Bangalore’s own Noor Ayesha, an award-winning educator and visionary school leader, has been admitted to Harvard University for advanced postgraduate studies in Education Leadership. She joins the globally renowned Harvard Graduate School of Education to further her lifelong mission of transforming education through value-based learning and holistic child development.
Founder, Vice-Chairperson, and Managing Director of the Iqra Group of Schools in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, which includes Iqra International School, Iqra Juniors, and Iqra British Academy. For over a decade, her schools have redefined education by blending academic excellence with character formation, nurturing young minds to become not only successful learners but also compassionate, ethical citizens.
Her admission to Harvard marks a historic milestone, not just for her but for the entire region, as it highlights the global recognition of her impactful work in education. Noor’s leadership journey continues to inspire educators, parents, and youth, especially young women leaders striving to create change through education.
Quoting the famous line from the Spider-Man movie, Noor often reminds her team: “With great power comes great responsibility,” and she adds her powerful extension: “With great responsibility comes even greater accountability.” She believes educators carry the moral responsibility of shaping future generations and must be held accountable for the world they help create.
“As educators, we hold the power to shape the future,” says Noor. “My goal is to establish value-based schools across the world that nurture responsible, purpose-driven individuals who will lead with integrity and compassion.”
Her selection by Harvard is a proud moment for Bangalore, and a testament to the power of purpose-driven leadership in education.
source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> Education / by The Cognate News Desk / August 11th, 2025
Anjuman Boys High School, managed by Anjuman Hami-e-Muslimeen, organised Tribute Talks 2025, a digital contest held in memory of the late Mohtisham Mohammed Yaseen, a respected tutor, mentor and role model for students of the institution.
According to a press statement, eighteen students took part in the event, which was described as a heartfelt effort to honour the legacy and guidance of the late educator. The sudden demise of Yaseen continues to be felt within the school community, leaving a void among staff and students.
As part of the tribute, the “Mohtisham Mohammed Yaseen Memorial Award” was conferred on Mohammed Jasim, son of Umar Javeed Tonse, in the senior category, and Muhammed Tahu, son of Abdul Majid Shabandri, in the junior category for classes six and seven.
The statement added that recognition was also given to students whose digital presentations received the highest online engagement, with Zainulabideen Unais, son of Mohiddin Anas Siddiahmeda, and Ahmed Arham, son of Abdul Basit Ruknuddin, being honoured.
The school management stated that the award was not only a recognition of student talent but also a promise to uphold the values and inspiration left behind by Mohtisham Mohammed Yaseen.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karavali / by Vartha Bharati / August 19th, 2025
The 79th Independence Day was celebrated at Secab Engineering College here on 15th August 2025 with great enthusiasm. The chief guest of the function was Salauddin Ayub Punekar.
After the flag hoisting, Nazeer Ahmed Kazi, Retired Executive Engineer, addressed the gathering. In his speech, he highlighted that India, with a population of 140 crore, is home to people of many religions, yet united as one nation. He said, “Unity in diversity is the true culture of our country. Nowhere else in the world do we find such an example. Let us be proud of it.”
He reminded everyone that Independence Day marks India’s freedom from British colonial rule on 15th August 1947. The day honours the courage and sacrifices of the freedom fighters and inspires citizens to uphold the values of liberty, unity, and responsibility. He recalled the contributions of great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who declared in 1916: “Swaraj is my birth-right and I shall have it.”
Quoting Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, he stressed the need for India to be self-reliant and globally competitive. Addressing the students, he said that engineers have a dual responsibility – both as citizens and as professionals – in nation-building. Referring to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s vision of engineers as the builders of the nation, he urged them to come to the forefront in technology development and achieve technological independence through innovative and globally competitive practices.
He also acknowledged India’s remarkable progress, standing today as one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing economies. However, he cautioned against persisting challenges like communalism, casteism, corruption, unemployment, and social injustice, calling for collective efforts to overcome them.
The Director of SECAB Association, Salauddin Punekar, in his address, emphasised that independence should not remain a symbolic celebration but must reflect in every walk of life.
Several students and staff members also spoke on the occasion.
The Founder of SECAB Association, Shamshuddin Punekar, was present on the dais along with Principal Abbas Ali. The programme concluded with the President’s address, who welcomed all and extended heartfelt Independence Day wishes.
It was a memorable and meaningful celebration.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Report / by Radiance News Bureau / August 17th, 2025
When she joined the Indian Combat Academy (ICSA) on Bannerghatta Road to learn Jujitsu and self-defence, little did Nabila Birjis (29), know that this would be a turning point in her life.
Bengaluru :
When she joined the Indian Combat Academy (ICSA) on Bannerghatta Road to learn Jujitsu and self-defence, little did Nabila Birjis (29), know that this would be a turning point in her life. On April 2, she turned out to be the only girl selected from Karnataka to compete in the South Asia Open Jujitsu Championship 2019, in Chennai.
Born and brought up in Mysuru, she moved to Bengaluru seven years ago to work for an architecture firm. At the age of 25, after undergoing rigorous training under coach Jitesh Banjan, she started competing seriously. So far, she has won six golds at the national-level JAI Jiu Jitsu events under 68kg and 70 kg categories; two silver medals at South Asian Championships; and gold at Body power Expo Open Weight.
She is also the only Indian woman to have secured two silver medals at South Asia Open Jujitsu Championship 2019. “I always wanted to achieve something in sports. My mother Noor Fathima Khan, HOD and professor at Maharanis Science College, Mysuru wanted me to complete my graduation before pursuing sports. I started my sporting career only at 25.”
It was not easy for Birjis in the field. She has quit her job, moved cities, so she could be able to devote more time for training. “I remember when I travelled for three hours just to be able to train for an hour. After struggling for years, I now seem to have struck some sort of balance between being an architect and an athlete,” she added.
Jujitsu is a team sport, and the biggest challenge she finds is to keep up with the energy levels of younger athletes. To stay fighting fit, she follows a strict sports diet. For Birjis, losing teaches more than winning. “My loss at the South Asia Championship has taught me how to move forward. My teammates have always encouraged me to do better. I will learn from my previous experiences,” she added.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Bengaluru / by K Rathna / August 20th, 2019
Overcoming a childhood marked by hardship and societal rejection, 20-year-old Bibi Fatima has emerged as a formidable kickboxer, winning multiple accolades at the national and international levels.
Mysuru:
Overcoming a childhood marked by hardship and societal rejection, 20-year-old Bibi Fatima has emerged as a formidable kickboxer, winning multiple accolades at the national and international levels.
Fatima, who has been training in kickboxing for 12 years, has secured 29 gold medals in district, state, and national championships. Despite a hand injury, she recently won two silver medals in an international tournament held in New Delhi.
Fatima’s journey is a testament to perseverance. Her father abandoned the family two decades ago due to the absence of a male heir. Left destitute, Fatima’s mother attempted to end her life, but the family was taken in by Akram Pasha, a transgender beggar in Mysuru. Pasha adopted Fatima and supported her education and training, earning a living through alms to sustain the family.
Currently pursuing her secondary education, Fatima dreams of representing India in the Olympics. However, financial constraints hinder her aspirations. She hopes to open a kickboxing training centre to support herself and provide for Pasha, who continues to pay rent for both their accommodations.
Recognising her achievements, members of the M. Friends Charitable Trust from Mangaluru, led by Rashid Vitla, visited her home to extend financial assistance and encouragement. Social organisations and sports enthusiasts have been urged to come forward and support Fatima in achieving her dreams.
source: http://www.thehansindia.com / Hans India / Home> News> State> Karnataka> Bengaluru / by Rasheed Vitla / Hans News Service / March 12th, 2025
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
How a series of breakfast conversations grew into an exhibition and a book.
On some mornings, Diba Siddiqi would sit down at the breakfast table in her parents’ home in Bengaluru, and record her father’s voice.
He would hold forth on everything under the sun – science, history, justice, conflict, photography, politics, poetry, philosophy, the evolution of language and silence. The musings continued well after the meal was over and an Olympus digital voice recorder Diba Siddiqi had placed nearby would capture her father’s thoughts.
The sheer range of topics wasn’t surprising. Obaid Siddiqi was one of India’s most eminent scientists whose pioneering work in the field of molecular biology and neurogenetics are well known.
Siddiqi was keen to have an account of her father’s stories in his own voice so that she could revisit them later. She had tried taking notes, but found the process distracting. She started using the digital recorder so that she could give him his full attention.
But the recordings, which started in 2007, ended in 2013 when the senior Siddiqi was killed in an accident while taking a stroll near his home. He was 81.
Immersed in history
Months later, Diba Siddiqi finally revisited the “breakfast monologues” as she called them.
She immersed herself in the stories her father had shared of growing up in eastern Uttar Pradesh in pre-Partition India and the sadness at how the Siddiqis lost track of family members who moved to Pakistan.
It wasn’t long before Siddiqi began to dig through old family photographs, many of them developed in darkrooms by her father and his siblings.
It didn’t stop at that. Diba Siddiqi’s mother, Asiya, is a distinguished historian, who has spent a large part of her life studying Mumbai’s past. Siddiqi began to delve into her mother’s life too.
The result is Rooh: The Enduring Spirit, an exhibition of old family photographs interspersed with new images Diba Siddiqi has taken of places that played an important part in her parents’ lives. A book of the same name is set to be released shortly.
Dominating figure
It’s obvious that Obaid Siddiqi was an overarching presence for his daughter. “My father was this colossal figure in my life,” said Siddiqi. “No language is adequate to express his continuing presence in my life. I still find myself quietly and unconsciously carrying on conversations with him.”
Born in Basti, Uttar Pradesh, in 1932, Obaid Siddiqi completed an MSc from Aligarh University before obtaining a doctorate from the University of Glasgow in Scotland. His family lived in Benares in two spells between 1932 and 1948 before finally settling down in Aligarh.
Preventive detention
The includes an account of the two years Obaid Siddiqi spent in jail from 1949 under preventive measures at a time when 30,000 communists were detained across country. Recalling his period of detention in the company of 13 Communist leaders, he said:
“So you see jail authorities, they used the criminals, who were called pukkas, to beat us up. They were prisoners who had served ten years, fifteen years, had life imprisonment… They acted like small unofficial wardens to control other prisoners. They were dressed to look like police. They beat up our friend Syed Ali badly, giving him galis, saying, ‘Pakistan se saala Pakistani Communist banta hai!’
However, Obaid Siddiqi could also recognise the benevolent side of the police officer who had beaten up the comrades, realising that human nature can never be categorised as entirely good or bad.
His parents and six siblings managed to send him letters during his imprisonment. His sisters arranged to smuggle letters in and out of jail while delivering home-cooked food to him once a week.
In 2014, Siddiqi visited Benares, where her father spent some time as a child. Waking at the crack of dawn every day, she walked around the ancient city, photographing the people and its streets.
Mumbai chronicler
Siddiqi also took many pictures in Mumbai, a city whose past her mother has written about extensively. One of Asiya Siddiqi’s celebrated works recreates the lives of people who went bankrupt in the 19th century. Roaming the bylanes of Mohammad Ali road and Dongri, in Mumbai, Siddiqui imagined that the ghosts of these people “and their descendants surely dwell in the neighbourhood I roamed in… The descendants of tailors, carpenters, blacksmiths, milk vendors, courtesans, dancing girls and prostitutes may continue to live and work here.”
Though the project is intensely personal, she believes it has broad appeal. She said she hoped viewers would let her work touch their mind and spirit and perhaps remind them of their own histories. “It is an expression of life that I have been a part of,” she said. “It has been about finding a voice in the images and bringing it together in one space.”
Rooh: The Enduring Spirit can be viewed at Bangalore’s 1 Shanthi Road gallery until February 11.
source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> Photo Feature / by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri / February 09th, 2016
Obaid Siddiqi, one of the most outstanding scientists of modern India, died in a freak accident in Bangalore on July 26. While he was out on a walk on July 21, a moped being driven by a young person of the neighbourhood rammed into him, and caused severe brain damage from which he could not recover.
He leaves behind his wife, Asiya Siddiqi, who is herself a very distinguished historian, and four gifted children: Yumna, whose area is English literature, Kaleem, who is a scientist, Diba, a promising photographer, and Imran, also a scientist whose work on seed-cloning has the potential to revolutionize agriculture in developing countries and questions the rush to Bt for raising yields.
But I want to talk not about the family that Obaid and Asiya raised but about the family of siblings and their spouses that surrounded Obaid, the larger family, as it were, to which he belonged. It was such a remarkable family, it so captured within itself all that is salutary in the development of modern India, that its individual members are worth recalling.
There were two sons, including Obaid, and five daughters, born to his parents. The youngest daughter, Imrana, married to the well-known social activist, Anubrata (Dunu) Roy, was a paediatrician at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences who turned to academic work in the social sciences and became one of the founders of the Centre for Social Medicine and Community Health at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. This centre, of which Binayak Sen was once a faculty member, remains to this day an unparalleled institution in India.
She was for decades our neighbour on the JNU campus. She was not just a close friend but one who epitomized what friendship should be, and it is through her that I came to know the remarkable Siddiqi family. Being a doctor in residence, in the early years of JNU when the campus had meagre medical facilities, she was the informal physician for every household, cheerfully available day and night; and she saw my family, especially my two children, through numerous medical emergencies. Because of her unbounded generosity, we called her “the Florence Nightingale of the JNU campus”; but that was unfair to her, since she was also a highly skilled medical practitioner, unlike Florence, and combined her expertise with a radical social philosophy.
One of her older sisters, Maimoona, was married to Ali Ashraf, a founder of the communist party in Bihar, and the first to translate the Communist Manifesto into Urdu. (Maulana Azad had earlier translated and published only some extracts in his newspaper.) Maimoona was herself a communist activist, and, together with her husband, worked at the party headquarters in Bombay bringing out its Urdu newspaper, and lived in the famous party commune set up by its general secretary, P.C. Joshi. In later years, she taught Urdu first at the Patna College and subsequently at the Aligarh Muslim University.
Ali Ashraf’s friend, Ziaul Hasan, also a very early member of the communist party in Bihar, married another of the Siddiqi sisters, Tahira, and also lived for long at the Bombay party commune while working for the party’s Urdu newspaper. B.T. Ranadive, then in ‘disgrace’ following the collapse of his 1948 line, was at the same commune and comrades were somewhat circumspect about socializing with him; but the Hasans struck up a deep friendship with him. Ziaul Hasan was then sent to Srinagar to work with Sheikh Abdullah, when the latter sought the help of the communists for carrying out land reforms in the state. Jammu and Kashmir, as is well-known, was the first state in India, even before Kerala and West Bengal, to implement radical land redistribution. He and his family lived with Imrana on the JNU campus for some years when he was working as a journalist on the staff of the Patriot newspaper, and my discussions with him on several evenings, when he would be reminiscing about the commune or berating me for my sectarian understanding, are a treasured memory.
Yet another of the sisters, Sayera, a highly distinguished economist who taught at the Aligarh Muslim University, was the first person, after the nationalist writers of the colonial period, to make an estimate, and a meticulous one at that, of the magnitude of “the drain of surplus” from India to Britain. A life-long communist, she married a fellow student against whom she had once taken disciplinary action as the All India Students Federation leader on the AMU campus. This fellow student, belonging to the AISF, was Irfan Habib, the famous historian and pre-eminent Marxist intellectual of the country.
The last sister, Shaista, was attached to the medical college at AMU and built from scratch its department of obstetrics and gynaecology. The other brother, Aslam, also belonged to the AMU faculty, to the department of engineering. He was asked to set up the university’s computer centre; he did so and served as its director for some time.
Obaid Siddiqi belonged to this family. All the traits that characterized the family, the generosity, the brilliance, the gentleness, the self-effacing commitment to work, the contempt for careerism, and the disdain for fame and status, were concentrated, as it were, in him. And he also shared the family’s social commitment and passion for effecting a revolutionary transformation in the country. Irfan Saheb once remarked to me that Obaid Siddiqi must have been the only Fellow of the Royal Society in its entire history who had spent time in jail for communist activities. That was during the “BTR period”, following the party’s Calcutta congress, when Obaid was an activist of the AISF at the AMU.
His passions included Urdu poetry (he was chancellor of the Urdu University at Hyderabad), Persian, and above all, music. He learned to play the sarod from Annapoorna Devi, and played it beautifully. He was meticulous about doing riyaz everyday, and later took lessons from the Dagar brothers who became his good friends.
I met Obaid Siddiqi occasionally on the JNU campus when he stayed overnight at Imrana’s place, having come for some meeting from Mumbai where he was then located at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. But I got to know him better when he came to deliver the Krishna Bharadwaj Memorial Lecture at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning of JNU. The topic was “Do animals think?” and Obaid Siddiqi gave, in very simple language to a packed and overflowing audience, an account of his internationally acclaimed research into the neurology of the Drosophila fly. His answer to the provocative question of the title of the lecture was that while “thinking” was too ambitious a term to describe what animals did, several very elementary forms of it, suggesting a more developed consciousness beyond mere instinct, appeared to characterize them. The discussion that followed the lecture carried over into dinner and long afterwards into the night.
I met him a little more frequently when we both served on the research council of the National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies of the CSIR. But I got a chance for closer interaction at the convocation of the Kalyani University in 2003. By then he had moved to Bangalore where the TIFR was setting up an off-shoot for research on biology; he had been asked to head it and had already gathered around him a brilliant group of young researchers. Kalyani University was conferring an honorary doctorate on him, and on Sunil Gangopadhyay and Ganesh Pyne; and I had been asked to deliver the convocation address. We were lodged together at the same guest house for the event.
His acceptance speech was brief but extraordinarily illuminating. It was based on research work done at the Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta, and highlighted the fact that the Indian population, barring small numbers inhabiting remote regions, was remarkably racially mixed, and hence far less diverse than commonly supposed. His interest in the area had possibly been stimulated by his radicalism, which approved a scientific finding that undermined any racial segregation of the population; but he referred only to the scientific finding itself.
Obaid Siddiqi was a compelling speaker, without flourishes, but with a solid command over facts and a meticulousness of reasoning that did not allow one’s attention to stray. His using the brief Kalyani speech to present what he thought was interesting rather than his own research is indicative of an attitude that values scientific advance over personal achievement, and sees knowledge as interconnected. He shared this perception of interconnectedness of knowledge with his friend, another great scientist from the subcontinent, Abdus Salam; it lifted him above the normal run of scientists into an outstanding intellectual. His death is a huge loss to the country.
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The author is Professor Emeritus, Centre for Economic Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi / Prabhat Patnaik The Author Is Professor Emeritus, Centre For Economic Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
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
