Students of the Interdisciplinary Department of Remote Sensing and GIS Applications at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) have earned prestigious academic admissions and professional placements at leading institutions in India and abroad, underscoring the department’s growing reputation in geospatial sciences.
At the international level, Ms Areena has been selected for a PhD programme at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. Meanwhile, Mr Md Zaid Qamar has secured admission to the International PhD Programme under the UNESCO Chair in Environment, Resource and Sustainable Development at Parthenope University of Naples, Italy.
On the national front, Mr Ahsan Sayeed has gained admission to the PhD programme in Geomatics at IIT Guwahati. Additionally, Ms Mantasha, Mr Tauheed Ahmad Ansari and Mr Zuhail Abdullah have been selected as Junior Resource Persons at the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee.
The department’s students have also made notable strides in the corporate sector. Ms Shaista Perween has been appointed Assistant Manager at Tata Steel Limited in Jamshedpur, while Ms Juveriya Aqeel has secured a position with WSP in Bengaluru with an attractive remuneration package.
Congratulating the students on their accomplishments, Dr Haris Hasan Khan, Chairman of the department, said the achievements reflect both the students’ dedication and the department’s strong academic and research ecosystem in remote sensing and geospatial sciences.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Education> Latest News / by Radiance News Bureau / February 12th, 2026
As the year draws to an end, we have compiled a brief list of the Indian Muslims who have been in news during 2021.
Danish Siddiqui :
Danish Siddiqui was a Pulitzer Award winning photojournalist from New Delhi, who was killed by Taliban while covering the war in Afghanistan. An alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia, Siddiqui was one of the country’s most well known photographers who documented the Rohingya refugee crisis, Covid deaths and the Delhi riots to win several awards. In July 2021, Reuters assigned him documentation of the Afghanistan War as an embedded journalist with Afghan Special Forces. On July 16, Siddiqui was killed in action. Governments of India, USA, Afghanistan and United Nations expressed grief and shock on his death and thousands joined his funeral procession in DelhI.
Dr Shahid Jameel :
Dr. Shahid Jameel is a world renowned virologist and is one of the leaders of India’s fight against Covid-19. The Covid-19 outbreak has thrown new challenges to the scientific community. When the Government of India set up an Indian Sars-Cov-2 Genomics Sequencing Consortium (INSACOG), which consists of 38 laboratories to monitor the genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2, Jameel was appointed as the head of its scientific advisory group. He served the INSACOG in this position till May, 2021 and still advises different government and non-government bodies in strategising the war against Covid-19.
Coach Naseem Ahmed with Olympian Neeraj Chopra
Naseem Ahmed :
Naseem Ahmed: On 7 August, 2021, Neeraj Chopra threw Javelin for 87.58 mts. and became the first Indian to win an Olympic Gold in track and field events. With this success, Naseem Ahmed of Panchkula also hit the headlines. Ahmed was his first coach, who coached Chopra for almost six years at Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula. It was under his guidance that Chopra turned into an athlete from a chubby child. After returning to India, Chopra went to meet and receive blessings from his coach.
Mohammad Shareef alias Shareef Chacha receiving Padma Shri from President Ran Nath Kovind
Mohammad Shareef :
Mohammad Shareef is a bicycle mechanic from Faizabad, Ayodhya and hit the news headlines this year for receiving Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, from the President Ram Nath Kovind. In 1992, his son was murdered and was eaten by animals as nobody claimed it. This incident moved him so much that he took it upon himself to perform the last rights of unclaimed dead bodies. In the last 28 years, he has performed the last rights of more than 25,000 unclaimed dead bodies according to their religions.
Firoz Alam as an IPS officer (Left) and as a Constable of the Delhi Police (Right)
Firoz Alam :
Firoz Alam’s story is straight out of a fiction, where his character bears resemblance to those played on screen by several film stars. Alam, a resident of Hapur in U.P, was a constable with Delhi Police since 2010. In 2014, he started preparing for UPSC CSE. The work pressure and family responsibilities did not allow him to devote full time to the studies, like many availing coachings could do. After five unsuccessful attempts, in his sixth attempt he qualified UPSC CSE and joined as an IPS officer. His inspiring journey from a constable to IPS had taken the nation by a storm when he joined the training after leaving the job as constable.
Sadaf Choudhary
Sadaf Choudhary :
Sadaf Choudhary came into limelight when the UPSC CSE results were declared in September and she secured 23rd rank. She was the highest rank holder among Muslims this year and will become an IAS officer. It must be kept in mind that since independence only 179 Muslims have secured ranks to get IAS allotted to them.
Mohammed Siraj praying at the gave of his father
Mohammed Siraj :
Mohammed Siraj is an Indian cricketer from Hyderabad who made it to the headlines in January by becoming the highest wicket taker from India during the India – Australia Test Match Series in Australia. To claim his 13 scalps, he played only three of the four tests in the series. The fact that his father had died just before the series and he was given an option to return to the country, which he declined citing his commitment to the nation made it even more special.
In the last test match at Brisbane, he bagged five Australian wickets to script a historic win and became a national hero. The headlines of the sports column were filled with his heroics, commitment and ability. Since then he has been a regular feature of the Indian Cricket team as a pacer.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Saquib Salim / December 30th, 2021
Assistant Professor Ejaz Ahmed further informed that the carbon nanotubes produced during the separation of hydrogen from methane are a high-strength material.
Jharkhand IIT-ISM students develop eco-friendly fuel by enriching coal bed methane with hydrogen.(Photo | Special Arrangement)
Ranchi :
Second-year students of the Chemical Engineering department at IIT-ISM Dhanbad have developed a technology to convert greenhouse gases like coal bed methane into environmentally friendly fuel, which can be used directly in CNG cars.
The eco-friendly fuel has been named as H-CBM (Hydrogen Enriched Coal Bed Methane). Chemical engineering students Kailash Krishna, Nitin Gaur, and Devashish Das, under the guidance of Assistant Professor Ejaz Ahmed, have also developed a hydrogen-enriched coal bed methane-powered car. Professor Alok Das of Mechanical Engineering Department also helped them in research work.
Coal-bed methane gas is released during coal mining. It is a dangerous greenhouse gas, considered to be approximately 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.
Ahmed said they are using a waste product that previously polluted the environment and creating an environmentally friendly fuel that can be used in any CNG car without any modifications.
Coal bed methane contains sulphur and methane, he said. “It is purified to produce pure methane. Then, a portion of the methane is cracked, through which hydrogen and carbon nanotubes are obtained. The hydrogen-enriched coal bed methane, produced through this process, can be used directly in cars as a substitute for CNG,” said Ahmed.
He further informed that the carbon nanotubes produced during the separation of hydrogen from methane are a high-strength material. They are used in bulletproof jackets and the steel industry. Its market price is up Rs 500,000 per kilogram, he said. The associate professor said that since carbon nanotubes are produced alongside hydrogen, the cost of the hydrogen becomes virtually zero.
Ahmed informed that the release of coal bed methane significantly increases environmental pollution. However, capturing coalbed methane offers considerable benefits. “Capturing 1 kilogram of coalbed methane is equivalent to reducing pollution by the same amount as 25 kilograms of carbon dioxide, which is crucial for environmental protection,” said the professor. It will prove to be a game-changer in the field of green mining, he added.
Second-year student Devashish Das, who is also a part of the research team, explained that CNG cars emit less carbon dioxide than petrol and diesel vehicles, but the emissions are not completely eliminated.
“Coal bed methane gas, extracted from the coal mines of Dhanbad, is far more dangerous. Considering this, hydrogen fuel has been developed from CBM,” said Das. Because hydrogen has a higher calorific value than CNG, it also provides better fuel efficiency for vehicles, he added.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Nation / by Mukesh Ranjan / February 09th, 2026
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi have developed a bio-patch that can reverse the damage caused by a heart attack in humans. The patch can be planted on the heart and it would regrow the damaged tissue and restore health.
The patch made of biomaterials has already been tested on animals and is awaiting human trials before it can be manufactured.
This key medical project is led by the Kashmir-born scientist Dr Sheikh Ahmed Parvaiz at the Sheikh lab for BioMaterial Advances in Regeneration and Therapeutics (SMART), Centre for Biomedical Engineering at the IITD.
“After the attack, a patient’s heart usually work only 40 per cent of its capacity. Such people usually do not live long and are also not energetic and healthy,” Dr Parvaiz said.
Parvaiz A Sheikh with a student
He said the patch can regenerate tissues damaged during a heart attack, and a person can live a normal and good life. The cost of the bio patch would be nominal compared to the costly and invasive surgeries.
Parvaiz A. Shiekh has been heading the Centre for Biomedical Engineering (CBME), IIT-Delhi, as a DST INSPIRE Faculty since 2021.
According to the IIT website, where Dr Parvaiz is a faculty, “He establishes a research area that explores immunomodulatory materials and nanomaterials to develop therapeutic interventions for various biomedical & translational applications. His interests also lie in developing oxygen-based biomaterials and nano-therapeutics to cure cardiovascular diseases, diabetic complications and lung diseases.”
This, in a nutshell, means Parvaiz and his team are working on developing biomaterials that can become easy and inexpensive cure for heart and cardiovascular conditions in humans. He is working on regenerative medicine, where biomaterials and nanotechnology can be used for repairing body parts.
Dr Parvaiz A Sheikh
“We are also developing a bio-patch to cure the diabetic foot,” he told Awaz-the Voice. During his doctoral studies, Parvaiz has developed an oxygen-releasing wound dressing for diabetic foot.
The diabetic foot is a major health issue, and there is a lot of ignorance about it. “In India, many women are diabetic, and they don’t know. Many a time, such women go on pilgrimages barefoot and trek a long distance for faith. Many women develop sores that never heal due to their diabetic condition.”
This patch to regenerate the in a diabetic foot will cost around Rs 2 and save them the pain of gangrene, which leads to amputation of the foot.
Who is Parvaiz A Sheikh?
Parvaiz Sheikh was born in Villgam village in the Kupwara district of north Kashmir, about 30 km from the Line of Control in Northern Kashmir.
He earned his PhD in Bioengineering from IIT Kanpur and “developed functionalized biomaterials and scaffolds to attenuate oxidative stress and hypoxia in diseased conditions with remarkable translational application.”
Dr Parvaiz A Sheikh receiving anhonour
“He also explored using stem cell-derived nanovesicles (exosomes) to repair and regenerate diseases like diabetic foot ulcers, myocardial infarction, and diabetic neuropathy. Most notably, he developed an oxygen-releasing wound dressing “OxOBand” for diabetic foot ulcers and a nanofibrous oxygen-releasing cardiac patch for myocardial infarction.”
Having completed his graduation in biosciences from Sri Pratap College, Srinagar, Parvaiz A. Shiekh joined the Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, Bihar, for the Master’s course in Bioengineering, and this was not only a turning point in his career but life too.
Tracing his journey from Kupwara to the Hi-tech labs of India and abroad, Parvaiz Ahmed, who is in his mid-thirties, said that while growing up, he had not even heard of the IIT, let alone studying and working there.
He loved football and also played cricket. He had no particular idea of a carrer and would follow what elders told him.
However, some life-changing and heartwarming interactions with strangers at a young age led him to get admission into the Central University of South Bihar for a Bioengineering degree.
Dr Parvaiz A Sheikh delivering a talk
At the Delhi Railway Station and later in Bihar, he met strangers who helped him not only join the University but also live comfortably away from his home for the first time.
He said, as a 12th-pass, he was supposed to travel by train to Patna for counselling for securing his admission for the a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering in Central University of South Bihar when he found himself in dire straits. He had missed the train and had no money or idea how to reach Patna.
“I was crying while speaking with my brother on the phone when a travel agent spotted me. He bought me an air ticket to Patna and also paid my autorickshaw fare to reach the Airport.”
Those were the days of no mobile phones or ATM cards; people communicated on landlines and withdrew money from bank by visiting them.
Next, he realised that a contact of a local banker in Kupwara had travelled 100 km to receive him at the railway station, while he had landed at the Airport. The administrative staff at the University supported him in submitting the bank draft in time.
Dr Parvaiz A Sheikh with his doctoral degree
After securing his admission, the Buxur family insisted that he stay with them till the classes started. “They told me why should I travel home and return after 15 days, and waste money. They looked after me like their own,” he says.
Later, he received his PhD in biological sciences and bioengineering from IIT Kanpur (IITK) under the supervision of Prof. Ashok Kumar. There, he designed and evaluated bioactive, oxygen-releasing, and antioxidant polymeric biomaterials for therapeutics and translational medicine.
Today, as head of the Sheikh lab for BioMaterial Advances in Regeneration and Therapeutics (SMART) at the IIRT Delhi, his job involves taking cues from biology to create products based on engineering concepts, and possibly using them in different fields.
Speaking about his background, he said, “When you come from a background where you don’t have much exposure to things, every step becomes a learning experience for you.”
A Podcast with Dr Parvaiz A Sheikh:
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Aasha Khosa, New Delhi / January 29th, 2026
IIT Bombay has marked a proud moment with the conferment of the Padma Shri on Prof Juzer M. Vasi, former Deputy Director and senior academic of the institute. The national honour recognises his lifelong contribution to science and engineering, with a strong focus on semiconductors, microelectronics, and solar energy research.
Prof Vasi has served Indian academia for over four decades. He remains associated with IIT Bombay as Professor Emeritus in the Department of Electrical Engineering. His work spans nanoelectronics, solar photovoltaic deployment in India, global solar PV systems, nanocrystal-based solar cells, and the reliability of solar modules. These areas hold strong relevance for sustainable development and energy access.
An alumnus of IIT Bombay, Prof Vasi completed his B.Tech in 1969. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University in 1973. His academic journey reflects deep commitment to knowledge and public service, values strongly rooted in the Islamic tradition of ilm and community benefit.
Prof Vasi joined IIT Bombay as an Assistant Professor in 1981. He rose through the ranks to serve as Professor, Head of the Electrical Engineering Department, and later as Deputy Director from 2006 to 2009. He also taught at IIT Delhi and served as Visiting Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University.
Students and colleagues regard him as a dedicated teacher and institution builder. His leadership strengthened academic standards and research culture at IIT Bombay.
The Padma Shri recognises sustained excellence and service to the nation. For the Muslim community, Prof Vasi’s achievement stands as a reminder of the impact of scholarship, discipline, and ethical pursuit of knowledge in public life.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News > Report / by Radiance News Bureau / January 27th, 2026
At the India AI Impact Summit, which will be hosted by New Delhi in Feb. 2026, global tech leaders will also address issues surrounding the fear of job losses and equipping job-seekers to meet the needs of the changing job market, says the director, IndiaAI Mission.
The India AI Impact Summit to be held in New Delhi in February 2026 will witness deliberations between world leaders and top global tech leaders, leading to a formal declaration on ways to balance innovation and safety and the areas to be focussed for artificial intelligence innovation, Mohammed Y. Safirulla K., Director, IndiaAI Mission under the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has said.
In an interview to The Hindu on the sidelines of a pre-summit conference here on Thursday, Mr. Safirulla said India can take pride in that it is the first country in the Global South to host the summit. New Delhi is hosting the fourth edition of the summit.
Objectives of summit
The objectives of the AI Impact Summit include democratisation of AI and bridging the AI divide, development of indigenous and local AI, aligning global standards and models for AI governance and innovation to needs of the developing world, harnessing AI for social good and development, and positioning India as a leading voice of the Global South on AI. The deliberations will take place across seven working groups, in which experts from over hundred countries will participate.
“We can see that there is a concentration of AI resources in certain countries in the Global North, especially when it comes to high-end data centres. There are biases which are coming out of algorithms because it is developed only from situations focussing on certain countries. We can also notice a language-wise divide since much of it is in English. One of our focusses will be on democratising AI so that no country in the Global South is left behind,” says Mr. Safirulla.
The summit will also address issues surrounding the fear of job losses and equipping job-seekers to meet the needs of the changing job market.
Training for youth
“We will look at how to train the youth coming into the job markets to be ready for AI-related jobs. Also, we need to see how we can use AI to increase the efficiency of the people who are already in the job markets working in various domains or how do we reposition them. We also have to nurture this intentionally in society so that we achieve economic growth,” he says.
Earlier this year, the IndiaAI Mission had opened up the MyGov platform to collect innovative ideas across sectors from researchers, startups, and students. Some of the innovation will be focussed on developing tools to authenticate AI-generated content, ensuring it’s traceable, secure, and free of harmful materials. Deepfake detection tools will also be developed to enable real-time identification and mitigation of deepfakes.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Kerala / by S R Praveen / November 20th, 2025
The Council of Science and Technology, Uttar Pradesh honoured Dr. Riaz Ahmad, Lecturer at Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), with ‘Young Scientist Award’ yesterday. The award has been given to Dr. Ahmad in recognition of his contributions in the area of Biochemical and Molecular Genetics. Besides cash prize of Rs. 25,000/, award carries a certificate, memento and a shawl.
The award was presented to Dr. Riaz Ahmad by Mr. Abdul Mannan, the State Minister for Science and Technology at the Vigyan Samaroh at Sir C.V. Raman Auditorium in Lucknow.
Dr. Ahmad is also a recipient of prestigious Dr. D. S. Kothari Post Doctoral Fellowship from UGC, Young Scientist Project of DST and Scientist of the Year Award-2009 given by the National Environmental Science Academy.
He has a number of research papers to his name published in various scientific journals of national and international repute.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslim / by TCN News / March 30th, 2010
A team from SKUAST-Kashmir with country’s first gene-edited sheep.
In a landmark achievement in the field of animal biotechnology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Kashmir, has successfully produced India’s first gene-edited sheep. University officials are calling it a “historic milestone” in genetic research and livestock development.
“This is a major breakthrough at the national level. It is the first of its kind in India, and everyone at the university is thrilled,” said Dr Riyaz Ahmad Shah, Professor of Animal Biotechnology, who led the expert team behind the project.
Dr Shah revealed that a female gene-edited lamb was born four months ago. The team specifically targeted the myostatin gene, which regulates muscle growth, making changes at the embryonic level. “The gene editing was carried out using CRISPR-Cas9 technology,” Shah explained. This revolutionary tool has broad applications in medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. Importantly, he noted, “The edited sheep contains no foreign DNA,” distinguishing it from transgenic organisms and easing its path under India’s evolving biotech regulatory framework.
“All international biosafety protocols were strictly followed throughout the process,” he added.
The university views this achievement as a major step in placing India on the global map of advanced genome editing technologies. It also positions SKUAST-Kashmir at the forefront of reproductive biotechnology research.
Experts say the lamb’s muscle growth is expected to be enhanced due to the gene editing, although a few years of observation will be required to fully understand the differences between the edited lamb and a normal one.
Notably, Dr Shah and his team were also behind the creation of “Noori,” India’s first cloned Pashmina goat, in 2012. Noori lived for 11 years before passing away in 2023.
Vice Chancellor of SKUAST-Kashmir, Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, recently briefed Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha about the development. “This is not just the birth of a lamb, but the birth of a new era in livestock genetics in India,” Prof Ganai remarked.
University officials said the Lieutenant Governor praised the team’s efforts and their contribution to advancing scientific research in the region.
Looking ahead, the university plans to produce more gene-edited sheep. “We’re exploring possibilities in other areas like twin births and disease resistance,” said Shah. “For now, we are closely monitoring the lamb for safety and other parameters. Everything is normal so far.”
The team is also in the process of selecting a name for the pioneering lamb. “We’ll announce it soon,” Shah said.
source: http://www.tribuneindia.com / The Tribune / Home> Jammu & Kashmir / by Adil Akhzer / May 27th, 2025
Jamia Millia Islamia Assistant Professor at Department of Chemistry, Dr. Ufana Riaz has been awarded “Sir CV Raman Young Scientist Award 2021” along with cash money of Rs 25,000 in recognition of her outstanding contribution in the field of Materials Chemistry by the St. Peters Institute of Higher Education and Research, Avadi Chennai. The award and citation were presented to her at the 12th convocation of the Institute.
Dr. Ufana Riaz has published more than 140 research papers in the field of conducting polymers, co-authored 3 books and 25 book chapters. Her research work has been published in renowned and highly reputed international journals.
Dr Riaz holds membership of the prestigious National Academy of Science (NASI) Allahabad, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
Dr. Ufana Riaz has been the recipient of the International Research Excellence Award in Green Chemistry by Center for Professional Advancement and Continuing Education (CPACE), Senior Scientist Award by Environment & Social Development Association (ESDA), Green Technology Innovation Award by National Environmental Science Academy (NESA), National Education Excellence Award in Materials Chemistry by International Multidisciplinary Research Foundation (IMRF), and Outstanding Performance Award by Novel Research foundation.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> India / by Mohammed Hussain Ahmed / February 05th, 2022
The Council of Science and Technology, Uttar Pradesh honored Dr. Tamanna Jahangir, from Jamia Hamdard, currently working as Assistant Professor at Jazan University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with ‘Young Scientist Award’ on Jan. 29th 2011.
The award has been given to Dr. Tamanna Jahangir in recognition of her contributions in the area of Cancer Chemoprevention Toxicology. Besides cash prize of Rs. 25,000/ award carries a certificate, memento and a shawl.
The award was received by her Father Mr. Mohd. Jahangir presented by Mr. Abdul Mannan, the State Cabinet Minister for Science and Technology at the Vigyan Samaroh at Sir C.V. Raman Auditorium in Lucknow.
Dr. Tamanna Jahangir is also a recipient of prestigious DST fast track Young Scientist Award and Young Scientist Award at TOXCON 2010 given by the Slovak Toxicological Society (SETOX), Slovakia.
She has a number of research papers to her name published in various scientific journals of national and international repute.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslim / by TCN Staff Reporter, TwoCircles.net / February 01st, 2011
