At a time when little is known about one of India’s greatest social reformers and educators, widely believed to be India’s first woman Muslim teacher, the Andhra Pradesh Government introduced a lesson on the contribution of Fatima Sheikh in the text-books of eighth class.
The reformer is known to have given shelter to Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule, the well-known social reformer couple, when they were shunted out from their families.
It was in 1848 that Phule couple had taken initiative against caste system and male chauvinism. Fatima Sheikh is credited with allowing the Phule couple to start the first all-girls school at the former’s house in erstwhile Poona in Bombay Presidency.
Fatima Sheikh taught at all the five schools which were run by Phules.
At the same time she founded two schools on her own in 1851 in Mumbai.
Fatima Sheikh underwent teacher’s training along with Savitribai Phule at an institute run by Cynthia Farrar, an American missionary.
Born on January 9, 1831, she has not received the recognition she deserved. She remains a little known activist in various parts of the country. Prior to Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra had introduced a brief lesson on her in school curriculum.
On the other hand, Google had honoured her with a Doodle on its homepage in connection with her 191st birth anniversary.
“We believe the children, who are the future of the country, should know about the reformers, freedom fighters and others who contributed significantly for building the nation. We are very happy that a lesson has been introduced in eighth class book. More awareness is required on the contribution of Fatima Sheikh,” Kaki Prakash Rao, State general secretary of AP Primary Teachers’ Association, told Siasat.com on Monday.
AP United Teachers’ Federation leader D. Ramu hailed the initiative of the AP Government and said that time, moving out of home by women was considered a big sin. Still, Fatima Sheikh along with Phules was instrumental in teaching Dalit and Muslim girls ignoring threats by many conservative, casteist and fanatic outfits and individuals.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Andhra Pradesh / by Santosh Patnaik / November 04th, 2022
Forest watcher Fairoz has been nominated for the Wildlife Service Award 2022 by the Karnataka Forest Department. Fairoz, who is currently employed with the BRT tiger reserve, will be felicitated by former India cricketer and current National Cricket Academy director VVS Laxman on November 5 at the Global Academy of Technology campus, Rajarajeshwari Nagar Bangalore.
Three wildlife conservationists – Sunitha Dhairyam (Mariamma Trust, Bandipur Tiger Reserve), Akhilesh Chipli (Shimoga) and Colonel C M Muthanna (Kodagu) – will also be felicitated by VVS Laxman. Laxman is often remembered as the cricketer who in association with Rahul Dravid (180) had redefined Indian cricket in their epoch-making 376 run partnership against Australia at the Eden Gardens in 2001.
Fairoz will be the tenth forest watcher to be honoured with the prestigious Wildlife Service Award, constituted by Cricketers for Wildlife Conservation. Former Indian cricketers Sandeep Patil, Yusuf Pathan and Harbhajan Singh had conceptualised the award to motivate the unsung foot soldiers of our forest.
Fairoz will be presented with a cash award for his meritorious service to forest and wildlife protection. Besides daringly arresting 22 poachers, Fairoz has rescued 15 leopards and safely released them back in the forest.
pix: savetigersbandipur.org/founders-story/
Sunitha Dhairyam is a godsend for wildlife in Bandipur Tiger Cup. She is a guardian angel who protects tigers and leopards when they inadvertently make a cattle kill. To ensure farmers don’t poison the carcass, she pays on-the-spot compensation from her Mariamma Trust. Sunita Dhairyam has dedicated her life to wildlife conservation. She lives in the immediate vicinity of Bandipur tiger reserve.
pix: twitter.com/akhileshchipli
Akhilesh Chipli is a diehard wildlife activist from Sagar. He is the voice of the forest and its denizens in Shimoga district. Akhilesh Chipli has risked his life and fought tooth and nail to protect the flora and fauna of the Western Ghats. He has created awareness of the importance of biodiversity amongst people. In collaboration with Bangalore-based entrepreneur Suresh Kumar, he has successfully converted a barren 21-acre barren land into a verdant forest in Sagar.
pix: starofmysore.com
Colonel C P Muthanna has been at the forefront of environmental conservation of Kodagu district. He has dedicated his life for conservation for more than three decades. He has been able to bring the people of Kodagu together to stop large scale destructive projects in the Western Ghats.
Col. Muthanna has assisted the forest department in recovering 4000 acres of ecologically-sensitive forest landscape. He has been working closely with the Karnataka Forest Department and eco development committees on Human Elephant Conflict mitigation in Kodagu.
source: http://www.oneindia.com / One India / Home> News> Bengaluru / by Anuj Cariappa / pix credits under each pic / November 02nd, 2022
The Indian Nation Science Academy (INSA) has elected Prof. Mohammad Zahid Ashraf, Head, Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), as a fellow of the academy. His fundamental work on the role of high-altitude hypoxia in the development of cardiovascular and blood clotting disorders has been recognised with the coveted fellowship.
The Indian National Science Academy, one of the most renowned academies in the nation, was founded to promote science in India and utilise scientific knowledge for the benefit of humanity and the nation. As a fellow of the Academy, Prof. Ashraf will work to further the scientific cause of the nation. To his credit, Prof. Ashraf is now elected fellow of all three national science academies – the Indian National Science Academy, the Indian Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences.
JMI Vice-Chancellor Prof Najma Akhtar, who has recently been conferred with Padma Shri Award, congratulated Prof. Ashraf for his outstanding accomplishments. She further mentioned that Prof. Ashraf’s achievements will motivate other faculty members for excelling in research and contribute to the nation’s progress.
Prof. Ashraf is best known for his unique work on high altitude induced blood clotting disorders. His research has had a substantial impact on both fundamental and applied aspects of cardiovascular biology and human diseases. He is a pioneer in the field of highaltitude thrombosis and has done seminal work in unravelling the enigma of blood clotting in response to hypoxia. His remarkable efforts have enriched our understanding of the prevalence, mechanism, genetics, diagnostics, and development of therapeutics for hypoxia- induced thromboembolic disorders.
Prof. Ashraf’s contribution to the research community is well acknowledged. He is the recipient of the 2020 Visitor’s Award by Hon’ble President of India for biological sciences, The Ramachandran National Bioscience Award by DBT and the Basanti Devi Amir Chand Award of ICMR, among several other accolades.
Prof. Ashraf also holds membership of the prestigious Guha Research Conference and various scientific committees.
source: http://www.jmi.ac.in / Jamia Millia Islamia / Home / by Press Relations Officer, JMI (headline edited) / October 19th, 2022
Fayis Ashraf Ali, who is currently in the Emirates for a pit stop, says one of his biggest dreams is to meet his hero Sheikh Hamdan
Thirty-four-year-old Fayis Ashraf Ali, a hard-core adventurer, has embarked on a big solo mission: To travel around 35 countries in 450 days — on a bicycle.
From the south Indian state of Kerala, Ali is biking his way to London to cover 30,000km. After departing Thiruvananthapuram on August 15 — where state Education Minister V Sivankutty flagged off his journey — he arrived in the UAE via Oman on September 27.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Ali said he entered the UAE through Ras Al Khaimah and cycled through Khor Fakkan and Fujairah to arrive in Ajman.
“I will cycle to Sharjah, spend some time there attending events and then head on to Dubai and Abu Dhabi before crossing into Saudi Arabia,” he said.
The cyclist plans to spend 24 days in the Emirates, the third destination on his list. Here’s a photo of him in Khor Fakkan:
Hoping to meet his hero Sheikh Hamdan
In the UAE, Ali has only one hope – to meet the Dubai Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
“He is my hero. I draw so much inspiration from his adventurous personality. I sincerely hope to meet him before I depart for Saudi Arabia,” he said.
After his UAE pit stop, he will be moving to Saudi Arabia, where he will cycle across the country for two months.
“I hope to go to the holy cities of Makkah and Medina, and visit every place in Saudi Arabia, where I worked for four years with Wipro before leaving my job,” said Ali, an electrical engineer who has kept aside his professional goal to cycle worldwide.
From Saudi Arabia, he will travel to Qatar, and Bahrain, return to Saudi Arabia then head to Kuwait.
“From there. I will go to Iraq, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey and enter Europe through Greece. I plan to ride across 22 countries in Europe and hope to reach London in 2023,” he said.
This is not Ali’s first long journey on his bicycle. In 2019, he cycled from Kozhikode to Singapore in 104 days, covering more than 8,000km. He pedalled through Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia during that time.
No support crew, no hotel bookings
Going on this adventure — without any support crew — is not a spur-of-the-moment decision for the cyclist. In fact, it took him over a year and a half to plan the solo journey.
“I am travelling alone as this is being done on a budget. I am staying with people I meet during my travels. I have not booked rooms in hotels or lodges,” said Ali.
For example, in Khor Fakkan, Ali stayed with some cafeteria workers across the police station.
“I coincidentally went into the cafeteria to eat some food and told them about my journey. They invited me to stay with them for the night,” he said. “Since I am a Rotary Club member, I stayed in some of the club locations in India. I am hoping to find similar support in Europe. If not, I will sleep in a tent, a mosque, or whichever place that will have me for the night,” he said.
The Rotary Club, Norka-Roots, Malayalam Mission, Kerala Tourism and the Kerala Hearts Foundation are supporting the endeavour.
He rides on a Surly Disk Trucker Cycle, sponsored by UAE-based travel and luggage accessories company ParaJohn. Dubai- based Emirates First is also lending some financial assistance to him.
On his bicycle, he carries four bags filled with clothes, a battery pack, dried fruits, tools, and a GPS tracker. He rides only in the mornings.
What inspired Ali to take up this adventure?
Ali left his job as a networking engineer in 2016 to take care of his father who was suffering from a cardiac ailment.
“I got into the habit of cycling around that time. I got my cycle when my father was in the ICU. Unfortunately, a week later, my father died,” said Ali. He believes cycling would strengthen one’s heart.
Ali is cycling to raise awareness about heart health, world peace, health care, zero carbon emission and zero drugs. He is married to dentist Dr Asmin Fayis and a father to two boys, Fahzin Omar and Izin Nahel.
“My wife supports me in every way possible. She is the one who plans my itinerary and posts on social media. She helps me immensely with the paperwork needed for such a journey. She does all this while taking care of our kids and is an assistant professor at the Coorg Institute for Dental Sciences. She is a superwoman,” he said.
Ali says that to make extraordinary achievements, one has to make several sacrifices. “I do not want to go back to work, and I want to achieve something extraordinary before I depart from this world,” he stated.
source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> World> UAE / by Dhanusha Gokulam / September 29th, 2022
A few months ago, she was appointed as the first pilot of Indigo Airlines.
Indigo pilot Aafrin Hirani [Twitter]
Hyderabad:
The journey of 28-year-old Indigo pilot Aafrin Hirani from her family’s grocery store to the flight cockpit is a motivation to youngsters, especially girl students.
Aafrin who is the daughter of Aziz Hirani, owner of a grocery store located in Indervelli Mandal, Adilabad district is now a pilot of Indigo Airlines.
As becoming a commercial pilot was her dream since her childhood, she opted for Aeronautical Engineering after completing intermediate from a college in Hyderabad.
Later, she was selected for two-year rigorous training in Australia. Though she completed training in 2020, she waited for two years as the appointment process was halted due to the pandemic.
A few months ago, she was appointed as the first pilot of Indigo Airlines. After the appointment, Aafrin said that the encouragement and support received from her parents helped her in achieving success.
After her appointment as an Indigo pilot, she became the second woman commercial pilot from Adilabad. Earlier, Swathi from the same district was appointed as a commercial pilot and she was the source of inspiration for Aafrin.
Who is the commercial pilot?
A commercial pilot is a trained professional who flies airplanes or helicopters for the transportation of passengers, cargo, emergency rescue, etc.
They are skilled enough to handle aircraft and ensure passengers’ safety in different weather conditions.
In order to become a commercial pilot, obtaining a Commercial Pilot License from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is mandatory.
This license is given to those who are medically fit and successfully undergo training at a flying school.
Indigo airlines
Indigo is a low-cost airline headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana. Its domestic market share as of August 2022 was 57.7 percent.
The airline not only operates domestic but also international flights. As of July 2022, it operates over 1500 flights daily to 98 destinations in India and abroad.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Telangana / by Sameer Khan / October 17th, 2022
Mubssina Mohammed, a 16-year-old from Lakshadweep, has won India a silver medal in the girls’ Long Jump event at the 4th Asian U18 Athletics Championships that began Thursday in Kuwait.
It is the first-ever Asian-level athletics medal won by an athlete from Lakshadweep.
Mubssina jumped 5.91m to finish second behind Uzbekistan’s Sharifa Davronova (6.06m) and ahead of Hong Kong’s Wai Yin Jia (5.81m).
Last month, the talented athlete from the Minicoy islands created history by winning Lakshadweep’s first-ever national-level medal in athletics.
She had clinched gold in Long Jump (5.90m) at the Youth National Championships held in Bhopal.
Mubssina is coached by Ahmed Jawad Hassan, who discovered her at a local sports festival.
India also clinched a pair of gold medals and a bronze on the opening day.
In boys’ shot put, Akash Yadav (19.37m) took gold while his teammate Siddharth Choudhary (19.00m) claimed silver.
In boys’ 1500m, Amit Chaudhry of India was placed first after clocking 4:04.59.
source: http://www.onmanorama.com / OnManorama / Home> Sports / by Onmanorama Staff / October 14th, 2022
Prof. Wazahat Hussain, a leading professor from the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has won an international award for Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine.
Husain, a retired chairman of the Department of Botany at the AMU, won the Second Sheikh Zayed International Award on Monday in an event arranged by the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation.
pix: thenortherngazette.com
The Foundation is a UAE-based non-governmental, non-profit organisation that invests in developing human capital to improve the quality of life, according to the Foundation’s website.
The award aims to give recognition to eminent academics and scientists of Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM ) globally, and TCAM physicians from the UAE, for enhancing TCAM knowledge and practices, and contributing to the improvement of quality of life for humanity, the organisation said.
A plant taxonomy expert, Husain has been conferred Lifetime Achievement Awards twice, once jointly by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the AYUSH ministry and then by the Wildlife Institute of India and Department of Wildlife Sciences, AMU.
Speaking to PTI, Prof. Husain stated that he was honoured to be representing AMU and India at the pinnacle of his academic career.
Academics do not work for recognition, but when they come, they must be accepted with humility. I dedicate this award to my university and my country, Prof Husain said.
According to WHO, traditional medicine is the sum total of the knowledge, skill, and practices specific to indigenous experiences and beliefs which are used in the maintenance of health, while alternative or complementary medicine refers to a broad set of healthcare practices that are not part of a country’s own tradition or conventional medicine and are not fully integrated into the dominant healthcare system.
source: http://www.freepressjournal.in / The Free Press Journal / Home / by PTI (headline edited) / October 11th, 2022
Meet 108-year-old Imamuddin Qureshi who had slapped a British officer during a protest in Agra, only a few days before India got its independence.
Imamuddin Qureshi, the man who had slapped a British officer, during a protest in Agra. (Photo: India Today/Siraj Qureshi)
While Independence was primarily won through the non-violent means adopted and propagated by Mahatma Gandhi, a lot of people had to lay their lives and suffer pain in achieving this. Those fearless freedom fighters were not afraid of sticks or bullets, and defied the British officials at every turn, to show them that Indians have had enough.
One such person is Imamuddin Qureshi, who had even slapped a British officer just days before independence. Imamuddin had fought alone with the British without caring for his life. Whenever the topic of Indian independence is discussed, 108-year-old Imamuddin Qureshi gets lost in the memories of those days when the country became independent.
Imamuddin told India Today that back in August 1947, the country was about to get independence. Everyone was full of enthusiasm. The elders and the children had the tricolor in their hands and happiness in their hearts. People used to take out rallies in the streets, localities, and markets with the Tricolor in their hands. Angered by this, the British officers used to rain batons on them.
He recalled the day he slapped a British officer and said, on August 12, three days ahead of the independence, Hindu and Muslim brothers from Lohamandi, Syedpada area were taking out a rally with the Tricolor in their hands. Then a British officer came there and lathi-charged the people. Many innocent people were arrested. Seeing this, Imamuddin’s blood boiled and he attacked the British officer in anger. He slapped the officer on the cheek several times and escaped after freeing his arrested comrades. The police kept looking for him, but in three days, the country had become independent, and he was able to return home.
Imamuddin said that when the country was nearing independence, he was made a member of the Khaksar committee. At that time, no one dared to speak against the British and members of the Khaksar committee had their own separate dress. He said that at that time, he was about 24 years old and used to do wrestling, so he was made a member of the Khaksar Committee due to his physical prowess.
source: http://www.indiatoday.in / India Today / Home> News> India / by Siraj Qureshi / August 15th, 2022
This school built in the middle of a graveyard offers education to the poor in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra. The unique school teaches all subjects to students from class 1 to class 8.
The high school conducts classes for around 75 students inside the graveyard. (Photo: Siraj Qureshi/India Today)
A school, built in the middle of a cemetery area, offers education to the poor in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra. Built almost 50 years ago, Islamia junior high school conducts classes for around 75 students inside the graveyard. This unique school teaches all subjects to students from class 1 to class 8.
Nilofar, a class 5 student, told India Today that the school is closer to her home and a fee of Rs 50 keeps her fears away while visiting the graveyard to seek education.
“When everyone has to come to the graveyard at one point, why be afraid of the graves,” Mohammed Kaif, a class 7 student who aspires to become a doctor, told India Today.
Similar sentiments were echoed by another student, Farida, who said her father works as a labourer and cannot afford to pay the high fees in other private schools.
School principal Syed Shaheen Hashmi told India Today that the school is registered with the education department but there is no grant provided to the school, which is why the school charges Rs 50 from the students as fees. The unique school also doesn’t charge fees for orphan children.
Apart from this, people also donate to the school, which is used to pay the salaries of the teachers and to meet other expenses. Some also donate books to the students.
The school principal is of the opinion that the school welcomes students from all religious, but most of the students enrolled currently belong to the Muslim community. He said that students from the Hindu community stopped coming to school probably because the school was built inside a Muslim cemetery.
“At present there are six female teachers in the school who come from nearby areas. If the government provides books for the kids, it will become easier to run the school,” he added.
source: http://www.indiatoday.in / India Today / Home> News> Cities> Agra / by Siraj Qureshi / October 08th, 2022
India Fraternity Forum is organizing an annual “Fraternity Fest” to bring together non-resident Indians through a socio-cultural program on October 20.
The poster launch of “Snehakoota-22″ event was held in Riyadh. A family reunion and expatriates get-together event named Fraternity Fest is being held by India fraternity forum across Saudi Arabia.
Whilst releasing the poster of the event, Tajuddin, president of India Fraternity Forum, Karnataka chapter, Riyadh, invited all NRIs to participate in the event.
Various cultural and social events will be held at the get-together on October 20 at Sa-Ada Istirah in Exit-18, Riyadh. The colorful event will feature different activities like public speaking, sports, quiz, public awareness programs etc.
India Fraternity Forum, Riyadh Karnataka chapter general secretary Muhammed Naveed, state committee members Sabith Hassan, Muhammed Shareef and Nizamuddin were present at the press meet.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> Middle East / by Media Release / Riyadh, September 18th, 2022
