Tag Archives: Shams Tabrez Qasmi – CEO – Chief Editor – Millat Times

Hindu students outnumber Muslim students in higher education in Muslim-run institutions in India: CSR-NOUS Report

INDIA:

New Delhi :

A joint study conducted by a Delhi-based think tank – Centre for Study and Research (CSR) and NOUS Network Private Limited – has busted the myth that Muslim-run institutions cater to Muslims only.

The study titled “A Survey of Muslim-managed Public and Private Institutions of Higher Education in India” reveals that Hindu students outnumber Muslim students in higher education in Muslim-managed institutions across the country.

The percentage of Hindus, according to the report, is about 55 percent in these institutions against 42 percent of Muslim students.

However, the report is silent about the reasons behind Hindu students exceeding their Muslim counterparts in Muslim-run institutions.

But the higher number of Hindu students is an indicator that the Muslim institutions do not discriminate against non-Muslims and are open to all religious communities against the prevailing misconception that Muslim institutions serve only Muslim students.

This is also a proof that the standard of education in Muslim-run institutions are at par with institutions run by other communities. Had the quality of education in Muslim institutions been poor, Hindu students would certainly have avoided it and not enrolled en mass as is happening currently.

The study provides empirical evidence against the prevailing false notion among certain sections of society regarding Muslim-managed educational institutions.

The report reveals a surprising trend: in Muslim-run universities, Hindus constitute the majority of students (52.7%), while Muslims make up 42.1%. This pattern holds true for colleges managed by the Muslim minority as well, where Hindus are the largest student group (55.1%), followed by Muslims (42.1%) and other minority groups (2.8%).

The findings of the report were discussed at a roundtable event attended by educators, policymakers and stakeholders. They applauded the report as a valuable resource for addressing existing challenges faced by the Muslim community in the realm of higher education.

Concerns were also expressed over the grim situation of the community, particularly their meagre share in higher education and their sharp dropout rates.

CSR director Dr. Mohammed Rizwan presented the vision of CSR, which aims to evolve a purposeful, holistic, and value-based knowledge ecosystem. He asserted that the report is a “myth-buster” that provides empirical evidence against the prevailing misinformation among certain sections of society. 

“To our knowledge, no such study has been conducted to date, and there is currently no data available on the number of institutions for higher education affiliated with the Muslim minority group, while this research represents the first attempt of its kind to address this critical gap,” Dr. Rizwan stated.

Elaborating that despite consistent efforts from the community, empirical evidence suggests a need for even more concrete efforts, Dr. Rizwan said that those efforts should particularly focus on areas like gross enrolment in higher education, decreasing the dropout rate, and other aspects of higher education.

Dr. Rizwan believes that this report sheds light on the challenges and opportunities within higher education by meticulously analyzing various facets. These facets include the number and types of educational institutions, the gender ratio within them, their affiliation status, their academic productivity, their NAAC accreditation standing, student demographics, and more.

“The report’s findings underscore the importance of recognizing the unique needs of the Muslim minority in higher education and advocating for targeted interventions to address those needs,” he added.

Speaking at the roundtable, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Vice President Prof. Salim Engineer commended the CSR and NOUS team for conducting such an important study. However, he cautioned that the findings regarding the community’s education situation are not encouraging.

Prof. Salim highlighted that the study serves as a roadmap for improvement, identifying areas where the community needs to focus its efforts while acknowledging its achievements.

Emphasizing the need to encourage the community, not discourage it, by recognizing its accomplishments and contributions in the past 75 years of independence, he pointed out the community’s resilience in the face of continued communal riots and a challenging post-partition atmosphere.

Criticizing the apathy of successive governments towards the Muslim minority, Prof. Salim lamented that numerous studies, including the noteworthy Sachar Committee report, have been conducted on the community’s socio-economic and educational status. However, these reports have been largely debated without any significant implementation of their recommendations.

Acknowledging the community’s progress in education despite these hurdles and the negative attitudes of some governments, the JIH leader commended, the establishment of numerous educational institutions and the achievements of students in higher education and civil services.

Stressing that the country’s progress hinges on the advancement of the Muslim minority, Prof. Salim urged the community to avoid self-blame and instead celebrate its achievements in the face of adversity.  He concluded by referencing the Quran, stating that the Muslim community is meant to serve others.

Ali Javed, CEO of NOUS Network Pvt. Ltd., a Delhi-based think tank and media house, asserted that this report stands out as a truly unique attempt, as there is currently no existing comprehensive overview providing insights into the status of higher education in institutions catering to Muslims.

Ali Javed expressed the hope that this report would be an indispensable resource for academics, policymakers, and anyone interested in educational advancement. He believed it would significantly contribute to our understanding of Muslim-affiliated higher education institutions, paving the way for further discussions and initiatives in this area.

Emphasizing the importance of collective action, NOUS CEO explained that the purpose of convening this roundtable of experts, educators, academics, and stakeholders is to collaborate and find solutions to the community’s problems. He stressed that joint efforts are necessary for progress.

Expressing concern about the “extreme deprivation” faced by the community, not just in education but across various indicators, Javed proposed a multi-pronged approach, including data collection through surveys in Muslim-dominated areas, gathering disaggregated data, and developing the community’s own policy documents for negotiation with policymakers. He also emphasized the need for an evidence-based strategy for societal reform and infrastructure development.

Highlighting the study’s findings, researcher Abid Faheem, who played a key role in compiling the data, pointed out that Muslims constitute over 14% of India’s population. However, their representation in higher education remains low. According to the latest All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE-2021-22), only 4.8% of students enrolled in higher education are Muslims. This is even lower than the enrolment rates for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), which stand at 15.3% and 6.3% respectively. SCs and STs comprise 16.6% and 8.6% of the total population, respectively.

Faheem used a PPT to show that the gross enrolment ratio for Muslim students in colleges affiliated with Muslim institutions is 1.23. This ratio is significantly lower in universities, at just 0.23. The combined gross enrolment ratio for Muslim students is 1.46. However, the situation is even worse in institutions of national importance like IITs, IIITs, IISERs, NITs, and IIMs, where only 1.72% of students are Muslim.

Faheem expressed concern that despite the Sachar Committee report on the socio-economic and educational status of the Muslim community released 17 years ago, there has not been much progress. He noted that in 2006, when the Sachar report was published, Muslim enrolment in higher education was 3.6%. While efforts have been made to improve this ratio, the first AISHE report in 2012-13 showed only a 0.6% increase after six years. A decade later, the AISHE report indicated another modest increase of 0.6%. In contrast, other disadvantaged groups like SCs and STs have made significant progress. Their enrolment rates have risen from 2.4% in 2006 to 15.3% and 6.3% in 2021-22, respectively.

However, the enrolment rates for SCs and STs have shown a much sharper rise compared to Muslims. Their share in higher education has climbed from a combined 2.4% in 2006 to 15.3% for SCs and 6.3% for STs in 2021-22.

It’s important to note that the Sachar report initially reported a combined enrolment rate of 2.4% for SCs and STs.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Sanghmitra, Chairperson of the Centre for Social Medicine and Community Health at Jawaharlal Nehru University, appreciated the CSR and Nous Networks team. She also appreciated their work in clarifying some widely held misconceptions about the Muslim community.

Prof. Sanghmitra emphasized the importance of inclusivity in policymaking. However, she expressed concern about the gap between policy and reality. She pointed out that the Sachar Committee report had already documented the disadvantaged state of Muslims and provided evidence. She further noted that the Amitabh Kundu Committee report, which followed the Sachar Committee report and received less attention, showed minimal progress in the community’s status despite the evidence and recommendations presented earlier.

Prof. Sanghmitra also recommended collecting data on the Muslim community at the secondary level in addition to the primary level.

Dr. Kamal Farooqi, spokesperson for the AIMPLB and former chairman of the Delhi Minority Commission, emphasized the importance of shifting the Muslim community’s fundamental attitude and mindset towards education.

Prof. Sadia Halima, an economics professor at Jamia Millia Islamia University, asserted for a shift in focus from mere literacy rates, ratio, enrolment figures and the number of students or institutions to prioritizing knowledge and quality education.

Prof. Majid Jameel, an electrical engineering professor at Jamia Millia Islamia University, commended the CSR-NOUS Network for the study. He shared his experiences motivating students in his hometown Saharanpur, UP, to pursue higher education, while also expressing concern about the high dropout rate within the community.

Former civil servant Akhtar Mahboob Syed stressed the importance of data collection and studies to understand the socio-economic state of the Muslim community. He pointed out that while the Sachar Committee report receives much attention, the Amitabh Kundu Committee report and Professor Mattu reports are less discussed.

Having worked with various government departments, he questioned the impact of existing schemes aimed at improving education for minorities, such as pre and post matric scholarships and the Maulana Azad Foundation and Ministry of Minority affairs. He argued that the community itself needs to gather data on the effectiveness of these initiatives, as the government is unlikely to do so. In addition to data collection, he suggested addressing the “fear complex” within the community.

Mr. Nizamuddin Shaikh of the Institute of Objective Studies and the All India Milli Council highlighted three key points: Islamization of knowledge, changing the community’s attitude towards education, and establishing more educational institutions.

The Millat Time editor Shams Tabrez Qasmi also spoke on the occasion. In the open session, various noted participants expressed their views on the study.

The report illuminates the number and growth trajectory of Muslim-affiliated institutions, along with their demographic characteristics. It underscores the pressing need for policymakers to address the under-representation of Muslims in higher education. The report also provides valuable insights into the educational quality, programme offerings, and research output of these institutions.

Other Key Results of the Study:

Universities:

  1. Out of the total 1113 universities in India as per AISHE 2020-21 data, 23 universities belong to Muslim Minority. The share of Muslim managed universities is just 2.1%.

2.         Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of universities, followed by Karnataka.

3.         Of the 23 Muslim universities, the majority (43.5%) are privately managed, followed by public state universities (26.1%), deemed private universities (13%), and central universities (13%).

4.         Around 69.9% of Muslim universities are located in urban areas.

5.         Out of the total 97,928 students enrolled in the academic year 2021-22, 42.1% are Muslims, 52.7% are Hindus, and 5.2% belong to Other Minority groups.

6.         Regarding Muslim students, there were 26,039 (63.09%) male students and 15,236 (36.91%) female students enrolled in Higher Education.

7.         Among the 41,275 Muslim students enrolled, less than 1% represent Scheduled

8.         Tribes, 34% were belong to Other Backward Classes, 42.8% were from the Unreserved Category, and the remaining 16.4% are from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

COLLEGES:

1.         Out of the total 43,796 colleges in India as per AISHE 2020-21 data, 1,155 colleges are managed by Muslim minority community. It means that the share of Muslim managed colleges is just 2.6%.

2.         Of these 1,155 colleges, 141 (12.2%) are technical colleges registered with the All India Council for Technical Education.

3.         Despite making up 73.4% of all minority groups, Muslim minority communities only have a 16.6% share in technical colleges. In contrast, other minority groups, comprising 26.6% of the population, hold an 83.4% share in technical colleges.

4.         6.4% of Muslim colleges in India are exclusively for girls.

5.         The top 10 states in terms of the number of colleges in India are Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, and Jammu & Kashmir. These states account for 90.47% of the total colleges in the country.

6.         Of the 1,155 Muslim minority colleges, 85.5% are private (unaided), 10.6% are private (aided), and 3.9% are government colleges.

7.         Kerala has 24.9 colleges per lakh population while UP has 4.9 colleges and West Bengal has a mere 1.8 colleges per lakh population. The national average of colleges per lakh population stands at 6.4%.

8.         Of the 1155 Muslim minority colleges, 85.5% are private (unaided), 10.6% are private (aided), and 3.9% are government colleges.

9.         About 57.8% of Muslim minority colleges are located in rural areas.

10.       The majority of colleges (93.16%) offer Undergraduate level programs, while only 6.32% offer PhD level programs.

11.       Kerala has the highest number of colleges offering PhD programs, followed by Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

12.       Around 51% of colleges only provide undergraduate level programmes.

13.       Out of the total 524,441 students enrolled in the academic year 2021-22, 42.1% are Muslims, 55.1% are Hindus, and 2.8% belong to Other Minority groups.

14.       In terms of Muslim students, there were 104,163 (47.18%) male students and  116,622 (52.82%) female students enrolled in Higher Education.

15.       Among the 220,785 Muslim students enrolled, less than 1% represent Scheduled Tribes, 48.1% belong to Other Backward Classes, 50.7%

16.       come from the Unreserved Category, and the remaining 0.9% are from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

17.       96.4% of colleges did not participate in the NIRF ranking of 2023.

18.       None of the colleges secured a position in the top 100 in the NIRF 2023 college rankings.

source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education / by Anwarulhaq Baig / May 15th, 2024

Third book of Haqqani Al-Qasmi’s single-theme series Andaz-e-Bayan launched

NEW DELHI :

New Delhi:

Andaz-e-Bayan is the outcome of my passion, a passion which I did not allow to die even during unemployment and the pandemic. These views were expressed by renowned Urdu critic and writer Haqqani Al-Qasmi.

He was speaking at the launch of the third book of his famous single-theme Andaze-e-Bayan series at a cafe in Shaheen Bagh, New Delhi on Sunday, 6 September, 2020.

The present journal, which in fact, is part of a series of books, “discusses about those poets, litterateurs, authors and novelists, who, despite being in the medical profession, are serving Urdu in areas of research and criticism”, said Haqqani.


Speaking on this occasion Maulana Ajaz Urfi Qasmi, president of All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Haq, who chaired the session, lauded the author for his powerful, creative style of writing which had won him global acclaim.

Haqqani Al-Qasmi is an accomplished and distinguished litterateur and critic serving Urdu with great sincerity and humbleness. There is an unusual amount of literary taste in his works which can be felt by the reader. He further said that Haqqani is not unaware of the social world. “From above the literary firmament, Haqqani surveys the mundane world”, Mualana Urfi said adding that one can see that in his literary journal series Andaz-e-Bayan as well.


Abid Anwar, a senior journalist with UNI remarked that to say anything about Haqqani would amount to explaining the obvious.

Urdu critic and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Dr Noman Qaisar presented an overview of the author’s literary journey mentioning about some of his well-received and critically acclaimed books like Philisteen Ke Chaar Mumtaz Shu’ara, Tawaaf-e-Dasht-e-Junoon, La Takhaf, Takalluf Bar Taraf, etc which are full of literary aesthetics, creative imagination and academic insights.

It should be noted that the first issue of this book series (Andaz-e-Bayan-1, May-July 2016) was dedicated to literary contributions of women, especially of women from marginalized sections of society, with reference to biographical writings and their analysis.

The second one was dedicated to the creative facets of the police while the latest is an effort to unmasking the unrevealed literary contributions of doctors and medical professionals not just in Urdu literature but in English and Hindi literature as well.


Persons from media and different Urdu literary circles present on this occasion included Shahidul Islam, A N Shibli, Dr Khan Mohammad Asif, Ashraf Bastawi, Zubair Khan Saeedi, Majid Khan, Manzar Imam, Mohammad Alamullah, Nayab Hasan, Maulana Firoz Akhtar Qasmi, Shams Tabrez Qasmi, Ahsan Mehtab, Anwarul Haq, Abdul Bari Qasmi.


The launch programme was coordinated by T M Ziaul Haque. Salam Khan, head of Ibarat Publication which has published the book, presented the vote of thanks.

source: http://www.millattimes.com / Millat Times / Home> Education> National / by Md Irshad Ayub / Manzar Imam / September 11th, 2020

Shams Tabrez Qasmi is Felicitated with Amar Shaheed Molvi Baqar Award 2021

NEW DELHI :

Shams Tabrez Qasmi, the CEO and the chief editor of Millattimes, has been honoured with “Amar Shaheed Molvi Baqar Award 2021”.

The award is in the memory of the martyr and celebrated Urdu journalist Molvi Muhammad Baqar (1780-1857). The award was conferred upon him on 16th September 2021 in a programme held at the premises of the Press Club of India (PCI), 1 Raisina Road, Near Kirshi Bhawan, New Delhi-1 in the presence of the office bearers of the PCI and a good number of the journalists.

The award was presented to Mr. Qasmi in the recognition and appreciation of his commitment, dedication and continuous efforts in the field of journalism.

Millattimes, from its day one, had been covering the issues ignored by the mainstream media, specially the issues of the minority communities and the other weaker sections of the society.

The Award was sponsored by Media 24×7 and Abdul Sattar Memorial Educational Society.

The programme, wherein the award was presented, was held from the Press Club of India (PCI) to commemorate the 164th death anniversary of the Martyr of the first War of Independence 1857 and the famous Urdu journalist Maulvi Muhammad Baqar.

It was addressed by a galaxy of journalists like Mr. Jai Shankar Gupta, Member of Press Club of India, Satish Jacob, former BBC journalist, Meem Afzal, ex-MP, Ismail Zafar Khan, SK Pande, Arvind Kumar Singh, Qurban Ali, Maroof Raza, Masoom Moradabadi and others, besides chief guest Prof. Azra Mosavi, a direct descendant of Maulvi Muhammad Baqar’s grand family from AMU, Aligarh.

The Press Club of India resolved in its meeting held on 6th September 2021, in the presence of its President, Mr. Umakant Lakhera, Secretary General Mr. Vinay Kumar and other members, like Mr. A. U. Asif, Press Club of India’s executive member, to commemorate the death anniversary of the Martyr of the first War of Independence 1857 and the famous Urdu journalist Maulvi Muhammad Baqar.

It was also decided that an award after his name will be presented to two journalists every year along with an amount of 21,000-00 Indian Rupees.

According to the resolution, this programme was held on 16th September 2021 and two dynamic, youth, budding and promising journalists: Maulvi Shams Tabrez Qasmi, a Darul Uloom Deoband Alumnus and the Chief Editor of Millattimes and Swati Mathur, a JNU Alumnus and a reporter with The Times of India were felicitated with the award named after him.

The Press Club of India (PCI), as stated at its website, is basically a meeting point for the journalists. The idea to set up the Press Club of India was first conceived by eminent journalist and editor Mr Durga Das in the early 1930s. When he had visited London as the editor of the Associated Press of India, he had chance to visit the London Press Club as well. It became a motivator for him to replicate the model in Delhi.

Eventually the Press Club of India was founded on December 20, 1957 and incorporated as a company on March 10, 1958. Mr Durga  Dass, the then Editor of The Hindustan Times was elected its first president and Mr D R Mankekar, a veteran journalist, became the first secretary general of the Club.

Now, it is an important and oldest body of the Indian journalists which is run by the elected President, Secretary general and members.

Moulvi Muhammad Baqar, a scholar, a journalist and an Indian independence activist, was born in 1780 in Delhi. He received his basic education from his father. For further studies, he got admission in Delhi College. Following his graduation, he was appointed as a teacher in Delhi College in 1828. He served as a teacher for six years.

Along with being one of the best editors, he was a successful reporter as well.

He launched a weekly newspaper namely “Dehli Urdu Akhbar” in 1835. It survived for almost 21 years and proved to be a milestone in the field of the Urdu Journalism. With the help of this weekly, he played a significant role in social issues. The weekly brought political awakening in masses and united them against the tyrant British rulers.

It is a fact that Maulavi Muhammad Baqar always advocated for the unity among the Muslims and Hindus as he thought that it is necessary to get rid of British rule.

He was arrested on 14th September 1857 for revolt. On 16th September 1857, he was tied to the mouth of a cannon. Then he was fired mercilessly by Major William SR Hudson.

Thus he became the first journalist to be executed following rebellion in 1857 by the then tyrant British government ruling over India.

Mr. Qasmi, who was felicitated with Amar Shaheed Molvi Baqar Award, is fond of learning, reading and writing from his early age. He has penned more than one thousand articles and essays on religious, social and political issues. He is one amongst the few journalist of the new generation taken seriously in India. He is known as a courageous, bold and fearless journalist.

Being a student in the DUD, he wrote columns for Weekly “Aalmi Sahara” and Daily “Azizul Hind”. It was an honour for him that on 6th December 2014, Dr. Aziz Burney published his article on Babri Masjid in his daily newspaper Azizul Hind as editorial.

When he reached capital city Delhi, he started his career as the editor of known New Agency: “INS”. In 2015, he was offered to write a column for the daily newspaper “Khabren”, New Delhi.

Mr. Qasmi launched a News Portal namely “Millattimes.com” in January 2016.

Officially it was inaugurated by Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Rabey Hasani Nadavi, President: All India Muslim Personal Law Board in Mumbai. Currently it is most read and visited Urdu news portal from India. Along with Urdu language, Millat Times is also providing its services in English and Hindi languages. Its YouTube Channel is also available, where the ignored issues by mainstream media are discussed.

He has interviewed several towering personalities like Mr. Iqbal Ahmad Ansari, ex-Chief Justice of Patna High Court and General Zamiruddin Shah, ex-VC of Aligarh Muslim University to let the viewers know their lives, services and views on several topics.

The area of his main interest is issues of Indian Muslims, current affairs of the Muslim World and the Middle East.

On this auspicious occasion, I congratulate Mr. Qasmi from the bottom of my heart! Congratulations! I hope Millattimes, as a media house, will continue offering its services and covering the issues, under Mr. Qasmi’s able leadership, which are commonly ignored by the mainstream media houses. ****

Email: qasmikhursheed@yahoo.co.in

source: http://www.millattimes.com / Millat Times / Home> Opinion / by Khursheed Alam Dawood Qasmi / Millat Times Staff / September 19th, 2021