AMU satellite project named after Sir Syed Ahmad Khan gets IN-SPACe nod

Amazing Feats, Education, Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021), Science & Technology, Scientists (wef. August 27th,m 2023), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Aligarh, UTTAR PRADESH:

The “SS AMU SAT” is a Nanosatellite Project which began in November 2021 under the AMU Robo Club.

AMU satellite project named after Sir Syed Ahmad Khan gets IN-SPACe nod

Aligarh Muslim University: 

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), working under the Department of Space, Government of India, has approved the proposal for development of “SS AMU SAT” – Aligarh Muslim University’s first satellite programme.

The leading university’s first satellite programme is to be named after its founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.

About SS AMU Sat

The “SS AMU SAT” is a Nanosatellite Project which began in November 2021 under the AMU Robo Club. The satellite is a 3U CubeSat with multiple objectives which include the study of economic growth in India’s poorest districts using satellite imagery and implementation of an in-house developed image compression technology for a faster multimedia transmission.

In addition to this, the satellite will also test various satellite sub-systems that have been built in-house.

SS AMU Sat Team

The project was submitted to IN-SPACe in January 2023, for approval, registration, frequency allocation and launch of SS AMU SAT.

In September 2023, the Student Satellite Committee, chaired by Dr. P K Jain, Director (PMAD), IN-SPACe, reviewed the design and approved the proposal with a condition that AMU will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IN-SPACe for all activities from the development of the SS AMU SAT to its launch into the Lower Earth Orbit.

The project is headed by Prof. Ekram Khan, Chairman, Department of Electronics Engineering, under the leadership of Prof. M.M. Sufiyan Beg, Principal, Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology.

The students’ team which is involved in the development of the project, is led by Ms Poorti Varshney and mentored by Dr. C. A. Prabhakar (Former Project Director, ISRO) and Er. Faraz Ahmad (A 2013 batch alumnus). The project has received technical support from AMU alumni working with ISRO and several industrial experts across the globe.

The team of students comprises Kulsum Ilyas, Anant Agarwal, Tarun Singh, Rabiya, Mohammad Ali, Ilma Shah, Ahsan Waseem, Azhan Kamil, Tanu Attri, Mohd. Arquam, Kanuj Chitranshu, Munira Sultan, Atifa Saeed, Kanika, Asif Ali, Syed Muhammad Suhaib, Azam, Gulam Fareed, Samad, Varun Yadav, Mudassir Ali, Tehreem Fatima, Tarannum Zafar, Yashra, Mansha and Binish Kashif

The project is tentatively scheduled to be launched in 6 months.

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Education & Career / by ummid.com news network / October 28th, 2023

How a 19th century Urdu play come to be translated in Hebrew script

Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 )

BRITISH INDIA:

This Judaeo-Urdu manuscript may have been created for (or by) the Baghdadi Jewish community.

The Emerald Fairy (Sabz Pari) at the heavenly court of Indar (Or.13287, f. 17r). | Public Domain

The British Library’s sole Judaeo-Urdu manuscript is a copy in Hebrew script of the well-known Urdu theatrical work, the Indar Sabha, written by Agha Sayyid Hasan ‘Amanat’, a poet in the court of Vajid Ali Shah of Awadh .

Opening folio of the Indar Sabha (Or.13287, f. 7r). [Public Domain]

Our manuscript seems to have been created in the early 20th century, perhaps by a member of the Baghdadi Jewish community of India. Originating in the Arabic-speaking regions of the Ottoman Empire, the Baghdadi Jewish community settled in India from the late 18th into the 19th century and was primarily centred in two major urban centres of India, Calcutta and Bombay [now Kolkata and Mumbai]. A printing industry in Judaeo-Arabic grew in both locations to cater to the religious needs of the community as well as its appetite for news and entertainment, producing devotional treatises, gazettes, and also the occasional historical novel, murder mystery and romance (Musleah, On the Banks of the Ganga, p. 522-531). The British Library’s collections are a rich resource for these publications and for the history of the Baghdadi Jewish community in India, and our Hebrew curator has previously written about a Judaeo-Arabic serial issued in Bombay for our blog.

The Emerald Fairy (Sabz Pari) at the heavenly court of Indar (Or.13287, f. 17r). [Public Domain]

As for the contents of the manuscript, while many elements of the play itself are reminiscent of fabulous Urdu dastaans or legends, such as the Sihr al-Bayan by Mir Hasan (1727-86), the plot itself is relatively simple, avoiding the complex story-within-a-story structure of its predecessors. The play opens with a sensuous depiction of the court of the king of the gods, Indar, populated by fairies bearing the names of jewels (Emerald, Topaz, Sapphire and Ruby).

Left (f. 18r): the Sabz Pari (Emerald fairy) and the Kala Dev; right (f. 19v): the Sabz Pari and her earthly lover, prince Gulfam (Or.13287). [Public Domain]

As with many dastaans, a story of forbidden love ensues when the Emerald fairy (Sabz Pari) falls in love with a mortal prince, Gulfam, and conspires with the help of the Black Demon (Kala Dev), to sneak her beloved into Indar’s heavenly court. When this transgressal is discovered, the Emerald fairy’s wings are clipped, and she is ejected from the paradise of Indar’s court and falls to earth, while her lover is imprisoned in a well (Hason, ‘Indar Sabha Phenomenon,’ p. 83).

Left (f. 22r): the Sabz Pari, having been shorn of her wings; right (f. 26r): Gulfam is punished in a well for his transgression of entering the heavenly court of Indar (Or.13287). [Public Domain]

In addition to the echoes of Urdu dastaans, the multi-coloured fairies bring to mind the Haft Paykar of Nizami, in particular, the images of the main character’s fantastical adventures , and the Hasht Bihisht of Amir Khusraw, of which an example can be viewed online, while the unlucky prince hidden in a well as a result of his trangressive love is reminiscent of the story of Bizhan and Manizheh from the Shahnamah, creating a further layer of intertextuality and adaptation of visual motifs from the Persian epics from which the Urdu poetry of the 19th century clearly drew much of its inspiration. However, the story takes a more Indic turn when the Emerald fairy, ejected from heaven, wanders as a yogini or female ascetic, playing music that tells of her love and charms her way back into Indar’s court, wins his favour and secures her lover’s release.

The Sabz Pari wanders on earth as a female ascetic or yogini, charming the wild animals with her beautiful music (Or.13287, f. 26v). [Public Domain]

Establishing a direct link between the Baghdadi Jewish community and theatrical production of the Indar Sabha has proven elusive. According to the gazette of the Baghdadi Jewish community from the early 20th century, social clubs in both Bombay and Calcutta staged events, such as films, plays and musical performances, and hosted amateur dramatic clubs from within the Jewish community (The Jewish Advocate, 1932, p. 425; 1933, p. 9). It also seems that Baghdadi Jewish female actresses took part in early productions of the play and other Urdu-language theatrical productions, establishing a possible connection between the Indar Sabha and the Jewish community. While such a conclusion is purely speculative at this point, it might be the case that this Judaeo-Urdu manuscript was created for (or by) one of the actors or theatre producers of the Baghdadi Jewish community.

Fortunately, due to the generosity of the Hebrew Manuscripts project , this unique Judaeo-Urdu manuscript will be digitised and made freely available online, which we hope will encourage further research into the language, cultural context, and history of this fascinating manuscript.

Nur Sobers-Khan, Lead Curator for South Asia.

This article first appeared on the British Library’s Asian and African Studies blog.

source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> Literary History / by Nur Sobers-Khan / August 02nd, 2017

WORLD RECORD: This 1932 Hindi Bollywood Film ‘Indrasabha’ holds World Record for most Songs, had 72 of them, it’s not Hum Aapke Hain Koun, DDLJ, Taal, Devdas

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, World Opinion, ,

BRITISH INDIA :

This Bollywood film from before Independence, holds the world record for most songs with 72 musical numbers.

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Song and dance is an integral part of Indian cinema. While the West has a separate genre called musicals, most Indian films are by default musicals. Whether it’s a thriller, murder mystery, romantic comedy, or family drama, songs find a place in most Indian films. Yet, some films go the extra mile when it comes to including songs with the sheer number setting records. In fact, it is an Indian film that holds the world record for including most songs with a jaw-dropping 72 musical numbers in its run. And its not one of the usual suspects.

Bollywood film with 72 songs

While Hum Aapke Hain Koun created a flutter with 14 songs back in 1994, there have been a few before it as well that included over a dozen songs. Even Hollywood musicals like Chicago and Moulin Rouge had as many songs. Yet, none of them compare with the 1932 Hindi film Indrasabha, based on the play Inder Sabha. The 3 and a half-hour film was conceptualised and shot almost entirely in verse, comprising of 72 songs in total with most characters, big or small, receiving their own entry song. The mythological drama was one of the first Indian talkies, released just a year after Alam Ara.

Indrasabha’s 72 songs

Indrasabha was an adaptation of a 19th century Urdu play called Inder Sabha, written by Agha Hasan Amanat. The play was first brought to screen in 1925 but as a silent film. When Alam Ara brought the talkie revolution in India, Madan Theatre decided to bring back the film but with sound. The 1932 release utilised almost all of the plays 31 ghazals, 9 thumris, 4 holis, 15 songs, and seven other musical numbers. The film added a few of its own as well, giving it 72 songs in total. The feat earned Indrasabha a place in several record books.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> Bollywood / by DNA Web Team (headline edited) / October 26th, 2023

My Dubai Rent: Indian couple swap Abu Dhabi for Jumeirah Garden City

NRI's / PIO's, Travel & Tourism, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , ,

Dubai, U.A.E:

Siddiqui Masroor Azar and his family have lived in their Dh85,000 apartment for two years.

Siddiqui Azar and wife Nikhar Khan live in a two-bedroom apartment in Jumeirah Garden City with their two-year-old daughter. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National
Siddiqui Azar and wife Nikhar Khan live in a two-bedroom apartment in Jumeirah Garden City with their two-year-old daughter. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader’s home to have a look at what they get for their money, how much they pay and asks them what they like and don’t like.

Two years ago tourism boss Siddiqui Masroor Azar decided to swap his Abu Dhabi apartment for Dubai life.

The Indian citizen, who works as a lead data scientist at a bank, pays Dh85,000 ($23,140) for a two-bedroom apartment in Jumeirah Garden City, which he shares with his wife, Nikhar Khan, who owns a tourism company, and their two-year-old daughter.

The couple also run a YouTube channel, Indians Abroad, which they launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, that shares guides to Dubai with their followers.

They speak openly about the cost of living in the emirate, as well as the rules and regulations around visa applications.

One of their videos, in which they share a six-day itinerary for Dubai, as well as the most affordable places to eat and visit, has already garnered more than 1.2 million reviews.

Here, the 36-year-olds invited The National to take a tour of their property to show us why Dubai is the city for them.

What can you tell us about your apartment?

It’s a two-bedroom apartment that has a living room and a kitchen.

It’s around 1,500 square feet.

The building also has a rooftop pool, where we have great views of the Burj Khalifa.

Where did you live before?

This is our fourth apartment since we moved to the UAE in 2016.

Our first apartment was in the Al Nahda area in Dubai.

Then we moved to Abu Dhabi for work and rented an apartment in Al Nahyan.

Two years ago, we returned to Dubai.

Why did you choose this district?

We came back to Dubai because my office moved from Abu Dhabi to Dubai.

The best thing about Jumeirah Garden City is that I don’t get stuck in traffic.

My office is in Jaddaf, so it’s only a 10-minute drive from our apartment.

What kind of facilities do you have around you?
We are in the middle of everything.

It takes us around 10 minutes to reach several places including the Dubai Mall, Old Dubai where they have all the restaurants we love, and La Mer Beach.

The Museum of the Future is also two minutes away.

The best thing about Jumeirah is that during winter time we can take our two-year-old daughter to Satwa Park, and it’s about a 10-minute walk.

We also have a pharmacy and supermarket nearby.

The couple brought their blue sofa to Dubai from their Abu Dhabi apartment. Chris Whiteoak / The National
The couple brought their blue sofa to Dubai from their Abu Dhabi apartment. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Is it a sociable neighbourhood?
It’s a bit difficult to make friends since we live in a city and everyone is busy with their own lives.

We do have a few friends but it’s hard to catch up. If you have time, you can make friends.

How have you made your house a home and personalised it?
Before furnishing our apartment, we watched a lot of YouTube videos and explored many websites to find what suited us best.

We brought our blue sofa from our previous apartment as we love how bright and joyful it looks.

We also bought a wooden dining table, as well as plants to put in the living room as it adds a sense of cosiness to the apartment.

Any features you would change?
The view from our balcony could have been better. Unfortunately it’s obstructed by surrounding buildings.

Do you think living here delivers good value for money?
The rent is high everywhere in Dubai.

Location-wise it’s great because it’s close to all the places that we like to visit, so it makes it worth it.

If you compare our apartment to others that are older, you’ll understand that it’s completely reasonable for its price.

Do you plan to stay in the property?

We’ve been paying rent for years and we wanted to have our own apartment.

So last year we bought a two-bedroom apartment in Jumeirah Village Circle and we will be moving next year.

It took us around three years to save to buy the property but we’re excited.

source: http://www.thenationalnews.com / Th National / Home> Living in the UAE / by Eiman Alblooshi / October 08th, 2023

Annie Zaidi Wins the Fiction Book of the Year 2020 at Tata Lit Live! Awards

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Allahabad (UP) / RAJASTHAN / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA:

Renowned Indian author Annie Zaidi has won the Fiction Book of the Year 2020 for “Prelude to A Riot” at the Tata Literature Live! Awards. The awards ceremony took place via a digital event in lieu of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Aleph Book Company published the novel in September 2019.

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@AlephBookCo

Annie Zaidi is a renowned author, poet, and scriptwriter for stage and screen. Her latest book, Bread, Cement, Cactus: A Memoir of Belonging and Dislocation, published by Cambridge, won The Nine Dots Prize. Zaidi’s other books include Unbound: 2,000 Years of Indian Women’s Writing, Gulab, Sleep Tight, and more.

Zaidi is also a professor at the Jindal School of Journalism & Communication, OP Jindal Global University.

Prelude to A Riot addresses the issue of communal intolerance between three generations of two families – one Hindu and the other Muslim, and the ensuing communal violence in the town that changes their lives forever.

The Tata Literature Live! also known as the Mumbai LitFest, was held between November 16 to 22. Apart from the Fiction Book of the Year, other awards presented during the festival include Lifetime Achievement Award, Poet Laureate Award, Non-Fiction Book of the Year, First Book Fiction, First Book Non-Fiction, Business Book, and Publisher of the Year.

The jury for choosing the winner of the Fiction Book of the Year 2020 comprised of Prof. Ashwani Kumar, Padma Shri Keki Daruwalla, Prof. Madhavi Menon, and Prof. Shashi Baliga. Apart from Annie Zaidi’s Prelude to A Riot, other books in the shortlist were Aravind Adiga’s Amnesty, Gitanjali Kolanad’s Girl Made of Gold, and Memory of Light.

Winners’ List at Tata Literary Live! 2020:

Lifetime Achievement Award – Ruskin Bond

Poet Laureate Award – Javed Akhtar

Fiction Book of the Year – Annie Zaidi, Prelude to A Riot (Aleph)

Non-Fiction Book of the Year – TM Krishna, Sebastian & Sons: A Brief History of Mrdangam Makers (Westland)

First Book Fiction – Deepa Anappara, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line (Penguin Random House)

First Book Non-Fiction – Taran N Khan, Shadow City: A Woman Walks Kabul (Vintage Books) Business Book of the Year – Sunil Kant Munjal, The Making of Hero: Four Brothers, Two Wheels and a Revolution that Shaped India (HarperBusiness)

source: http://www.bombayreads.com / Bombay Reads / Home> News / by Noman Shaikh / November 23rd, 2020

From A Tailor To The One Who Crafts Unique Fashion – Nellara Shamsudheen

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

KERALA / DUBAI, U.A.E:

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Even when nothing works out as you planned, don’t lose your trust in yourself, this is what Mr. Shamsudheen has to share with us. 

Being the Managing Director of Nellara Groups, Address apparel, and more venture, Mr. Shamsudheen a successful Multipreneur from Kerala, has a story of dreams & hard work to share with us. 

Since his teenage years, he started working to earn money to pursue his passion, establishing a business. He kept a keen interest in designing shirts, and from a native tailor, Mr. Shamsudheen acquired skills to stitch them, not knowing it would be a turning point in his life.  

As he grew up, his dreams got life, and ‘Nellara food products, ’ a chain that provides premium quality food products, was born. 

Still, his passion to design fashion was the same, and the concept of gifting people the best ones at an affordable range gave life to a clothing brand, ‘Address Men’s Apparel’. 

With cunning strategies and proper implementation, Address caught global attention, and it is now a brand with 60+ outlets across 12 countries. Team Address focuses on designing desired outfits in premium quality that every man dreams of. 

Address, a brand exclusively for men, was a dream of Mr. Shamsudheen, and with years of research and market study, the brand was revealed with an exceptional array of supreme comfort shirts.  They have a well-experienced and truly professional team of fashion designers to gift everyone the best outfit. 

Offering a wide range of shirts, including Supima, Cargo, and Solid shirts, Address Apparel promises superior quality garments because their team leader, Mr. Shamsudheen, believes in extending everything at the best level without compromising quality. 

Mr. Shamsudheen Nellara, One who believes in making changes by marking goodness, carries the title of one of the best entrepreneurs in India with all commitment and future goals.

source: http://www.freepressjournal.in / The Free Press Journal / Home> Business / by FPJ Web Desk / July 04th, 2023

From history to books: Indulge in these unique experiences this week (edited)

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA / NEW DELHI:

If you’re a history buff, World History Encyclopedia has all the lore from the past—conquests, stories, and maps that take you back to the battleground

From history to books: Indulge in these unique experiences this week
Syeda Bilgrami Imam

Don’t we all enjoy a good love story? Award-winning writer and editor Syeda Bilgrami Imam’s new book Like Fine Wine: Nine Real Love Stories (Roli Books; R695) is that rare keepsake for those who truly believe in matters of the heart, serving as a gentle reminder that love truly wins.

pix: amazon.in

The book, Iman writes in her introduction, was born out of a request from a publisher friend for a monograph on her relatives ,“Sir Syed Ali Imam [former Prime Minister of the state of Hyderabad] and Lady Imam [Anise Karim] and their fateful discovery of each other in the year 1918”.

From one story, it turned into a collection, where she makes sensitive forays into the real love stories of nine unusual couples. From cricketing legend Tiger Pataudi and superstar Sharmila Tagore, to director David Lean and Leila Matkar, chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand and Aruna, the book takes us through stories that are replete with serendipitous beginnings, chance encounters and love-at-first-sight tropes.

The one story that will remain a personal favourite is that of Sir Ali, a 48-year-old widower, who falls instantly in love with Anise, an 18-year-old high school graduate whose “willowy, erect, curiously collected presence” made him say “without fuss or plea or preamble” if she would marry him.


Available at all leading bookstores

source: http://www.mid-day.com / Mid-Day / Home> Sunday Mid-Day News / by Team SMD (Edited) / Mumbai, May 14th, 2023

A powerful and thought-provoking play relevant to our times

Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), , , ,

NEW DELHI:

The Muslim Vanishes: A Play in Three Acts Saeed Naqvi Penguin, 2022

The Muslim Vanishes: A Play in Three Acts

Saeed Naqvi / Penguin, 2022

Reviewed by Arshad Shaikh

The Muslim Vanishes by Saeed Naqvi is a thought-provoking play and a timely fable about the dangers of communalism and the importance of empathy.

The play is set in a dystopian future where 200 million Muslims have suddenly disappeared from India, along with their cultural heritage. The remaining population is left to grapple with the consequences of this mass vanishing and to try to understand what happened and why.

The play is told from the perspective of a diverse cast of characters, including a TV news anchor, a Hindu nationalist leader, a Muslim woman, and a Dalit activist. Each character has their unique perspective on the events that have taken place, and their struggles to come to terms with them.

Naqvi’s writing is sharp and insightful, and he uses the play to explore a range of complex issues, including the nature of national identity, the role of religion in society, and the dangers of prejudice and discrimination.

The play is also a powerful plea for empathy, tolerance, and understanding. It challenges us to confront the realities of communalism and intolerance in our world.

The Muslim Vanishes is a must-read for anyone who is interested in contemporary Indian politics and society, or who is concerned about the rise of communalism and intolerance around the world. The play will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

The play is a creative way of exploring the key themes that India is currently grappling with and trying to come to terms with. The play is a powerful critique of communalism, which is a form of ideology that divides people along religious lines.

Naqvi shows how communalism can lead to violence, hatred, and even genocide. The play also makes a case for empathy, tolerance, and understanding. Naqvi challenges us to see the world from the perspective of others, even those who are different from us. He shows how empathy and tolerance can help us to build bridges and to create a more just and inclusive society.

Naqvi explores the complex nature of national identity. He asks us to question what it means to be Indian, and who owns India. He shows how national identity can be manipulated to exclude and marginalize certain groups of people.

The Muslim Vanishes is a powerful and thought-provoking play that is relevant to our times. It is highly recommended to add it to your bookshelf.

source: http://www.radianceweekly.com / Radiance Viewsweekly / Home> Book Review / by Arshad Shaikh / September 26th, 2023

Author Of The Madinah Arabic Book, Shaikh Dr. V Abdur Rahim Passes Away At 90

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Education - Gold Medallists, Toppers, Merits, Achievers (wef. June 12th, 2023), Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Vaniyambadi, TAMIL NADU / Madinah, SAUDI ARABIA:

On Friday morning, author of the famous and most resourceful Madinah Arabic Book, Shaikh Dr. V Abdur Raheem, passed away in Madinah, Saudi Arabia at the age of 90. 

A master of the Arabic language, a world renowned Islamic Scholar, multi-linguist, author, teacher and translator he dedicated his life to extraordinary contributions to Arabic literature by helping millions learn the Arabic language in his over 50 years of experience. 

Born in 1933 in Vaniyambadi, Tamil Nadu, he obtained his B.A in English from the University of Madras and M.A in Arabic from the Aligarh Muslim University, India in 1962. He also held a M.Phil. and a Ph.D. in Arabic Philology from Al-Azhar University, Egypt.

A recipient of the National Award from the President of India in 1997 for his services in teaching, he was a self made man who learnt Arabic from the scarcest resources available to him in his little town. His three-volume series, Madinah Arabic Book, a one of a kind in its field, is the official curriculum of the Madinah University, Saudi Arabia, and is also used widely in schools and universities across the world to teach students the Arabic language.

Former Professor of Arabic Language for 30 years at the International Islamic University of Madinah, he has taught Arabic Language at Islamic Universities around the world including at Omdurman in Sudan, Germany, Washington D.C and British Guyana. An expert on European Languages and their etymology, phonetic change and semantic development he was a former Director of the ‘Institute of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language’, at the Islamic University of Madinah.

A close associate of the Islamic Foundation Trust (IFT), Chennai, majority of his books have been published by IFT. 

Along with the Madinah Arabic Book series he has to his credit a host of other books too including ‘Let’s Begin to Read Arabic: A Beginners Guide to Learning the Arabic Language and the Qur’aan’, ‘AL-TIBYAAN – Easy way to Qur’aanic Reading’, ‘Arabic Course for Non-Native Speakers of Arabic: Originally Devised and Taught at Islaamic University, Madinah’, ‘From Esfahan To Madinah In Search of Truth: Salmaan al-Faarisi’s Hadiith’, ‘Both These Lights Emanate from the Same Niche’ – Hadiith of Umm Salamah (raDiyAllaahu “anhaa).’ ‘Suurah al-Hujuraat – With Lexical and Grammatical Notes and DVDs’. 

His passing is indeed a great loss to both the Muslim world and to Islamic literature. 

source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> News / by The Cognate News Desk / October 21st, 2023

Meet the Tribal Girls From Jammu & Kashmir Who Cracked Neet

Education, Education - Gold Medallists, Toppers, Merits, Achievers (wef. June 12th, 2023), Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , ,

JAMMU & KASHMIR:

Several girls from the Bakarwal community, a nomadic ethnic minority in India’s Jammu and Kashmir area, recently cleared the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test, also known as NEET, for admission to undergraduate medical courses in all Indian medical institutions. 

Aasiya Choudry, 20, of Jasrota village in Jammu’s Kathua district, is one of the Bakarwal girls who cleared the NEET exam on her second attempt, securing 430 points.

Education Remains A Distant Dream For Kashmir’s Tribal

“It was not a cakewalk for a student like me who belongs from a community where students did not have much resources and guidance,” Aasiya stated to Two Circles.

She said that no one in her community was aware of the NEET exam. This is not surprising given that schooling remains a faraway dream for Kashmiri tribal youth. 

According to the 2011 census, just 17.8 percent of the people of the twin tribal settlements of Gujjar and Bakarwal can read and write.

Aasiya completed her basic education at a government school in her village before attending Jawahar Nagar Vidyala Basoli in Kathua.

Cleared NEET Without Coaching

“I didn’t always have enough money to buy textbooks, pens, and other supplies. I had to overcome hardships in order to achieve and qualify for NEET, but it was a dream that came true,” said Aasiya, who did not register in coaching to clear the entrance since her family could not afford the expenses.

Aasiya’s father Mubashir Hussain Khatana is a shepherd who tends to his livestock and provides a living for his family.

Aasiya says she was fortunate to have a supportive home environment that allowed her to prepare for this national-level competitive exam in a neighbourhood where options for education are limited, particularly for girls. “They [parents] motivated me to overcome my challenges and work towards achieving my goal,” she said.

Studied for NEET On YouTube

Aasiya had to care for her three younger sisters and a sixth-grade brother when her elder sister married two years ago, and she also had to help her mother with chores at home. Choudhry kept her studies going by watching free NEET videos on the online video sharing and social media platform YouTube.

Due to bad network connectivity and a limited data plan, she found it difficult to study for NEET on YouTube. To overcome these obstacles, Aasiya had to walk at least two kilometers every day to a location with WiFi in order to download videos.

Aasiya studied for approximately 10 hours each day. “Our village did not always have electricity. I used to watch saved videos on my phone at night under candlelight,” she explained.

Wishes To Become a Gynaecologist To Help Bakarwal Women

Aasiya aspires to be a gynaecologist — a physician who specialises in treating diseases of the female reproductive system — in order to help her community, which treks to green pastures with their animals for six months of the year. “During the seasonal migration, the Bakarwal people suffer [due] to the absence of basic health care facilities, especially pregnant women,” Aasiya stated to Two Circles.

Another Bakarwal Girl Cleared NEET

Ulfat Ismail, from the border village of Kandi Jarda in the Tehsil Karnah of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district, cleared the NEET exam on her second attempt, scoring 417 points.

Ulfat received her basic education at the village’s government middle school. She was accepted to the Government Medical College in Baramulla for a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS).

Ulfat used to study for almost 8 hours a day to clear NEET.

Mohammad Ismail, father of Ulfat stated that his dream is for his daughter to become a doctor since her accomplishments have the ability to positively impact their tribal community in the future.

“It was a proud moment for our family that our daughter had qualified the NEET exam and is going to become a doctor,” Ismail added.

Tauseef Ahmad is an independent reporter based in Kashmir.

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Education / by Tauseef Ahmad, TwoCircles.net / September 26th, 2023