Category Archives: Women/Girls(since May26-2021)

These Muslim Covid Warriors helped Hyderabad in overcoming Oxygen crisis

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, FREE : Food, FREE : Healthcare / Assistance, Leaders, Useful / HEALTHCARE, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Relief organizations of Hyderabad, run by Muslims, have come to the rescue of the state and offered help to fight the shortage of Oxygen.

A TCN Ground Report features some of them. 

Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in Hyderabad in the southern Indian state of Telangana and rise in deaths due to the virus, the severe shortage of oxygen, ventilators and beds in both the government and private-run hospitals exposed the shortfalls of the healthcare system of the state.

Reports said that many patients were turned away from the hospitals due to a shortage of beds and died in their homes. Those admitted to the hospitals died due to lack of oxygen supply and delay in oxygen tankers reaching them. This lead to hundreds of deaths in Hyderabad alone. 

Reports also said that hospitals were overcharging Covid-19 patients. These factors contributed to many people choosing to opt for home treatment. 

It was then that the relief organizations of the state, run by Muslims, came to the rescue and offered help to fight the shortage of Oxygen. 

Talking to TwoCircles.net, Shiba Minai, an activist said, “I make at least 50 to 60 calls to get a bed for a patient”. 

Shiba helps people by connecting them with groups, hospitals and organizations that have been helping patients with beds and oxygen facilities. 

Shiba has been doing relief work since the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic by providing food for the homeless, migrants, poor people in the slums. She has also helped with the funeral services of the victims. 

She said that a lot of people reach out to her during crisis time. To help these desperate families, she would seek financial help from friends and family members. 

“I get calls from people who are unable to find a bed or oxygen if they are already in the hospital or are under home treatment. Then, I call up hospitals and once I get the right hospital, I then connect the patient or the attendant to that hospital,” she said.  

Shiba said the work she does is exhausting. “Making several calls to hospitals that want to know how much can the patient be able to pay and meanwhile handling calls from attendants of patients is taxing,”. 

Talking about an incident wherein a 45-year-old woman whose saturation levels dipped low and her family could not find a hospital with a bed, Shiba said that she tried her best but “the hospitals refused to admit her after coming to know that her oxygen levels were quite low and she had fewer chances of survival.”

The family of the patient roamed to 6 hospitals, who earlier had assured of the availability of bed refused to admit her once they saw the saturation levels. The woman was taken home where she later succumbed. 

“I tried to help this lady from 9 p.m. till the wee hours of the morning when it was time for Suhoor (early morning meal during the Muslim month of Ramadan). Sadly, she could not be saved,” Shiba said in a sad tone. 


Although Shiba has helped sixty persons with beds with oxygen facilities, what makes her sad is that the “number of patients who I could not help is higher than the ones I helped.” 

Shiba is not alone in doing Covid-19 relief work. Like her, several organizations have helped Hyderabad overcome the Covid-19 crisis from the last year. This year too they have come forward to battle the oxygen shortage in the state. 

‘Oxygen on Wheels’

Mohammed Asif Hussain Sohail, the chairperson of Sakina Foundation, who is popularly known as the ‘Hyderabad Hunger Warrior’ for feeding the hungry for more than 10 years, has been receiving close to 200 calls every day from patients who are being treated at home. He also gets calls from hospitals especially Osmania and Gandhi General Hospitals requesting him for oxygen facilities. 

“The price of oxygen cylinders is quite high at Rs 30,000 and the cost of refilling has gone up to Rs 2500 which a common man cannot afford,” Sohail said.  

Md Asif Hussain Sohail of Sakina Foundation

Sohail said that as hospitals are running out of oxygen and due to black marketing, he has to verify if the patient needs oxygen or not before helping. 

“Sometimes, they don’t need oxygen and we have to counsel and advise them not to give in to their fear and explain to them that a needier person requires it more,” he explained.

Sohail claims that he has “spent more than Rs 10 lakhs from his pocket to buy cylinders and send them to the homes of the needy.” 

“Every day, in Hyderabad itself, my Foundation has provided more than 200 free cylinders. We have reached out to at least 2000 people so far,” he said. 

Oxygen on Wheels is another initiative of the Sakina Foundation. As part of this initiative, oxygen cylinders are provided to patients who are on their way to the city for treatment from their towns and villages. 

“Many people were dying on the way to Hyderabad. Not being able to get proper treatment in their villages they would travel to advanced hospitals in the city. The patients would only be saved if they arrived on time and if the hospital had oxygen,” he said. 

“I wanted to save lives so I came up with this idea to provide emergency oxygen cylinders on the highway,” Sohail said.

As soon as they receive an SOS call, his volunteers drive to the spot where the patient is and help him/her with the oxygen. 

Sohail said that they have driven up to 200 kilometers to provide oxygen to a patient on the highway.  

“Patients were coming not just from the districts of Telangana state but also from Bhopal, Maharashtra, Karnataka. We met them all on the highway and immediately helped them with the oxygen if their saturation levels were low,” Sohail said, adding, “Nearly 150 persons were helped on the highway.”

Sohail said that “love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries.” “Without it, humanity cannot survive,” he added. 

700 people given oxygen aid by Helping Hand Foundation

With the oxygen crisis in the state, volunteers of the relief organization Helping Hand Foundation (HHF), headed by Mujtaba Aksari, have been at the forefront. 

The group distributed a flyer with their contact numbers for people to seek help in cases of Covid-19 emergency. The group also provide help with giving decent funeral services to Covid-19 victims deaths irrespective of religion. 

Mohammed Fareedullah, who heads the project told TwoCircles.net, “When we receive a call for help, our doctors consult them online and based on the doctor’s recommendation, if the patient needs oxygen, we advise the attendant to come to our godown and take the oxygen cylinder without paying any advance or rent. 

A patient receiving oxygen help from HHF | Photo by HHF

Fareedullah said that the families of the patients just have “to pay the refilling charges.” 

“The plant where we get the cylinders refilled have begun to charge double of what they used to charge earlier. But we charge the people a nominal amount,” he said.  

 “The cylinders provided by HHF are usually for home patients but if the patient develops complications and their saturation level drops despite the oxygen therapy then we help them reach the hospital where again our counsellors in the hospital help them with other needs. When the patient recovers and is discharged we ferry them home in HHF ambulances. If they do not recover the volunteers help the family with the last rites too,” explained Fareedullah. 

Helping Hands Foundation owns about 15 ambulances which are free for all patients. The group has 100 cylinders and a luggage trolley to transport the cylinders to the houses of people who cannot come to their go down.

To date, HHF claims to have helped more than 700 people covering the entire old city and many other localities.  

Humanity First Foundation: from feeding hungry to procuring Oxygen

Mohammed Shujatullah,founder of relief organization Humanity First Foundation has been feeding patients and their attendants at three government hospitals for the last 5 years. 

One day when Shujatallah received a call requesting help with oxygen, he decided to buy cylinders and give them for free to patients and then refill the empty ones and help whoever needed them. “Prices had doubled for both the oxygen cylinders and for refilling but through donations to Humanity First, I continued helping people every day with the 110 cylinders we have,” he said. 

Md Shujatullah of Humanity First Foundation checking oxygen cylinders | Photo by HFF

His organization has an ambulance, which carries the oxygen cylinders to hospitals and homes of patients. 

In the month of Ramadan, Shujatallah said that his foundation received good donations and he managed to help as many people as was possible for him. 

Patients at the gate of a hospital supported by SDIF | Picture: SDIF

‘Our motive to save lives keeps us going’

Another local initiative known as Social Data Initiative Forum (SDIF)founded by Azam Khan and Khalid Saifullah started oxygen services during the first wave of the pandemic with their stock of 15 cylinders. 


During the second wave, as the oxygen crisis has only gone worse, the group has been adding to their stockpile of oxygen cylinders. 

The founders said that they had to pay more than the normal price for both purchasing and refilling the cylinders. 

“Our services are not restricted to just providing oxygen cylinders. We also set up an oxygen bank at Government notified Covid-19 hospitals where usually the poorest of the poor come to access health care. People from the rural parts come to Hyderabad with hopes of quality treatment and they face a lot of hurdles waiting to get admitted after already having travelled a long distance,” Azam Khan said. 

“The waiting period at the hospital and the travel time further delays the process of the treatment, which is why we opted to help in the government hospitals,” he clarified. 

In Gandhi Hospital alone, which is the largest Covid-19 hospital of Hyderabad, Azam Khan said they have “20 oxygen cylinders in circulation which are serving at least 400 patients per day.” 

“This supply of oxygen is crucial to their recovery,” Khalid added. 

Apart from the 20 cylinders, they have 100 more cylinders at the other two government-run Covid-19 hospitals of Hyderabad. 

They said they have helped more than 100 people so far. 

Azam Khan narrated an experience that made them realise the significance of their work. 

The King Kothi Government hospital had requested SDIF to set up an oxygen bank. 

“I felt we had to start the work immediately and even though it was Sunday, our team went to the hospital. As soon as we reached the hospital, we saw four dead bodies being carried away. We were told the hospital had run out of oxygen causing the death of these four persons. We immediately set up our oxygen cylinders. Later the doctors informed us that our timely help had saved three persons who were critical and would not have survived had we not reached on time. This experience both saddened us and also made us feel happy that we could at least save the lives of other three persons,” he said.  

“Our motive to save lives keeps us going,” the duo said.

The SDIF is helped by two other charity organizations from Hyderabad namely Safa Baitul Maal and Access Foundation, who work in close collaboration with them. 

Pre and post-Covid care given by Al Hamd Foundation

Al Hamd Foundation, a charitable trust that helps widows, students and the poor, took up Covid-19 relief operations during the last year’s lockdown. 

Amid the ongoing second wave, the foundation is continuing with online consultations of patients with doctors. 

When patients contact them online, they are connected to doctors who advise home treatment keeping in view the severe crunch in the hospitals and also the fact that many cases can be treated at home with proper medications and care.

Al Hamd Foundation Covid relief services

The foundation has provided home treatment to fifty-two patients, who had reported low oxygen levels. 

The founder of Al Hamd Abdul Azeem Mohammed told TwoCircles.net that the treatment cost they incurred for each patient would have run up to Rs. 7 to 8 lakhs had they been treated in a hospital. 

“The team of AL Hamd ensures that the patient does not panic and develops a strong will to fight the disease and survive. The team also helps with the oxygen cylinders, the medicines and regular monitoring by the doctor who visits the patient. At times when the patients are poor and the team notices that they need provisions apart from the medical assistance, Al Hamd provides the family members with rations as well,” Azeem said. 

Al Hamd has given 300 oxygen cylinders and 6 oxygen concentrators to other organizations that are helping people affected with Covid-19. 

They have four oxygen hubs and seven ambulances in Hyderabad-Secunderabad and a fifth one is coming up soon.  

“We have ordered 25 oxygen concentrators from the UK which is likely to arrive by in the last week of May. Each oxygen concentrator of 5-6 litres costs around Rs 46,000. We have also ordered 5 C PAP machines that cure respiratory disorders. And since we are not a hospital, we intend to donate these C PAP machines to the hospitals where there are facilities to treat patient with respiratory disorders that are linked to Covid” explained Azeem. 

“We also give post-Covid care by giving immunity-boosting drugs and foodstuff,” he added. 

Al Hamd is run with funds from family and close friends. 

50-bed oxygen therapy centre set up by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind 

Well-known socio-religious organization Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Telangana has also set up a 50-bed oxygen therapy centre in Wadi-e-Huda near Shaheen Nagar, Hyderabad. JIH’s sister concern Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) supports recycling the cylinders, rifling them, coordinating with other organisations for availability. 

Post Script

To support Helping Hand Foundation, you can make a GooglePay donation here: 8125203286

Donate to Humanity First Foundation here: https://www.donatekart.com/humanity-first/Help-Shujatullah

To help SDIF reach out to more needy persons, donate here: 

https://www.donatekart.com/SDIF/Help-SDIF

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / b y Nikhat Fatima, TwoCircles.net / May 21st, 2021

Umaira Habib’s is empowering women with her cosmetic range Honey n Beaute

Business & Economy, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), ,

Kattubava (near Pudukkottai), TAMIL NADU :

Umaira Habib: The Young Visionary, Versatile, Decisive Entrepreneur setting new benchmarks for the industry to follow with her startup “Honey n Beaute”.


Mother of two kids Umaira Habib who has made a remarkable name for herself and her firm “Honey n Beaute” in the the beauty and personal care industry.

The young gritty talk of the town entrepreneur gaining tremendous popularity in recent time is Umaira Habib.

This millennial businesswoman rising from all the clutches and clutter of challenges that life had thrown at her, she raised to eventually become a successful entrepreneur and the most popular name for umpteen others to talk and follow about.

This determined and go-getter individual is mother of 2 kids, and now owns a successful company under her kitty “Honey n Beaute”.

Honey n Beaute is now home to millions of women who want to look and fell better about them.

The very discrete and unique product list of Honey n Beaute includes various herbal shampoos, soaps, body lotions etc that touch upon millions of lives across the country and provide the necessary momentum to boost about their confidence and energy.

Umaira’s company not only provides these products to look better but in turn enables them to feel good about hem, being happy about how they carry themselves thereby ingesting super confidence in the modern-day women.


Umaira Habib, born in a small town of Kattu Pava near Pudhukkottai, Tamil Nadu didn’t race the roads of success that easily.

Coming from a middle-class family she had to face many challenges to rise in life. Language barrier was also a concern for her, but her meticulous efforts in learning other languages and studying hard took her to many places.

Umaira pursued a course in beauty and personal care management from Kolkata to eventually learn the tips and tricks of the trade industry and finally setting up the firm “Honey n Beaute”.

Managing work life balance, content with her professional work but striving hard to make her company attain global recognition, Umaira has turned every stone to success. Honey n Beaute now caters to more than 25,000 customers pan India. Who would have ever thought that a firm coined in March 2019 would ever make it so large in relatively short period of time? But Umaira and her dedicated team has made sure that their dreams are a reality today.


Honey n Beaute signature product is their Hair oil with herbal ingredients which is the most selling product for the firm, Henna Body lotions which does wonders for skin tan removal, 24k gold serum with 25 herbs and many more. The exciting range of products enthralls the customers all across the country and is penetrating more and more in upcoming and potential markets.


Honey n Beaute also caters to the cream of the crowd list, with celebrities like Rashmika Mandanna, Ishwarya Menon, Janani Iyer, Aalya Manasa, Youtuber Ahmed Meeran and many others who are proud customers of her firm. Umaira Habib has also been adjudged as Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 and is continuing her dream run.


We wish Umair and Honey n Beaute to keep continuing their good work and touch upon millions of lives ahead in their journey.

source: http://www.timebulletin.com / Time Bulletin / Home> News> Business / by Derek Robbin / May 2021

Muslim Woman Cremator Shatters Gender and Religious Stereotypes Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , ,

Irinjalakuda (Thrissur), KERALA :

Kerala-based cremator Subeena Rahman

Subeena Rahman has been supervising funerals at an electric crematorium run by the SNBS Samajam at Irinjalakuda in Kerala’s Thrissur, since the last two and a half years. Amid the devastating wave of the coronavirus, the 29-year-old cremator along with her male coworker Sunil has been cremating almost 10 COVID dead bodies daily from Hindu and Christian communities. 

The crematorium is run by the Hindu minority Ezhava community. She informs that if higher authorities permit, they could even perform cremations at night in view of the piling number of COVID-dead.

What prompted Rahman to take up a job at a crematorium? “Financial burden is the main reason for entering into such a job,” she informs. “Since my son was little at that time, I took up work at this crematorium as it’s near my house. This way I manage both my work and my child. I also save on food, travel and other expenses.”

But, being a funeral director is an unusual career choice for a woman. “Initially, I was ashamed to tell people that I work at a crematorium,” says Rahman. People had several questions for her and their own biases. Among handful women in a male-dominated bastion, Rahman stands true to her duty in managing after-death rituals in India, a profession that also intersects with her own identity as a minority Muslim woman.

Hindu funeral rites are officiated by the Brahmanical priestly class, and age-old tradition has prescribed against the presence of women at a funeral site making the space a preserve of men and patriarchy. But, at a time when COVID-19 is taking a devastating toll on people in the state, and families, friends and priests have turned their face away from the dead, Rahman’s role of overseeing the funeral passage of Hindu and Christian communities assumes greater significance. She has not only broken the gender divide but also that of religion when it comes to performing Hindu upper-caste last rites. While she and her colleague would only cremate the dead of the Ezhava earlier, the pandemic and its ensuing strain on human resources has only meant they now cremate bodies irrespective of caste.

Taking pride in her work, Rahman serves as a frontline worker attending to the dead; giving them dignity at a time when the dead are merely statistics, or bodies wrapped in plastic bags. Her work is as much technical as much as it stems from a space of empathy.

So, how does it work? Well, Rahman has to lay a dead body inside the crematorium to cremate. Booking for the next cremation is accepted only after a gap of one and a half hours, the time taken to cremate a body. The presence of just two chambers allows only two bodies to be cremated at a time.

During the first wave, there were only one to two COVID-related cremations. “But since the second wave hit, it has been challenging to manage the amount of work with just the two of us but we are somehow dealing with it,” says Rahman.

Rahman was initially designated as an office staff for duties pertaining to accounting and paperwork. A male coworker was responsible for cremation duties. “As I used to sit alone, I started accompanying him and soon my interest shifted to that work. It’s been two and a half years and I am still doing this work,” she informs.

Reflecting on her role, Rahman is quick to remind that gender equality is not about big ideas but groundwork and self-mobilisation as a response to one’s immediate surroundings. She asks, “Is there differentiation between a man and a woman’s work? If we have the guts, we can do any work. Women are doing all kinds of work from climbing coconut trees to driving trucks, so this differentiation should change. If we can climb coconut trees; why can’t we cremate?”

(Subeena Rahman’s quotes translated from Malayalam by Apurva P.)

(Edited by Amrita Ghosh)

source: http://www.in.makers.yahoo.com / Makers India – Yahoo / Home> Makers / by Sanhati Banerjee and Apurva P / May 20th, 2021

Meet Dr. Nafisa Begam: Uncovering Polymer Nanocomposites And Protein Dynamics

Education, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, Science & Technology, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

INDIA / GERMANY :

Dr. Nafisa Begam.

This is the fourth part of the series named `Scientist Says’, where we bring for our readers some of the significant and commendable research works of young scientists in their respective fields.

Dr. Nafisa Begam completed her Ph.D. in the year 2016 at the Indian Institute of Science(IISc), Bangalore. Presently, she is working as Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tuebingen, Germany. She shares her significant research works with Rashida Bakait of India Tomorrow. Here are the excerpts of the interview.

Q. Please give a brief explanation about your research works.

Ans: During my PhD, in the group of Prof. J K Basu, Department of Physics, IISc. Bangalore, I characterized polymer nanocomposites with a desire to create novel materials with unique and remarkable physical properties (such as electrical, optical properties sometimes with high temperature resistance) but considerably lighter weight, compared to their conventional metal-based counterparts. Polymer nanocomposites is a material where organic/inorganic particles, rods or cylinders of nanometer dimensions (i.e. nanofillers) are embedded in a polymer matrix. I investigated several experimental parameters (e.g. temperature) that influence the processing of these composites and studied their dynamics using state-of-the-art technique- coherent X-ray scattering.

Besides the above-mentioned research, I have currently deviated my work towards bio-physics. Now I am studying structure and dynamics of proteins, in the University of Tuebingen (the Schreiber group), Germany, as an Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral research fellow, including steering biochemical reactions rates, sensing, or signaling.

Q. What was the aim behind your research works on `polymer nanocomposites’ and dynamics of protein?

Ans: During my masters, I experienced several experimental techniques in the department of physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. I was inspired by the quality of work being done there and decided to carry out research in the field of experimental physics. As I got into the laboratory of Prof. J K Basu, conducting extra-ordinary researches in the field of soft matter physics, especially polymer nanocomposites, for my Ph.D research, I started my work aiming that I will have a contribution in this field. The worldwide application and interest in the research of polymer nanocomposites led me to choose this system and explore the underlying physics behind its unique properties.

The aim of my studies on structure and dynamics of proteins is to understand the behaviour of protein-based systems such as egg white which are versatile products in our daily life, food industry, biotechnology, medicines and also in condensed matter physics. I study the temperature sensitivity on protein systems as it is highly impactful on proteins’ applications in bio-physics, foods, and their functions in intracellular organizations.

Q. What kind of new findings were highlighted in your research works?

Ans: My research work on microscopic dynamics of nanoparticles inside polymer matrix revealed an anomalous temperature dependent viscosity which enhances under confinement as well as with reducing temperature due to the presence of hydrodynamic slip at nanoparticle-polymer interface. This work highlights that the interface slip present in a polymer nanocomposites can alter the properties significantly with respect to their pure polymer properties. My work was published in various reputed journals such as, American Chemical Society, Royal Society of Chemistry, Nature Communications (Nature), Polymer (Elsevier), American Institute of Physics and American Physical Society.

I would also like to share my recent, very interesting, investigation on the gelation process, i.e. the cooking of egg white which reveals how the structural growth occur and the transparent egg white forms a turbid and solid gel. During this process, the proteins in the egg white denature and form a network structure due to heating. Understanding such gelation mechanism not only has important implications for food science, but also for polymer, soft matter Physics, and biophysics researchers. Due to the special interest of this system and the importance of the sophisticated technique used, this study has been highlighted in American Physical Society, and various press release in Germany, and UK.

Q. What kind of challenges did you face?

Ans: Researchers struggled to understand the dynamics of nanoparticles in polymers or complex protein based systems, particularly at the length scales of hundreds of nanometers to micrometers, relevant for the taste buds of our tongue. We tackled this problem with a powerful tool: coherent X-ray scattering. In order to examine the exact molecular structure of the material, short-wave radiation such as X-ray light is necessary, which penetrates the opaque systems and whose wavelength is no longer than the structures to be examined. Such a sophisticated technique is only available in few synchrotron radiation sources, e.g. Petra III (DESY, Germany), ESRF (Grenoble, France). This facility is provided to a very few research groups every year through exclusive review process by the synchrotron experts.

Q. Any scholarships or awards for research?

Ans: I was honored by the Prof. Anil Kumar Memorial Medal for best PhD thesis 2016-2017 (in experimental Physics, IISc. Bangalore), India. Recently, I received the Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral research fellowship since February 2019 in Germany.

Q. How do you think your research would be beneficial to the society or any other industry?

Ans: During my PhD, I worked on the characterization of polymer nanocomposites which is a new class of materials with unique properties such as electrical, optical, thermo-mechanical properties. By doing so I could contribute to the understanding of the materials used in various applications, e.g. high quality food packaging, coating, painting, electronic devices (solar cells) and automotive industries.

As far as my recent research on protein dynamics is concerned, it is expected to have benefits in condensed matter physics, food industry as well as our daily diet. For example, the famous “spring egg” is cooked at temperatures between 63 oC and 66 oC, resulting very soft and transparent gel. My research will contribute towards understanding the underlying mechanism behind such gel properties and hence helping to produce food gels of desired properties.  

Q. When did you begin and complete your PhD/research?

Ans: I started my Ph.D on polymer nanocomposites in the group of Prof. Jaydeep K Basu, department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in August 2011 and finished in July 2016. Presently, I am doing my postdoctoral research work on the protein dynamics.

Q. What was the conclusion of your research on polymer nanocomposites?

Ans: I observed that the nanoparticle-polymer interface nature plays a crucial role in deciding the microscopic dynamics of these materials and hence their thermo-mechanical and rheological properties. My research shows the tunability of the dispersion of nanoparticles and how it influences the relevant physical properties in a polymer nanocomposite. This outcome could have potential in processing high quality materials in various application field, e.g. in automotive industry, an appropriate polymer nanocomposite can significantly enhance the fuel efficiency.

Q. How do you think your research works can be carried forward?

Ans: Polymer nanocomposites is a broad field. It can be carried out further in many directions. For example, to completely understand the dynamical behavior of the nanoparticles inside polymer, it is needed to investigate the systems by varying the nanoparticle/polymer interactions over a broad range. It would be interesting to study the microscopic dynamics of such systems. In addition to that, model a system which can represent the thin film behavior and explore the confinement effect using simulations to understand the observed experimental phenomena microscopically.

My present work on protein dynamics has tremendous potential for researchers working in the area of soft condensed matter physics, food science, biotechnology, medicines as well as the understanding proteins’ functions in living organizations i.e. in biology. Proteins’ functions are not fully understood due to their complexity and technological limitations. Our study is one among the first investigations along this line and we expect it to pave the way for future experiments to shed light on processes in proteins highly relevant for the food industry and soft matter physics. This work can be continued by employing this newly developed experimental technique to investigate other relevant proteins and materials making foams, gels etc. in one of our primary interesting fields, food industry.

Q. Apart from the above-mentioned research works, would you like to share any other new research works you are working on now?

Ans: Currently, I am working on the dynamics of a chocolate melt at temperatures close to human body temperatures. This work is expected to have potential impact on colloidal physics as well as the chocolate industry by providing information over the parameters to control the chocolate quality.

Q. Lastly, please give few suggestions to the budding scientists.

Ans: Research is entirely different from the usual courses or subjects we study where we can easily acquire information from the available sources, whereas in research one has to tackle an unknown problem which requires a deeper and thorough understanding of the related subject/field. You might fail or succeed. Research requires patience to continue after learning from the failed attempts. Failing in one research attempt is most probable but that is the only way to learn and a way to move forward towards success.

source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education> Featured / by Rashida Bakait , India Tomorrow / April 10th, 2021

Indian student gets 10-year UAE Golden Visa

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Education, NRI's / PIO's, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , ,

Alappuzha District, KERALA / Dubai, UAE :

Standing: (from left) Safeer (husband of first daughter Sumayya), Amal (daughter); (sitting) Aslam with grand son Mazyoun , Tasneem Aslam and mother Sunitha Syed. (Supplied)

Tasneem Aslam is pursuing a PG degree in Islamic jurisprudence from the University of Sharjah.

Tasneem Aslam, an Indian student from India’s southern most state Kerala’s Alappuzha district and a namesake of Pakistan’s career diplomat and a former spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a proud recipient of a coveted honour of the UAE government.

Her hard work, diligence and intelligence have paid off.

The UAE government has recognised her merit and excellent academic credentials to extend her a 10-year Golden Visa, which is reserved only for prominent global personalities.

Tasneem received the Golden Visa in the exceptional student category and is allowed to stay in the country till 2031, as the UAE unveils major reforms to attract global talents from people belonging to all walks of life.

Tasneem, but naturally, is thrilled by the honour.

“This is one of the best moments in my life. I feel privileged to achieve this and I am thankful to Almighty Allah. My parents ‘support has been enormous, and Insha Allah I hope to sponsor them in near future,” Tasneem told Khaleej Times.

“I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the wise and visionary leadership of this great nation that has been making rapid strides to promote education. Students, educators, and institutions enjoy great value in this young nation that’s celebrating 50 years of its foundation. I seek solace in the immortal words of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, that ‘knowledge is the shortcut to success,’ ” she said.

Tasneem studied Islamic Sharia from Al Qasimia University in Sharjah and topped her class, which consisted of pupils from 72 nationalities, with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.94 on 4.

Tasneem has memorised the Quran. She has enroled for a postgraduate degree in Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) at the University of Sharjah.

She had attended the Emirates National School in Sharjah, where her mother Sunita works as a teacher, and had secured 95.6 per cent in her Grade XII examinations.

Tasneem’s father Muhammad Aslam is a former employee of the Sharjah City Municipality and now runs a typing centre in the emirate.

Her father is ecstatic about their daughter’s feat.

He said: “I’m proud of her achievements. We’ve been flooded with congratulatory calls and messages for the past two days from our friends and relatives from across the globe.”

Tasneem, who is proficient in Arabic, has multitasking skills. She helps her father with Arabic translation at the typing centre and simultaneously manages the social media account of Zahaar perfumes.

Earlier, she worked as a teacher at Nobel Qur’an and Sunnah centre in the emirate. She also taught the Quran and hadith at the Abu Bakr Siddique mosque in Sharjah.

“Tasneem is very creative, and she spends her free time designing her own abaya,” her father signed off

source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> News / by Syed Ayaz Basha, Dubai / filed May 29th, 2021 and updated June 02nd, 2021

Bhaag Beanie Bhaag Producer Seher Aly Latif Passes Away

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Leaders, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World Opinion

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

Seher Latif also worked in multiple international projects including Sense 8.

Seher Aly Latif, producer of Swara Bhasker starrer Bhaag Beanie Bhaag, passed away on 7 June of a cardiac arrest. She was reportedly admitted to Mumbai’s Lilavati hospital for renal failure. Seher also worked as the casting director for Maska, Shakuntala Devi, and Durgamati: The Myth among others.

Director Neeraj Udhwani, who worked on Maska with Seher, confirmed the news to Indian Express. “It’s unbelievable. It’s so hard to process. Last week only I donated blood for her and I was told she was recovering. And this morning, I got to know about it. She had an infection due to which she suffered renal failure. She was admitted to the hospital last weekend. Doctors had put on her antibiotics, and we thought she was recovering,” he said.

Seher is remembered fondly by many people who’ve worked with her. About his experience of working with Seher, Neeraj said, “Her default expression was a smile. You would always find her smiling. She was one of the nicest, kindest people I ever met.”

Nimrat Kaur, who played the lead in Lunchbox, tweeted a picture of Seher with her cat and wrote, “One of the kindest, most loving people Mumbai gifted my life with. Still trying to process this unreal news…. Travel on into the light my dearest, sweetest Seher. The unpredictable, ghastly shortness of life remains baffling…Await to meet you on the other side.”

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

British singer Sophie Choudry tweeted, “A force to be reckoned with in the world of casting , started producing and more than anything just a wonderful woman. Heaven is lucky to have you, Seher.”

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Made In Heaven actor Shashank Arora wrote a heartfelt tribute to the producer. “She was what Indian Cinema needed, above all she was one of the best people I had met in Bombay till date. Rest in peace friend,” he tweeted.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Seher Latif. A kind, brilliant, empathetic artist, casting director, producer, human being. A rare friend. First person to give me a job during difficult first years in Bombay. An inspiring leader. Unable to process this. World cinema lost a great one. See you on the other side,” he also wrote.

Seher’s repertoire also contains international projects including Eat Pray Love, Viceroy’s House, McMafia and Sense 8. She also founded Mutant Films with producer Shivani Saran in 2016. She is survived by her husband and parents.

source: http://www.thequint.com / The Quint / Home> Quint Entertainment> Celbrities / by The Quint / June 08th, 2021

This four-year-old girl just broke a world record in Qatar

Amazing Feats, Education, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, Videos, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World Opinion, , ,

Doha, QATAR :

Young Eshal’s great achievement was recorded in the International Book of Records of 2021.

At just four years old, little genius Eshal Marwa Firos Khan set the world record for reciting all the elements in the Periodic Table in just 2 minutes and 28 seconds.

The kindergartener at Doha Modern Indian School didn’t only learn all the elements of the periodic table by heart, but also recited them in record-breaking time, earning her a spot in the International Book of Records on March 26, 2021.

“The World Record of “FASTEST RECITATION OF PERIODIC TABLE BY A KID” is achieved by ESHAL MARWA FIROS KHAN on 26th March 2021 from Doha, Qatar,” the organisation said.

“4 years 8 months Eshal recited all the elements of periodic table in 2 minutes 28 seconds and has set a new world record for International Book of Records,” it added.

Now, Eshal holds the record for “Fastest Recitation of Periodic Table By a Kid,” making her family and wider community in Qatar proud.

But that’s not the little girl’s only achievement.

Eshal is also documented in the India Book of Records and Champions Book of Records for identifying 55 critical human body parts, eight planets of the solar system, and 14 prime ministers of India in the shortest possible time.

Highlighting the girl’s achievement, the school extended their gratitude and pride towards her teachers for their support and guidance.

“On behalf of our esteemed Principal, Senior Leadership Team, Management, Staff and Students of DMIS we wish her further success and greater glory in the years to come,” said DMIS.

source: http://www.dohanews.co / Doha News / Home> Family Life / by Menatella Ibrahim / May 02nd, 2021

Chennai dessert boutique Sweet Spot teams home-baked treats with music recommendations

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , ,

Chennai, TAMIL NADU :

Sweet Spot’s best-sellers include milk chocolate salted caramel cake, baklava tart and dark chocolate cheesecake. The latest entrant on the menu is sheer shahi kurma

There is a lot one can discover over dessert. As I plunge my spoon into a gooey chocolate cake, my palate is surprised by what lies beneath: shreds of coconut, coated in luscious Belgian chocolate.

Keeping me company is a soulful Nepali track — a recommendation by the Sweet Spot team. It came written on a neon sticky note, attached to the neat box laden with brownies, tarts and cookies. Sweet Spot, started in April by Zeeshan Anees, Ahad Anaikar, Mohamed Faraaz, Pooja Reddy and Mohamed Samee aims to give home bakers a platform to promote their products.

The desserts are sold under the label of the person who created them, explains Samee. The idea is not to monopolise the dessert market, but to even out the playing field. And along with the goodies come song recommendations from the team. These include: ‘Hataarindai, Bataasindai’, ‘Parchaiyon Main’, ‘Heat Waves’, ‘100 words’…

“The idea came to us during the last lockdown, when we noticed an increase in home bakers. We were ordering a lot of desserts from them,” says Samee. Soon, they transformed a small space, in the same compound as the old Nolita (in Nungambakkam), into a dessert parlour.

The team put all interested home bakers through a series of quality checks, filtering out what did not work for them. “Earlier, the concern most clients had with home bakers was, they had to order two days in advance or buy a full kilogram of cake, even if all they wanted is one slice,” says Samee. Now, these wrinkles have been ironed out.

Empowering the homebaker

On an average, the boutique features items by 15 home bakers, the number goes up to 20 during the weekends. Each bakers typically stocks two to three of her creations. “Sixty to 70% are products by our anchor brands such as Meltz by Aishwarya, Whisk by Safra, Serendipia, Chef Srishti, Coucou, Baked by Faz, Zoya’s bakes, and the rest are from upcoming bakers,” says Samee.

The best-sellers include milk chocolate salted caramel cake, baklava tart and dark chocolate cheesecake. The latest entrant on the menu is sheer shahi kurma. They are trying to bring in variety with Indian desserts as well as savoury snacks like quiches and cream cheese-filled Korean buns.

On weekends they sell out. Their clients order from as far as ECR, Chrompet, Madipakkam and Velachery. The number of orders range from anywhere between 70-100 a day.

Order via their Instagram page, @sweetspot_chennai.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Food / by Priyadarshini Paitandy / Chennai – June 02nd, 2021

Four, including Zaibul Nisha, of Odisha are AITT 2020 toppers

Amazing Feats, Education, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , ,

ODISHA :

Close to 24 lakh candidates had appeared in the national level test conducted under the Craftsmen Training Scheme.

Bhubaneswar:

Zaibul Nisha, a Muslim girl from Odisha, is among the four toppers of All India Trade Test (AITT) 2020.

Close to 24 lakh candidates had appeared in the national level test conducted under the Craftsmen Training Scheme.

In an impressive performance, all top four positions of AITT 2020 have been secured by Odisha professionals.

“All four AITT toppers from Odisha”

Besides Zaibul Nisha, other AITT toppers are Pooja Mahar, Sai Charan Das and Birendra Seth.

A beaming Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, has congratulated the four on their historic success.

“CM @Naveen_Odisha congratulated @skilled_odisha professionals – Zaibul Nisha, Pooja Mahar, Sai Charan Das & Birendra Seth for making it to top 10 in the Craftsmen Training Scheme. CM expressed happiness that concerted effort to build a robust skill ecosystem is being recognized”, a message posted on CMO Odisha official Twitter handle said.

Odisha Skill Development Authority too is on cloud nine after the success of Odisha professionals.

“#SkilledInOdisha professionals ace it again at the national level! Glad to share that 4 of our professionals – Zaibul Nisha, Pooja Mahar, Sai Charan Das & Birendra Seth are national toppers Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) – All India TradeTest 2020”, it wrote on its Twitter handle.

“About All India Trade Test”

All India Trade Test (AITT) is conducted by the Directorate General of Training under the aegis of National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) for its various schemes. The exam is held twice a year.

The Craftsmen Training Scheme is implemented through about 15,000 Industrial Training Institutes (it is) in 137 trades.

The AITT is held at the end of the training year. Candidates who qualify in the AITT are awarded National Trade Certificates (NTC).

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Education & Career / by ummid.com News Network / June 04th, 2021

Dr. Hina Khan: Designing And Synthesizing Organic Molecules

Education, NRI's / PIO's, Science & Technology, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World Opinion, , , , ,

INDIA / U.S.A :

Dr. Hina Khan

This is the eighth part of the series called `Scientist Says’, where we bring for our readers significant research works of young scientists in various fields.

Dr. Hina Khan started her research journey in year 2014 with Prof. Tushar K. Chakraborty research group, Department of Organic Chemistry, IISc Bangalore. After completing her PhD in July 2019, she worked as a Research Associate in the same lab for a year. In September 2020, she joined a Biocon-group company as a Research Investigator where she worked in collaboration between Bristol Myers Squibb and Syngene International. Currently, she is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pittsburgh, United States. She shares her significant research work with Rashida Bakait of India Tomorrow. Here are the excerpts of the interview.

Q. Please briefly explain your research.

Ans. Chemistry is frequently described as the central science and chemical synthesis lies at the heart of the subject. Synthetic organic chemistry underpins several areas of chemistry, including drug discovery, chemical biology, materials science, and engineering. However, the practice of total synthesis of natural products has a rich history of achievements and benefits to science and society that ranges from replicating the molecules of nature in the laboratory to the preparation and production of pharmaceuticals, developing new synthetic strategies and methods, and also synthesizing designed molecules for biology and medicine.

In contributing to the everlasting field of “the art of making molecules”, my research work mainly focuses on the discovery of new organic transformations which are of significant interest to the fields of medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical development and also uncovering the practical application of Titanocene (III)monochloride in the synthesis of architecturally challenging and biologically important natural products and their inspired synthons.

Q. When did you start and complete your research?

Ans. I started my learning to be a researcher in Aug 2014 with Prof. Tushar K. Chakraborty at IISc, Bangalore, submitted my doctoral thesis in July 2019, and defended the thesis in March 2020. Later in the year 2020, I joined Biocon-group company as a research investigator and worked till April 2021. Currently, I am working as a postdoctoral fellow in University of Pittsburgh, United States.

Q. What was the objective of your research?

Ans. With the ever increasing demand of developing new, efficient, and cheaper methods to construct biologically relevant molecular frameworks, my research aims on the design and developing new synthetic strategies for concise entry to important functionalized bioactive synthetic scaffolds/target.

Q. What were the findings of your research?

Ans. The research findings revolves around two main areas:

I : In developing a synthetic methodology which is flexible and provide single potential route for the diastereoselective construction of diversely substituted 1,3-X,N-heterocyclic variants as valuable scaffolds for natural products and pharmaceuticals, in a diversity-oriented approach. The methodology is amenable for a broad range of substrates based on a metal-free approach.

II. In exploring the synthetic utility of Titanocene(III)monochloride-promoted radical cyclization protocol on to the findings:

a) We have developed a concise and unified approach to gain access to handful iridoid monoterpenes that exhibit wide range of pharmacological activity.

b) We have portrayed a synthetic route to a bicyclic lactone containing a bridgehead hydroxy group, a structure that is present in many natural products of biological and medicinal relevance.

c) Furthermore, an efficient route for the construction of pyrrolo/piperidino[1,2-a]indole derivatives have been developed.

During my research endeavour I have also been involved in the synthesis of sugar amino acid (δ-SAA) based linear lipopeptides (Almiramide analogues) that were screened for their biological activities, viz. antileishmanial and anticancer and the extension of this work is currently active.

Q. What was the conclusion of your research?

Ans. Driven by the ever-increasing demands for small functionalized bioactive scaffolds and the need of broadening the toolbox of unexplored chemical space, our designed strategy provides a flexible route to construct the unique five/six membered 1,3-heterocycles by exploring the synthetic utility of α-phenyl-β-enamino ester following a Mitsunobu-Michael reaction sequence. Next, taking advantage of Cp2Ti(III)Cl-mediated reductive epoxide opening-cyclization, we have developed an expedient and the most concise and unified approach till date in the total synthesis of iridoid monoterpenes in an enantiomerically divergent manner starting from (+)-β-citronellene. Further expansion of the strategy was made to fix hydroxylated bridgehead chiral centre, in the fused/bridged bicyclic lactone, a structure that is present in many natural products of biological and medicinal relevance. Furthermore, as part of our ongoing research interest, we have successfully extended yet another practical application of Ti(III)-mediated epoxide opening-cyclization protocol to devise a simplified route to a pyrrolo/piperido[1,2-a]indole framework, featuring many useful functionalities on the saturated ring, which is ideally suited for further manipulation.

Q. What kind of challenges did you face?

Ans. A doctorate is a long project so your motivation will dip and peak along the way. In multi-step synthesis, designing a synthetic route to the target molecule, optimizing every step of the synthetic plan with the best possible outcome, revising the plan, if needed and starting all-over again is really a burnout process. I would say you can learn more from your failures than successes. They are often catalysts for positive change in the long term. And remember one thing that you are training to be a researcher.

Q. Any scholarships or awards for research?

Ans. For my Ph.D. and Research Associateship (Aug 2014 – Jul 2020), I have received funding from Indian Institute of Science. I have received award for my research work in Indian Peptide symposium, in 2017. Currently, for my postdoctoral program I am receiving scholarship from University of Pittsburgh, United states.

Q. How do you think your research would be beneficial to the industry or society?

Ans. Organic synthesis, the art and science of constructing substances, natural or designed, in the laboratory to replicate the molecules of living creatures, and create other molecules like them, is a remarkable development in human history. Organic synthesis in general, have led to an impressive host of benefits to society, including useful products ranging from pharmaceuticals, dyes, cosmetics and agricultural chemicals to diagnostics and high-technology materials used in computers, mobile phones and spaceships. My research on designing and developing synthetic route to construct heterocycles, terpenoids, alkaloids will provide a new synthetic approach and scope to replicate some of the most intriguing molecules of living nature in the laboratory and apply the developed synthetic strategies to construct variations of them to facilitate biology and medicine.

Q. Any new research you are working on now.

Ans. My current research at University of Pittsburgh, as Post-doctoral fellow is to rationally design and synthesize more efficacious 2-Pralidoxime analogs (2-PAM) which is the only therapeutic countermeasure that is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treating Organophosphorus nerve agents (OPNA) poisoning. However, 2-PAM is not centrally active due to its hydrophilicity and resulting poor blood−brain barrier permeability; hence, these deficiencies warrants the need for antidotes with the development of more hydrophobic analogs.

Q. How do you think your research can be carried forward?

Ans. Taken together, the simplicity and efficiency of the designed strategies can further be adopted to obtain other enticing heterocyclic variants, highly functionalized iridoids/cyclo-pentanoid natural product, also having bridgehead hydroxyl group in a bicyclic lactone, [a]-annulated indole frameworks, which are beneficial to the science of organic synthesis for further innovative applications.

Q. Please give few tips and suggestions to the budding scientists.

Ans. Research is a never-ending journey of learning something new, honing your problem-solving skills and challenging yourself in new ways. I would advise the young scientists to stay curious and stay determined. Science is not easy, become comfortable with failure because a major component of the scientific process is trial and error. Failure is okay! Failing provides some of the biggest learning opportunities and finding new scientific discoveries.

It is not about perfection but curiosity and perseverance. Keep exploring, keep experimenting, keep learning, keep improving. Avoid burnout and look after your mental health to make you more productive in the long run.

Remember to take five-minutes brain break by walking away for a moment, rest that brain and then resume.

source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education> Featured / by Rashida Bakait, India Tomorrow / May 19th, 2021