Professor Shehzad Anjum, Department of Urdu, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) is a renowned critic, researcher and the senior most Professor of the department.
Parvez Shahidi Award:
Professor Shehzad Anjum, Department of Urdu, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has been conferred the prestigious ‘Parvez Shahidi Award’ of the West Bengal Urdu Academy for his great work in Urdu language. He is a renowned critic, researcher and the senior most Professor of the department.
JMI Vice Chancellor Professor Najma Akhtar, faculty members and students congratulated Professor Anjum for their great achievement.
Professor Anjum is one of the few prominent writers of the present era whose writings are thought-provoking.
Some of his published books are Urdu Ke Ghair Muslim Shaura-o-Udaba, Ahad Saz Shaksiyat: Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Deedawar Naqqad: Gopi Chand Narang, Azadi Ke Baad Urdu Shairi, Azhar Inayati: Ek Sukhanwar Shayar, Ehtisham Hussain Ki Takhliqi Nigarishat, Tanqeedi Jehaat, Urdu Aur Hindustan Ki Mushtarka Tahzeebi Virasat, Rabindranath Tagore: Fikr-o-Fan, have been published.
He successfully completed the “Tagore Research and Translation Scheme” started by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India as the Coordinator, Department of Urdu, JMI. It is a historic, exemplary and proud achievement in the field of Urdu literature.
Professor Anjum also authored several monographs including Muhammad Ali Johar, Syed Ehtisham Hussain and Syed Muhammad Hasnain for Sahitya Academy, Delhi, Altaf Hussain Hali for Urdu Academy, Delhi, West Bengal Urdu Academy, Mirza Ghalib for Kolkata and Urdu Directorate. The Kalam Hydari monograph for Patna is particularly noteworthy. Several books translated by him have also been published. He also wrote a literary column on non-Muslim Urdu poets and writers for the daily ‘Inqlab’, Delhi, for about two and a half years.
source: http://www.shiksha.com / Shiksha / Home> News> College / by Anum Ansari, Asst Mgr Content, New Delhi / September 09th, 2022
Bhandara Char Village No.4 (Bangagaon District), ASSAM:
Afruja Begum, a student of BH College, Barpeta, Assam, has secured first position in the Philosophy Department of the University of Guwahati. She scored 9.07 CGPA.
The University of Guwahati (GU) has announced the results of the Bachelor’s Degree Examination in Philosophy.
Afruja’s achievement comes at a time when Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma has openly praised the talent of the youth of the rural areas.
Afruja, daughter of Habel Ali, a resident of Bhandara Char village No. 4 in Bangagaon district, has brought joy to the underdeveloped area.
“It was very difficult for me to leave home and take classes in college because our area is very backward. During the rainy season, the roads are flooded. There is no way to get there. So I stayed in hostel.”
Afruja is grateful to the college authorities for allowing her to stay when the hostel should be otherwise closed.
She says her parents inspired her to dream big and now she wants to enroll for a postgraduate degree.
Afruja Begum’s father runs a small business. The village of Bhandara Char where he lives is very inaccessible. The roads are in poor condition.
Afruja Begum is happy that despite coming from a remote village topped in the Philosophy department of the University of Guwahati in the Bachelor’s Examination results.
Meanwhile, a delegation led by AMSU President Rezaul Karim Sarkar visited the house of Afruja and felicitated her and her parents with flowers, gomochas, sharai, pens and books.
“We are delighted with the performance of Afruja, a daughter from a very remote area like Bhandara Char village. She studied with great sacrifice and hard work. We wish her even better results in the coming days We hope he will be a good citizen who can serve the region,” said, Rezaul Karim Sarkar, AMSU President.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / July 18th, 2023
Distinguished Indian scholars have congratulated Grand Mufti of India, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad on being conferred with Hijrah Award, the Malaysia’s highest civilian honour for Influential Muslim Scholars worldwide.
Indians have also welcomed Malyasian Government’s gesture on giving honour to the proponents of moderate Islam.
Grand Mufti of India, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad was conferred with Hijrah Award, Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah presented the award at a grand ceremony held at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre.
The event was attended by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Minister of Religious Affairs Dr Muhammad Nahim bin Mukhtar among many others.
In a grand ceremony Sheikh Abubakar was felicitated with the prestigious international award for his significant contributions in the field of Islamic knowledge, social development, and peacebuilding.
The Hijrah award committee also acknowledged the educational activities Sheikh Abubakr and his organizations initiated among various communities in India.
Upon receiving the award, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad expressed his delight and stated that this is an international recognition for Indian community and their contributions to humanity.
Last year, Hijrah award was given to Dr Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, who recently visited India upon the invitation of Indian Government.
Dr Abdul Hakeem, son of Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, said congratulatory messages are coming in from all over the world, people of various faiths are saying he is deserving of the award for his services as a scholar for the downtrodden and the backward community.
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad has successfully established a multi-discipline institute for education, health, agriculture, technology, hospitality, and spirituality together in one city.
He has also contributed to the Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a smart city. “The award is an honour to India as Sheikh has always represented India’s multi-cultural diversity and unity in several countries in the world,” he added.
President of Interfaith Harmony Foundation of India, Dr Khwaja Iftekhar Ahmad said: Sheikh Abubakr is running a chain of religious and modern education institutes in Kerala including an orphanage. This puts him in the category of a highly distinctive Indian Muslim religious scholar, who deserves many honours for his services towards the field of education.
He has done a remarkable thing by establishing in a few hundred acres of land a knowledge city in Kerala. It is an eye-opener for those who wish to contribute in the field of education.
“I congratulate the King of Malaysia for conferring him the award. It is an honour for Indian and an honour for the freedom that minorities enjoy in India,’’ he added.
Haji Syed Salman Chishty, Chairman – Chishty Foundation, said: “It is a well-deserved recognition for his significant contributions to Islamic knowledge, social development, and peacebuilding. His educational initiatives have positively impacted various communities in India, and this award is a proud moment for the Indian community and their contributions to humanity.
Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad’s dedication to promoting Islamic knowledge and fostering social development has truly made a lasting impact. The recognition bestowed upon him by the Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah highlights the global influence of his work as an influential Muslim scholar.
The Hijrah Award’s history of honoring notable figures like Dr Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al Issa further solidifies the significance of this recognition. With influential personalities like Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad and Dr Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al Issa collaborating and fostering dialogue between nations, it enhances interfaith relations and promotes mutual understanding.
Zafar Mahmood, noted Islamic scholar and former civil servant, said: “The Malaysian award is a recognition of Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad for his remarkable work in the field of education and social harmony. Recognition of efforts in the field of education uplift is heartwarming. It also elevates our spiritual level because of the spiritual mandate.’’
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad is widely respected not only in religious fraternity of Muslims but by the people of all communities. His contribution in interfaith dialogue is noteworthy.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Awaz, The Voice / July 20th, 2023
Ahmad’s book, Caste and Social Stratification Among Muslims in India, is celebrated as pioneering work in the field.
Imtiaz Ahmad (1940-2023). Photo: Twitter/@syedurahman
New Delhi:
Imtiaz Ahmad, renowned scholar who taught political sociology at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, has died. He was 83.
Ahmad’s book, Caste and Social Stratification Among Muslims in India, is celebrated as pioneering work in the field.
Ahmad got his BA and MA degrees from the Lucknow University in 1958 and 1960 respectively. He started as a senior research analyst at the Institute of Economic Growth at the Delhi University in 1964 and two years later, became a lecturer in sociology in the same university.
After three years as visiting professor of anthropology at the University of Missouri in the US, Ahmad joined JNU as associate professor in political sociology in 1972. He became a professor in the department in 1983 and taught there for three decades.
Among his numerous publications are those which throw light on Muslim empowerment, minority rights, the role of education among Muslims, how Islamic ideologies mesh with social realities, how Muslim women are studied in India and communalism.
Ahmad also wrote critically on the Gujarat riots of 2002 in particular and communal politics in general. His work has been lauded as having shed light on the composite culture of India.
source: http://www.thewire.in / The Wire / Home> Education> Society / by The Wire Staff / June 19th, 2023
Manzoor Wangnoo leading school Children during an environmental campaign in Srinagar
About two and a half years ago when Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo, a prominent businessman of Kashmir was asked by the anchor during a television show that he must say in 20 seconds what inspired him to work for saving and restoring Kashmir’s water bodies, he replied “Ehsaas”.
His reply explained how realization and concern on seeing the water bodies of the Valley shrink and gets degraded due to human greed and official negligence became the key to his massive efforts to awaken the public and undertaking the work to restore the Lakes to health.
He remembers visiting the 1.6 km by 0.6 km Khushal Sar Lake located on Srinagar outskirts in February 2021 for the first time. “It was in bad shape, choked with solid waste and smelling foul”, he told Awaz-the Voice at his office in Kashmir Mahal Resorts in the Nishat area overlooking the Dal lake.
“When I told the residents that it needs efforts to clean up the lake, they laughed”, he said, as he was accompanied by his team of volunteers of the Nigeen Lake Conservation Organisation (NLCO), established in 2000. He remember his three counsins – Latief, Riyaz and Muzaffar also joining him from the beginning of his campaign.
NLCO started with cleaning up the Nigeen Lake, and is currently focused on Khushal Sar, Manzoor Wangnoo recalled the oft-quoted couplet from India’s 20th century famous Urdu poet, Majrooh Sultanpuri (Asrar-ul-Hassan Khan): Meein akela hi chalaa thaa janibe manzil magar’; Loag Saath aatey gaye aur karwaan banta gaya”.“That actually happened”, he said. The target of cleaning Khushal Sar was completed in 100 days under the “Mission Ehsaas” (phase 1), which began on February 21, 2021. With the help of SMC (Srinagar Municipal Corporation) and other agencies, NLCO removed “3000 truckloads of muck from the Lake till date”, Wangnoo said.
Wangnoo with local resident at Gilsur bridge
“Now this (Khushal Sar) is not a dustbin”, he said and appealed to the Government to provide a drainage system and demarcation on the lake peripheries. The traditional navigational route, Zadibal-Sazgaripora in the lake was restored in phase 2 of “Mission Ehsaas” last year. Wangnoo said that the lake was orphaned and had been neglected for the past 30 years.
Without the efforts of the Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA), which keeps Nallah Amir Khan clean, the restoration work of Khushal Sar and Gilsar would not have been possible, Manzoor Wangnoo said. The authorities have prevented solid waste from flowing into the twin water bodies. He also praised successive Divisional Commissioners for supporting his work.
He called for a “competent authority” to take responsibility of the lake’s conservation, though J&K Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) looks after Dal Lake. “It (Khushal Sar) needs complete attention”, Manzoor Wangnoo told Awaz-the Voice, as phase 3 of clearing the muck began earlier this year.
“The mission received an encouraging response”, Wangnoo said and referred to its mention by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat last year. Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha also expressed his “gratitude” to Wangnoo at least on three occasions in the last two years. “The idea of cleaning the Khushal Sar was of a prominent businessman of Srinagar city, Manzoor Ahmad, and the cleaning process was started with the help of the administration coupled with the efforts of the locals. It is a great example of public participation,” Sinha commented on one occasion.
“People in the vicinity (of Khushal Sar) have started to realize the importance of the conservation of the water body. Administration lent its support for the cause, especially SMC has been there to collect the waste from day one”, he commented.
The restoration of choked Khushal Sar to its pristine glory is not the first venture undertaken by Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo, who has established his business in carpet and Kashmir handicrafts over the last nearly five decades. The 70 years old businessman, who was educated at Tyndale Biscoe School and S P College, Srinagar, learned the trade from his father in his early childhood.
Wangnoo in his office
As a businessman over the decades, what concerned him was the need “to create awareness regarding environment and saving water bodies of Kashmir, endangered by pollution”. Thus, he constituted a local NGO, Nigeen Lake’s Conservation (NLCO) in 2000 for the restoration of water bodies. “I took the challenge to restore the glory of the lake with the active participation of peoples… it aims to save the (Nigeen) lake from becoming a cesspool”, he said.
“This is our (team’s) identity wherever we go with efforts of saving the environment”, the devout Muslim pointing towards his white round cap, commented. “NLCO has taken on the role of a watchdog organization, to check vandalism, create awareness about the importance of conservation of water bodies in particular and the environment in general”.
Speaking of challenges, Manzoor Wangnoo said “land mafia and encroachers tried their best to stop us. But when three people, administration and NGOs – join hands everything becomes possible.”
After several years there was a sea change in the Nigeen Lake as “the people became aware of the importance of the pollution-free lake”, he said. Wangnoo has also contributed to helping the 2005 quake-hit people of Uri and Tangdhar by constituting Kashmir Welfare Trust and in the education sector by setting up Bilaliya Educational Institute.
Educational Institute, Srinagar
Nigeen Lake is connected via a narrow strait flowing beneath the Ashai Bagh bridge on the Lal Chowk-Rainawari-Hazratbal road. It is further connected to Khushal Sar and Gilsar through Nallah Amir Khan.
While he was continuing with his mission “to help enrich the quality of life of the community and preserve ecological balance and heritage through a strong environment conscience”, the October 2005 earthquake posed another challenge to him.
With the support of the concerned persons to deliver, he initiated the relief measures in the quake-hit areas of North Kashmir, which led to the formation of Kashmir Welfare Trust (KWT), an NGO to undertake the relief operations. The KWT, which initiated with the adoption of 69 earthquake victims from Tangdhar in 2005 has set up the Bilaliya Educational Institute in Srinagar where 1900 boys and girls are today enrolled. Also, it’s one of the leading schools in Srinagar.
He proudly says that some of the students of the school have shown excellent results with scoring distinction in the board examinations.
It Trust has also contributed to the relief and rehabilitation of the 2014 floods in Kashmir.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz The Voice / Home> Stories / by Ehsan Fazili, Srinagar / June 26th, 2023
Six students from MS achieved scores above 600 marks in this year’s NEET examination.
MS felicitates successful NEET candidates
Hyderabad:
The MS Education Academy has organized a felicitation ceremony to honour the successful candidates of the NEET 2023 batch.
Mohammed Lateef Khan, addressing the ceremony, expressed his delight and announced that this year, approximately 169 candidates are expected to secure free seats in MBBS. He emphasized the academy’s mission and vision for 2036, aiming to produce 10,000 doctors dedicated to serving the country and the Muslim community. These doctors will be committed to providing exceptional healthcare and making the well-being of the people their primary goal.
Khan expressed his gratitude to Allah Almighty and proudly stated that 1,763 students from the MS Education Academy have been admitted to MBBS programs. Many of them have also pursued MD degrees and are currently serving both within the country and abroad. He extended his heartfelt congratulations to the NEET-qualified students and their parents, emphasizing that these students are valuable assets to the community. He expressed his hope that their service to the people would contribute to a better world for themselves and their parents.
It is worth noting that six students from MS achieved scores above 600 marks in this year’s NEET examination. Hafiz Abdul Rahim Shukoor secured the top position with 670/720 marks, followed by Syed Abdul Basith Rehan with 665/720 marks in the second position. Shabana secured the third position with 650/720 marks, and Muhammad Abdul Malik, son of Muhammad Abdul Hameed, obtained the fourth position in MS with 647/720 marks. Amara Fatima bint Mohammad Rahman brought great honor to MS, her family, and the country by scoring 624/720 marks. Notably, Amara Fatima is the granddaughter of Mohammad Osman Ali, the younger brother of State Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali.
At the beginning of the event, Mohammad Ghousuddin, the Director of MS Education Academy, warmly welcomed the students and eloquently described the educational journey of MS. He proudly mentioned that the academy, which started with just two rooms in 1991, has now expanded to 106 educational institutions nationwide. These institutions collectively accommodate more than 30,000 students and employ over 3,000 teachers.
Mohammed Lateef Khan assured the community that MS students would strive to become achievers with perfect scores of 720/720 in the future.
During the felicitation ceremony, Mr. Mohammad Anwar Ahmed and Dr. Muhammad Moazzam Hussain, Trustees of MS Education Academy, provided insightful guidance to the students. Mufti Shakeel, the imam and khateeb of the Spanish Mosque (Masjid Iqbal-ud-Daula) in Begumpet, received special recognition during the event. It is worth mentioning that his fourth daughter achieved impressive marks in NEET, joining her siblings in the prestigious accomplishment of securing free MBBS seats through MS Education Academy.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Zahed Farooqui / June 15th, 2023
The AMU student, Sami Saud, said that by capturing ECG readings remotely, the device wirelessly transmits the data to a cloud-based platform.
Aligarh:
In a novel development, Sami Saud, a final-year M.Tech. student at the Department of Computer Engineering, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has developed a portable single lead ECG device as a part of his dissertation.
Sami, who is working on his dissertation under the supervision of Prof. M. Sarosh Umar, worked on the device in collaboration with the industry expert, Arif Shouqi from Google.
He said that the device promises to transform the landscape of remote cardiac healthcare with accuracy records, boasting an awe-inspiring 99 per cent precision compared to traditional medical-grade ECG machines.
“The gadget demonstrates the immense potential of computer engineering in tackling real-world challenges and the functionality of this groundbreaking device is both ingenious and straightforward,” he said.
Sami said that by capturing ECG readings remotely, the device wirelessly transmits the data to a cloud-based platform. On this digital frontier, advanced machine learning algorithms work tirelessly to classify heart conditions and predict the likelihood of heart attacks based on the acquired data. Early detection and proactive management of cardiac issues are now within reach.
Sleek, Portable Design
The portable ECG device embodies usability and convenience, and with its sleek and portable design, it adapts seamlessly to any healthcare environment, making it a versatile asset for hospitals and home monitoring. Through the wireless Bluetooth connectivity, users can access their ECG results in real-time on their mobile or laptop devices. Sustainability and cost-effectiveness have been embedded into the very fabric of this groundbreaking invention.
The device’s rechargeable capability eliminates the need for wasteful disposable batteries, while its impressive 9-day battery life ensures extended usage without constant recharging.
This achievement underscores the transformative power of computer engineering in addressing critical challenges in the medical domain.
Sami’s father, Saud Saghir, is also an alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University.
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Science & Technology / by IANS / June 13th, 2023
Bidar MLA Rahim Khan, who emerged victorious in the recently held Karnataka Assembly Elections, took oath as a cabinet minister in the Siddaramaiah government on Saturday. The swearing-in ceremony was held at Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru, where Khan pledged his commitment to serving the people of Karnataka.
Rahim Khan, a two-time MLA, secured a resounding victory by defeating JD(S)’s Suryakanth Nagamarpalli with a margin of 10,780 votes. His triumph in the elections solidified his position as one of the prominent representatives of the Congress party in the region. Today, he joined the ranks of 24 Congress MLAs who were sworn in as cabinet ministers in the newly elected Karnataka government.
Nine Muslim representatives all from Congress party had won the election in the Karnataka assembly elections, despite multiple political parties fielding Muslim candidates in the elections.
Congress had fielded 15 Muslim candidates, while Janata Dal (Secular) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) fielded 21 and 15 Muslim candidates, respectively. The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) had fielded 11 Muslim candidates, and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) had fielded 1 Muslim candidate.
Among the victorious Muslim MLAs, BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, a five-time MLA from Chamrajpet, was earlier inducted as a cabinet minister on the same day Congress leader Siddaramaiah was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka.
Additionally, the Congress party appointed former Karnataka Minister and Mangaluru MLA UT Khader as the Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. UT Khader made history by becoming the first Muslim to hold this prestigious position in the state’s legislative history. He was elected unopposed as the opposition BJP and JD(S) did not field their candidates.
source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> News / by Shaik Zakeer Hussain / May 27th, 2023
A minor planet in the solar system, which earlier bore just the number 5718 CD4, has now been named after Kollam based scientist, Dr Sainudeen Pattazhy, reports Ramesh Babu.
Pattazhy was surprised when a representative of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, run by the space agency NASA, telephoned him on Wednesday evening. “I’m not a space scientist and initially thought someone was pulling my leg,” he told Hindustan Times. “But the official explained that my name was chosen after going through my research papers.”
Pattazhy, who teaches zoology at a local college, has carried out pioneering research on many environment related issues such as the phenomenon of ‘red rain’ —which occurred in Kerala in 2001—the control of mosquitoes, the eco biology of ‘sacred groves’, and the health hazards posed by mobile phone towers.
Pattazhy’s suggestions on the health hazards posed by mobile towers are still pending with the Union Ministry of Environment. According to him, the radiation would affect people residing within 300 metres of the towers.
The minor planet — to be henceforth known as ‘5718 Pattazhy’ — was discovered by US-based space scientist Dr R Rajmohan in 1989. There are around 400,000 ‘minor planets’ or asteroids in the solar system, of which 185,685 have well defined orbits and have been allotted numbers by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Around 14,000 of them have been given names.
“It seems the discoverer of the planet forwarded my name after going through my work,” said Pattazhy, adding that he had no idea why he was chosen.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> India News / by Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram (headline edited) / May 02nd, 2008
In a significant development, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed Mansoor Ali Khan as the Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) attached to the AICC In-charge of Telangana.
The appointment is effective immediately, according to the release.
Simultaneously, PC Vishnunadh, who previously served as the Secretary of AICC in Karnataka, has been relieved from his current responsibilities and has now been attached to the AICC In-charge of Telangana.
While relieving, both N.S Boseraju and Nadeem Javed from their responsibilities as Secretaries, AICC, The All India Congress Committee appreciated contributions of both the leader during their tenure as Secretaries of AICC.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> India / by Vartha Bharati / June 09th, 2023
