urged affluent community members to deposit surplus funds into Karunya Society to enable more interest-free lending. Similarly, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind’s city president, Mohammed Muazzam, proposed opening of a new branch in Bidar’s New Town to widen the reach.

Karunya Society’s model is proving to be more than a financial service – it is a movement built on trust, compassion, and shared prosperity. By empowering small traders to escape debt traps and build sustainable businesses, it offers a credible, humane alternative to conventional interest-based finance.

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News / by Mohamed Atherulla Shariff / August 13th, 2025

AMU students develop innovative delivery drone prototype

Aligarh, UTTAR PRADESH :

Students of AMU with their delivery drone prototype

Aligarh :

Showcasing creativity and technological ingenuity, a team of final-year students from the University Polytechnic, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), has developed a Delivery Drone Prototype, a promising step towards autonomous aerial delivery systems.

Guided by former Principal of University Polytechnic, Prof. Arshad Umar and Dr. Tanveer Hasan, Associate Professor at the Polytechnic, the student team comprising Saubaan Ahmad Siddiqui, Ehtesham Ahmad, Shabab Khan, Ankit Tomar, Anas Khan, Muzaffar Hussain, and Omaan Ahmad Ansari successfully carried out six autonomous delivery missions within the university campus over a span of two months.

Equipped with real-time video streaming, autonomous navigation, gesture-controlled backup, and a custom dashboard to track flight data and delivery paths, the drone highlights the university’s commitment to hands-on, interdisciplinary learning.

This initiative is part of AMU’s larger vision to promote student-led innovation and applied research in emerging technologies. The project has received wide appreciation in academic circles for its relevance to real-world logistics, emergency response, and smart campus solutions.

Although this is a prototype for academic use, the team plans to enhance the system with AI-based object detection and an expanded operational range, reflecting the university’s emphasis on innovation-driven education and future-ready skills.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Aasha Khosa, ATV / July 28th, 2025

Delhi: How Women Are Stitching New Lives from Fabric of Loss and Thread of Hope After in Riot-Hit Shiv Vihar

DELHI :

Women at the Sabaat Center share a moment of joy, building community through their shared work

New Delhi: 

Shiv Vihar carries the silence of broken dreams. The 2020 Delhi riots swept through this northeast Delhi neighbourhood. Homes were burned, shops looted and lives uprooted. Among the soot and rubble, 19-year-old Shumayla and her family lost everything. Their house was reduced to memories.

Today, she sits at a sewing machine in the Sabaat Centre, threading fabrics into full-grown suits. “I began at ground level. Now I can make entire suits. It feels nice to create something on my own,” she said.

For her, the needle of her sewing machine is like a compass guiding her towards hope.

The Sabaat Center at Shiv Vihar

Sewing Stories with Sabaat

An initiative of the Miles2Smiles Foundation, the centre was born from the same flames that destroyed Shumayla’s world. Its founder, Aasif Mujtaba, witnessed firsthand how survivours in Shiv Vihar held together their shattered worlds.

“I saw women in Shiv Vihar holding their worlds together with grace, and I knew they deserved more than just pity,” he said.

From this empathy came Sabaat, a place where women learn to stitch, create and rebuild their identities.

Shabnam, a mother of three, leaves behind her home chores for a few hours to learn something creative at the centre.

“While managing the house along with the work is difficult, I love coming here,” she says.

At the center, women thread, stitch and craft, turning cloth into outfits, tote bags, pouches, magnets, mugs and keychains.

Women work at sewing machines in the Sabaat Center, crafting outfits and other merchandise

Aasif calls their work a story: “Every tote bag, keychain, magnet or cup has a story of survival, strength and hope.”

Farheen Ansari, a fashion designer who leads the training, ensures their skills match market demands. The women attend morning sessions from 9 am to 11 am, growing from beginners to masters over six months or more, depending on their pace.

“We get orders from local boutiques,” she told TwoCircles.net.

Their crafts are sold through the Sabaat Store, returning income directly to the women who made them.

Beyond Stitching

But Sabaat’s work is not limited to sewing. Women learn how to handle orders, set prices, brand products and even promote them online. Acquiring these skills are essential to turn trainees into entrepreneurs.

“Whenever a student learns something new, I tell her to implement it at home,” says Farheen, adding that some do just that.

Sabaat empowers women by providing emotional support alongside practical skill training

Women like Sangeeta, Daraqshan, Saiba and Gulafshan have started their own small businesses.

Initiated for survivors of hate violence, widows and women from marginalised and economically vulnerable groups, Sabaat has already trained 70 women.

“Impressively, at least 70% of them have achieved financial independence, whether working within Sabaat or starting their own ventures,” claims Aasif.

Women at the center undergo an extensive training program for manufacturing products

In addition to offering skill-based training, the programme is also bridging trauma and offering dignity, trust and a voice. Most days end in shared smiles. The women’s laughter fills the centre, evidence that even broken neighbourhoods can teach courage.

Amid ongoing struggles for justice and pending compensation, Sabaat brings healing where paperwork lags. Plans are underway to expand, bringing this safe space to more women and more neighbourhoods.

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> India News> Indian Politics> Indian Muslim> Lead Story> Women / by Maryam Hassan & Unzila Sheikh, TwoCircles.net / August 10th, 2025

Jamaat Expands Interest-Free Finance Network to Boost Economic Stability in Karnataka

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Bengaluru:

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Karnataka is stepping up its drive to promote economic stability by expanding interest-free financial institutions across the state. At a meeting with Souharda Cooperative Society leaders, JIH Karnataka State President Dr. Belgami Mohammed Sa’d stressed the need to free people from exploitative moneylenders.

Dr. Sa’d outlined plans to set up interest-free cooperative societies in major cities and towns as the first step in a state-wide mission. “Economic stability is a cornerstone of positive social change,” he said, urging community support to replicate the model in more regions.

JIH Karnataka State Secretary Mohammed Yusuf Kanni highlighted the success of existing Souharda Societies. About 18,000 members are part of these societies in Bidar, Kalburgi, Raichur, Ilkal, Bellary, Davangere, Bhatkal, Udupi, and Mangalore. Last year, they handled transactions worth ₹125 crore.

Mr. Kanni announced expansion to Sindhanur, Hubli, Hassan, and Bijapur by March 2026. He said the aim is to give more people access to interest-free finance, promote equitable participation, and reduce reliance on conventional banks.

Mriza Abid Baig Falahi from Jamaat’s Shariah Council recently visited societies in Bidar, Kalburgi, Raichur, Ilkal, and Bellary. His inspection focused on Shariah compliance and staff training in Islamic finance modules like Mudarabah, Musharakah, and Murabaha. “Interest-free finance is an ethical necessity for a just and inclusive economy,” he said.

Prominent members from different districts attended, including Mujtaba Khan from Bidar, Hamza Muazzam from Kalburgi, Imtiaz Baig from Davangere, Nazeer Ahmed Qazi from Bhatkal, and Riaz Ahmed from Koppal. Souharda Societies’ convenor Rafiq Ahmed opened the meeting, focusing on operational expansion, Shariah compliance, and greater community involvement.

The initiative is part of Jamaat’s mission to drive societal reform through ethical measures. By offering cooperative, interest-free finance, it aims to empower individuals, support small businesses, and protect vulnerable people from debt traps.

With planned expansions, JIH Karnataka hopes to build a strong network of Shariah-compliant institutions. Leaders believe sustained community participation will make interest-free finance a widely accessible reality in the state.

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Report / by Radiance News Bureau / August 13th, 2025

Kerala-born entrepreneur Shaikh Mohammed is Kyrgyz major general

Kozhikode, KERALA / KYRGYZSTAN :

Man from Kozhikode left state at young age, visited last in 2007.

Kozhikode:

Kerala-born entrepreneur Shaikh Rafik Mohammed, 42, has been appointed Major General of Kyrgyzstan, in a first for an Indian in the Central Asian country.

Mr Mohammed assumed the prestigious post in the presence of defence minister Ali Mirza at an official ceremony held in Kyrgyzstan. He holds Kyrgyzstan nationality, conferred by former President Kurmanbek Saliyevich Bakiyev, whom he had met in his late-20s while working in Iran.

Mr Mohammed, who heads Gammon Middle East in Saudi Arabia, used to be an adviser to Kyrgistan President and the latest appointment is in recognition of his contributions to the country, sources in Dubai said.

Rafik, known as Rafi here is the son of Late Abdul Hameed and Fathima of Eravannur, 12 km from Kozhikode. He had studied up to Class VII at local AMPL School, Eravannur. According to his sister Rukhiya K.M, Rafik left for Mumbai at the age of 20 and then to Gulf. “We are all elated by his elevation to the prestitgious post. He called us on Saturday and we spoke a lot. Mr Mohammed’s last visit to Kozhikode was in 2007,” Ms Rukhiya told this newspaper. Mr Mohammed, who has an Iranian wife, has made it big from a humble background. His father was a fisherman and struggled to make two ends meet.

Mr Mohammed’s neighbour and distant relative, Mr Azis Master U.P., says he maintains a warm relation with his birthplace. “It was Rafik who gave ’25 lakh for the construction of a madrasa recently. Similarly he will reach out to anyone in time of need,” Mr Azis master said.

Sources said that Mr Mohammad keeps cordial relations with major political leaders of Kerala. He holds Kyrgyzstan nationality conferred by its former President Kurmanbek Saliyevich Bakiyev whom he casually met in his 20s while working in Iran. Later, he became the adviser to Mr Bakiyev.

Dubai reports said Mr Mohammed, after selling the successful project to the Iranian government, went to Kyrgyzstan and presented a similar project to Mr Kurmanbek, then a governor who was preparing to contest presidential elections.

After Kurmanbek won the election, he appointed young Rafik as his chief adviser – a milestone in his career.

He developed wide network of friends in the Central Asian country, which has witnessed a rapid flow of foreign investment and reversal of socialist mode of development to a capitalist mode of production, reports said.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation / by Amiya Meethal / January 02nd, 2017

Obaid Siddiqui revolutionized bio-sciences

Basti, UTTAR PRADESH / Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Obaid Siddiqui receiving Padma Vibhushan from the President

Genes and DNA are the words we hear frequently on our Televisions and other media. Genetic mapping has revolutionised the way humans understand organisms in general and themselves in particular. The past few decades have witnessed developments in biotechnology and genetics leading us to understand and treat diseases hitherto thought curable. Very few among us know that one of the important men who laid the foundation of this revolution was an Indian, Obaid Siddiqui.

Born on this day in 1932 in Basti, Uttar Pradesh, Obaid Siddiqui completed his Masters in Botany from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in 1953. Initially, he joined AMU as an agricultural scientist, after his Masters, and later moved to Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. At IARI Siddiqui had prepared a testbed for wheat crossbreeds. But a devastating hail storm destroyed the crop and ruined his year-long labour. A frustrated Siddiqui, who had a keen interest in genetics, an emerging field at the time, wrote a letter to Professor Guido Pontecorvo at Glasgow asking him for a research opportunity with him. Pontecorvo accepted him and Siddiqui started his PhD at Glasgow on microbial systems – a paradigm shift from Botany.

During his PhD, Obaid made some path-breaking observations, which revolutionised the field of Genetics. Two very important observations made by him  were:

  • His studies were the first reports of fine mapping of a gene.
  • He pointed out the concentration of mutational sites in a small part of genes.

Obaid Siddiqui with Semour Benzer

So, when he submitted his PhD thesis in 1961 Siddiqui had already revolutionised the sciences in general and genetics in particular. Considering the fact that he shifted from Botany to a different field makes his achievement even more stellar.

The same year Siddiqui moved to Pennsylvania to work with Alan Garen as a postdoctoral fellow. Here, he discovered the suppressors of “nonsense” mutations. In simpler words, he discovered why a few mutations in a gene would not express themselves and remain suppressed. The discovery was a logical result of his earlier pioneering work in mapping of genes. Another important impact of this discovery was the finding of “nonsense” codons, the stop signal of genes. Har Gobind Khorana, Robert Holley, and Marshall Nirenberg received the 1968 Nobel prize for identifying “nonsense” codons and they personally acknowledged the role of Siddiqui in their research.

Siddiqui did not pursue his study of Codons further which got others a Nobel Prize because his heart was not in the USA. Siddiqui wanted to return to India to serve his motherland. This selfless patriot left the lucrative opportunities and told Alan Garen, in 1962, that he wanted to return to India.

Garen asked renowned physicist Leo Szilard to write to Homi Bhabha asking him to arrange a position for Siddiqui in India. Ignoring the opposition from fellow scientists in India, Bhabha showed confidence in Siddiqui and gave him the responsibility of establishing a molecular biology unit at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).

Obaid ASiddiqui with Wife Asiya Siddiqui

At TIFR, Siddiqui nurtured a younger crop of scientists and also brought Indians working in foreign labs back to India. With one of his students, P. Vijay Sarathy, Siddiqui showed that recombinant bacteria inherit DNA of bi-parental origin thus laying the foundation of principles of lateral gene transfer. In layman’s language his findings are the basis of the now well-known principle that genes pass from one generation to another.

With his other students like Kavita Arora and Veronica Rodrigues, Siddiqui showed that taste and smell of Drosophila have a genetic basis and thus opened a new field of chemosensory neurogenetics. These findings led others to research the role of genes on sensory perceptions, learning and memory.

Siddiqui was not a man who would compartmentalize his intellect to one branch of science. He contributed to fields as diverse as plants, Drosophila, bacteria, and genetics. He did not stop at research. He was an institution builder and established the National Centre for Biological Sciences in 1992 in Bangalore. Siddiqui was known for nurturing young minds by giving them the freedom to question.

Moreover, Siddiqui was a man who believed that sciences cannot operate in isolation of society. Scientists have a social responsibility and Siddiqui understood this. He stood for Human Rights, campaigned against communalisation and took part in social movements. Not only a music lover of Hindustani Music, Siddiqui was an established Sarod artist.

Obaid Siddiqui was awarded the second-highest civilian award, Padma Vibhusahan, by the Government of India. He was the true son of the soil who left lucrative offers in a foreign land to establish a research culture in India. His students are now serving the nation, which includes the present Principal Scientific Advisor of India, Professor Vijay Raghavan. 

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Saquib Salim / July 26th, 2021

‘Karnataka Kala Ratna Award’ presented to Radiulla Khan

Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

Radiulla Khan, Organising Secretary of Mysuru District Kannada Sahitya Parishat, being presented with ‘Karnataka Kala Ratna’ State Award during the workshop on ‘Labour Rights’ organised by Karmikara Hakkugala Seva Samiti at Rotary Hall on JLB Road in city recently.

The award was presented to Radiulla Khan in recognition for his works in multilingual films especially in Kannada language as a junior artiste.

M.S. Naveen, Chief Legal Aid Guardian, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), V. Vinay Kumar from Employees State Insurance Corporation, industrialists and social workers M. Lalita Rao, Shubh Krupesh, V. Ramamurthy and Prashanth P. Aask, Actor-director Mahesh K.H. Belur, journalist Kasthurichandru and others were present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Photo News (headline edited) / July 26th, 2025

10 extraordinary men and women of Bihar who changed society

BIHAR :

New Delhi :

Among them are women who, through their work, have not only guided society but also become role models themselves. With courage, dedication, hard work, and limited resources, they are bringing about changes.

The list includes teachers, entrepreneurs, social workers, and heralds of change. Their stories fill us with pride and remind us that you can realise your objectives of serving society.

Khursheed Ahmad

Khursheed Ahmad has played a pivotal role in reviving Bihar’s cultural soul and turning Patna into a vibrant center of literature and arts. He has brought traditional forms like qawwali, poetry, literature, and Sufi music back into public life, infusing them with fresh energy and contemporary relevance.

Jabir Ansari

The right guidance at the right time can profoundly shape a life. Jabir Ansari, who hails from a humble background, reached the international martial arts arena thanks to his unwavering dedication. Hailing from Tumba Pahaad village in the Naxal-affected Jhajha block of Jamui district, he has won many gold medals and made his mark in martial arts.

Shams Alam

When doctors diagnosed a tumor in Shams Alam’s spine, they reassured him he would be running again in weeks. That day never came. Paralysis left his body’s lower half numb—a life-changing moment. Instead of despairing, Shams chose determination. Through grit and love for swimming, he emerged as a para‑swimmer who has made an indelible mark in Bihar, across India, and on international stages—breaking records and breaking barriers.

Tayyaba Afroz

She’s a pilot, and her social media bio proudly features phrases like “Born To Fly,” and “Dream, Achieve, Fly.” But behind these inspiring words lies a powerful story—selling ancestral land, withstanding social criticism, and overcoming physical and emotional barriers. Tayyaba Afroz from Jalalpur village in Saran district is not just the state’s first Muslim woman commercial pilot—she is a vibrant symbol of struggle, perseverance, and lofty dreams.

Dr. M. Aijaz Ali

Former Rajya Sabha MP Dr. M. Aijaz Ali has been an advocate for the marginalized for nearly 30 years. His guiding belief is that true development is incomplete without social equality and protecting the rights of the poor. Born in 1958 and raised in an orphanage, he overcame poverty through his academic passion to gain admission to the prestigious Patna Medical College.

Jameel Akhtar

As Deputy General Manager at NTPC, Jameel Akhtar has dedicated his life to educating underprivileged children in Bihar. His commitment is so intense that he has chosen to remain unmarried, believing marriage might hinder his mission. “If I marry, managing the education and care of 550 children will become difficult,” he told Awaz –The Voice. In a senior role at NTPC, his heart beats for the children who have no means to attend school.

Mohammad Ibrahim

A resident of Ramna in Motihari, Mohammad Ibrahim’s extraordinary journey inspires not just the youth of Bihar but all of India. His path from Motihari to Dubai is a powerful testament to determination and purpose. Recently honoured with Oxford University’s Best Travel & Immigration Services Award, his story marks a significant milestone in his professional journey.

Dr. Mumtaz Nair

Dr. Mumtaz Nair hails from a small village in the Kishanganj district of Bihar. In her early years, her family struggled even to meet basic needs. Despite hardships, her family chose to invest in her education—a decision that one day contributed significantly to the global fight against some of the world’s deadliest viruses.

Faizan Ali

At just 18 years, Faizan Ali was earning a degree in business studies when life called him to a deeper purpose. More than studies or ambition, he realised his true calling was serving humanity. “If you truly want to share someone’s pain, age and education don’t matter—passion does,” Faizan told Awaz – The Voice. Now 23, Faizan from Gaya is a shining example of selfless service. Raised in a modest family, he never imagined his life would pivot from a corporate future to community work.

Rani Khanam

Rani Khanam is the first Muslim Kathak dancer in Independent India to turn her love for classical dance into a profession. Originally from Gopalganj, Bihar, she practiced Kathak clandestinely, in a family that did not allow music or dance. Through her art, she has empowered women and highlighted key social issues.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home>The Changemakers / July 20th, 2025