Monthly Archives: August 2020

Breaking away from tradition, Shia Muslims donate blood on Moharram

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , ,

Khirwa Jalalpur Village (Meerut), UTTAR PRADESH :

In view of the ban on the procession of Moharram due to the COVID 19 pandemic this year, those who used to mourn the sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain in Karbala by shedding their blood with blades came up with a unique idea of donating blood that could save human lives.

Replacing the ages-old tradition of injuring themselves by blades while mourning the supreme sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain on Moharram, members of the Shia sect of Islam in village Khirwa Jalalpur donated blood on Sunday.

In view of the ban on the procession of Moharram due to the COVID 19 pandemic this year, those who used to mourn the sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain in Karbala by shedding their blood with blades came up with a unique idea of donating blood that could save human lives.

This, however, was made possible by the suggestion of Indian Medical Association (IMA) secretary Dr Anil Nausaran to one of the villagers of Khirwa Jalalpur, Saiful Hassnain Zaidi, who was known to the doctor. The idea clicked him and he shared it with other villagers.

Initially, hardly five people in the village were ready for blood donation but gradually the idea became a hit and the Shia Muslims of the village came out for this cause to mark Moharram, informed Zaidi.

A team of Indian Medical Association`s blood bank reached the village on Sunday morning for conducting blood donation. Forty Shia Muslims, all clad in black outfits which they wear as a mark of mourning during Muharram, came out for blood donation.

IMA secretary, who is also the in-charge of its blood bank in Meerut, Dr Anil Nausaran said that 40 men in the age group of 18 to 59 years donated blood on Sunday to mark Moharram and pledged that they would continue doing so in the years to come.

Dr Nausaran appreciated this exemplary move of the Shia Muslims of Village Khirwa Jalapur and said that this could be an inspiration to others as well.

Zaidi, who was one of the donors himself, said, “By donating blood we wanted to contribute in saving mankind as directed by Imam Hussain and it reminds us of his teaching of ‘Jio aur Jeene do’. ”

Zaffrul Hassnain Zaidi, another donor said that it was altogether a different feeling to have donated blood that could be life-saving to someone. Initially, people in the village were unhappy over the ban on Moharram procession but later after the decision of blood donation, they seemed happy.

According to the ages-old tradition, Shia Muslims while mourning the sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain and his family about 1400 years ago feel the pain by shedding their blood with sharp blades on Moharram.

This had been our tradition but this time instead we decided to donate the same blood to save human lives, said Sayyed Ali Bin Haadi.

Khirwa Jalalpur is a Muslim dominated village with a population of about 10,000. The village is having around 200 Shia Muslim families who commemorated Muharram as ‘an act against terrorism this year’. “We are against terrorism and are there to serve the country by good deeds and donating blood was one such deed,” said Haadi.

Appreciating the villagers, Dr Nausaran said that one unit blood donated by a person could save two lives hence 40 units blood donated by them could save the lives of 80 persons. That is why it is rightly said that blood donation is a supreme donation. He called upon people to come forward for such a cause.

source: http://www.thestatesman.com / The Statesman / Home> India / by Swati Sharma, Meerut / August 30th, 2020

India: Historians recall role of Muslims in freedom struggle

Amazing Feats, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Freedom Fighters (under research project), Leaders, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Coinciding 74th Independence Day on Aug. 15, scholars recollect help of Turkey to India’s national freedom struggle

Abdul Hameed Nomani, General secretary of the All India Muslim Majlis Mushawarat

New Delhi:

Celebrating country’s 74th Independence Day on Aug. 15, under the shadow of recent communal riots in capital Delhi and anti-citizenship law stir, many Indian scholars have called for recalling the role of Muslims during India’s freedom struggle.

Author and scholar Waseem Ahmed Saeed said over time, the contribution of Muslim freedom fighters in India has been forgotten.

In his book titled Kala Pani: Gumnam Mujahideen-e-Azadi 1857, Saeed said from the 1757 Battle of Plassey in Bengal, Tipu Sultan’s Seringapatam battle in South India in 1799 to the massive revolt in 1857 against the British was led by Muslims.

Saeed, who has authored a book on the subject in the Urdu language, said while India’s official history celebrates Udham Singh for killing Michael O’Dwyer, the lieutenant governor of Punjab in India, in revenge for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, it does not recognize Sher Ali Afridi, who killed Lord Mayo, British viceroy and governor-general of India from 1869-1872.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, many Muslim scholars and historians said the role of their ancestors in the freedom struggle has been overlooked.

According to Syed Jamaluddin, director of historical research projects at the Institute of Objective Studies, a think tank, there is no adequate coverage of the role of the Indian Muslims in the national movement.

“The contribution of Muslim revolutionaries, poets and writers is not known today. Similarly, little is known about the contribution of people like Ali Musliyar and Bi-Amma, who made significant contributions,” he told Anadolu Agency. He is currently editing a book on the Muslim role in India’s freedom struggle.

Saeed recalled in his book that it was the ruler of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daulah, who first fought and lost to the British in 1757, which became a cornerstone for the imperial power to colonize India.

He said that even after losing this battle, there were many rebellions led by Muslims until 1850.

Muslim revolts against British

Jamaluddin mentions the Fakir-Sannyasi rebellion, a joint revolt against colonial power by Muslim and Hindu ascetics, for preventing them from collecting religious tax from locals. It started in 1764 and continued until the 1850. He said the rebellion even spread its wings to southern India’s Madras (now Chennai) presidency.

But most prominent and popular movements that hit the British hard in the early 20th century in the subcontinent was the Reshmi-Rumaal Tehreek (Silk Cloth Movement) led by Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi with the help of Turkey, Germany, and Afghanistan.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, a prominent Muslim scholar Abdul Hameed Nomani said that despite his best efforts, Sindhi’s contribution has not been included in the official Indian history.

Along with an Indian prince Raja Mahender Pratap Singh, Sindhi, and Maulvi Barkatullah had established the exiled government of India in Afghanistan in 1915.

“The movement picked up around the same time when Subhash Chandra Bose [renowned Indian freedom fighter] was allying with Germany and Japan to oust the British from India. While Bose is celebrated nationwide, not much is known about Sindhi and his supporters,” said Nomani, who is also the general secretary of the All India Muslim Majlis Mushawarat, an umbrella group of prominent Muslim organizations.

It was named Silk Cloth Movement because Sindhi and other leaders used to send letters and directions to their cadres written on silk cloth.

Later, Sindhi went to Turkey and joined the country’s national struggle.

“The movement led to the formation of Indo-German-Turkish mission to encourage local tribes on the borders of Afghanistan to attack Britishers and their interests. While the key figures were arrested by the British, the movement remains a key event in the freedom history,” he added.

He said even though in 2011 the government released a postal stamp to commemorate Sindhi’s movement, there has been no vigor to record the sacrifice of Sindhi and his allies Mahmud Hasan and Husayn Ahmad.

“Only passing reference has been made about the role of Muslims in India’s national struggle,” rued Nomani.

source: http://www.aa.com.tr / Anadolu Agency / by Cheena Kapoor / August 14th, 2020

Azharuddin Quazi of Yavatmal secures AIR-315 in UPSC exam

Amazing Feats, Education, Leaders, , , , ,

Yavatmal (Vidharbha), MAHARASTHRA :

“I faced poverty and misery since childhood and my father took up odd jobs to support the family financially,” recalls Azharuddin. Son of Zahiruddin, a taxi driver from Yavatmal, Azharuddin Quazi has made his family proud by securing AIR-315 in the Civil Services examination of UPSC.

A jubilant Azharuddin remembers his childhood full of difficulties and obstacles when irrespective of their troubled socio-economic status, his parents encouraged him to study. “My mother played a huge role in education of all my brothers including myself,” he says. Azharuddin, who is the youngest of his other three siblings, was forced to come back to Yavatmal a year after he had gone to Pune for undergraduate. After securing the merit list in his standard 12th examinations, he was admitted to a college in Pune but could not continue his studies as his parents did not have enough resources to support his expenses in another city. He shares that his own life has been an example of how problems due to financial instability persisted but his mother, having studied till Matric, never gave up on the career of her children.

“For her, education was the only empowering tool,” he says about his mother, Meraj. He recounts that his mother was a bright student herself but due to family constraints, she was forced to give up studies after 10th. After her marriage with Zahiruddin, she continued her zeal for education and pursued her own dream by giving her children the best of education. Throughout schooling, his mother used to teach all her children at home, assisting the four of them with homework and projects. She was disciplined and strict and showed no mercy or excuses when it came to studies, shares Azharuddin fondly.

“I got felicitated by the then SP of Yavatmal, Mr Abdur Rahman Sir who became inspiration for my IAS dream,” says Azharuddin. He narrates that after having to drop out of college in Pune and motivated by his role model, Abdur Rahman, he resumed undergrad at Yavatmal itself. In 2010 after completing his graduation in Commerce, he went to Jamia Hamdard University in New Delhi for preparation of civil service examinations but again due to lack of finances he had suffered a hindrance. His determination, however, led him to grab a job in a Corporation Bank through a competitive exam and he was appointed as the Probationary Officer where he served for 6 years.

Seeing his younger siblings work hard, as the oldest one among them, he had always dreamt of doing something big for his family and community, he says. Azharuddin has three younger brothers – one has completed MBBS, second is a chemical engineer and third a lawyer. His father being a non matriculate and his mother a matriculate, were always focused on providing quality education to their children, he says.

Azharuddin, who is also a national colour holder in handball, served at the Corporation Bank in New Delhi from 2012 to 2018 in various capacities, including his days as a Branch Manager too. As better days were approaching due to his hard work and will, he resigned from the bank job in 2018 and decided to pursue his dream career as an IAS.

Once again, Azharuddin returned to Jamia Hamdard in New Delhi to prepare for civil services and after one attempt in 2018, he ultimately secured AIR-315 in 2019 examinations.

“Hard work, consistency and perseverance always pays,” he states, while describing that he was guided by Noorul Hasan (IPS addt. SP, Yavatmal) and Raj Kumar (SP Yavatmal dist.) during his UPSC preparation. He further praises his family, friends and teachers who guided him through thick and thin.

When asked about a message for the aspirants belonging to minority communities, Azharuddin says, “Those coming from backward regions and poor socio-economic backgrounds like me, I will tell them to not be afraid and distracted by these limitations.” The Constitution of this country as well as independent institutions like UPSC provides everyone with equal opportunities irrespective of caste, creed, religion, region and gender.

He continues, “If you are good at doing hard work, please have patience and confidence in our Constitution and institutions and Insha’Allah you will succeed.”

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslims> Lead Story> TCN Positive / by Maariyah Siddique, TwoCircles.net / August 13th, 2020

Who is this Freedom fighter from Bihar?

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Muzaffarput, BIHAR :

Dr Maghfoor Ahmed Ajazi

He was born in village Dihuli of District Muzaffarpur, in Bihar on 3 March 1900.

His father Moulvi Hafizuddin Husain was a zamindar. He first went to a Madarsa, then to North Brooke Zila School, Darbhanga, from where he was expelled for opposing the Rowlatt Act. He passed the matriculation from Pusa High School and was admitted in B.N. College, Patna, for higher studies.

His mother died in his childhood. His elder brother Maulana Manzoor Ahsan was also a freedom fighter.

He was married to Azizul Fatima. His marriage was all Khadi i.e. Bride and Groom both wore hand woven Khadi clothes. After nikah marriage function was transformed into an a public meeting for freedom struggle.

He left his studies at B.N. College to follow Gandhi and joined the non-cooperation movement in 1921.

There after he actively participated in the freedom movement. He mobilised masses against Britishers by organising volunteer corps, Ramayan Mandali, and also collected fund for freedom struggle through ‘Muthia’ drive. ‘Muthia’ meant to take out a muththi or fist of grain before preparing every meal to fund freedom struggle. Once Ajazi unknowingly reached at house of his cousin sister in a remote village. He asked for a ‘Muthia’. He got answer in negative. His sister recognised him and requested him to take meal. But Ajazi refused to take not only meal but even a glass of water. When his sister promised to take out muthia and donated the dues then he agreed to take meal.

He organised ‘Sewa Dal’ established by Sarojini Naidu and formed ‘Ajazi Troop’ to promote and train youngsters for freedom struggle. He first time attended AICC session held at Ahmedabad in 1921 and supported the motion of Maulana Hasrat Mohani on ‘Complete Independence’.

He represented Central Khilafat Committee at the All Parties Conferences. On the direction of Mohd Ali Jauhar he took the charge of Khilafat Committee Calcutta. There he was arrested in a protest march led by Neta ji Subhash and was arrested and released at a farther most place from Calcutta.

He obtained degree from Calcutta Homoeopathic Medical College. In August 1942 movement his house was searched and he worked under ground, though his promising eldest son Muzaffar Husain Ajazi died at young age on 25 July 1942.

Ajazi opposed Jinnah’s Two-nation theory. Muslim League workers used to come in batches at his residence, virtually spitting and shouted slogan. Ghaddar-e-Qaum.

He was also a poet and writer in the Urdu language as well as an orator. His papers, diaries, letters and files are preserved in national libraries.  

After independence Ajazi devoted his whole life for the welfare of the downtrodden and for protection of rights as well as development of Urdu language. He was also actively associated with trade union movement.


Ajazi died on 26 September 1966 at his residence in Muzaffarpur city.     

source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> News> Family & Kids / The Milli Gazette / October 14th, 2020

Telangana sub-registrar doubles as farm hand to help the needy

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , , , ,

Mulugu & Jayashankar Bhupalpally District, TELANGANA :

Mulugu and Jayashankar Bhupalpally Sub-Registrar Tasleema Mohammad working in an agricultural field. Arrangement  

Distributes her earnings among the poor, aims to educate tribals about welfare schemes

Community outreach during the weekends has earned sub-registrar of Mulugu and Jayashankar Bhupalpally appreciation from tribals in the area.

Tasleema Mohammad, 34, takes up farm work, which is the only form of work available in the area. Whatever money she earns through her labour, she uses to spend on the needy.

Beneficiaries of her weekend and holiday labour include a 15-year-old girl, who lost her parents in a road accident in 2013. Ms Tasleema is now looking after her.

Her service has earned her the moniker ‘Gutti Koyala Peddakka’ (sister of Gutti Koya tribes) in the area.

While pushing files and recording transactions are her routine jobs, the qualitative difference that has come in her life by helping the needy is an unmatched feeling, she told The Hindu.

Even the locals in the area also approach her for solutions to their civic and social problems.

Ms. Tasleema said that she herself was the victim of Naxal violence, as she lost her father when she was just two.

She recalled how her mother single-handedly raised her and her five siblings in the face of adversity.

Narrating her experience working with farm labourers, the Group II officer said that farmers, especially tribals, were not aware of several schemes aimed at improving their lives, like crop insurance and farm subsidy. She feels that there is an urgent need to educate the tribal farmers about government initiatives.

“During weekends and holidays, I work at the farms and interact with them for hours. They pay me ₹300-400 per day, which I give to the needy in the village,” she said. A mother of two, Ms. Tasleema said that she always travels by public transport instead of using her official vehicle.

“My mother has inspired me in every way. She is my role model.”

The officer, who even knows how to drive a tractor, also runs an NGO that provides education and other basic needs to the poor and destitute. She has bagged ‘Best Employee of the year’ award 11 times in 12 years of her service in the department.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by Abhinay Deshpande / Hyderabad – August 16th, 2020

Novel ‘Rashk E Iram’ Released

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Education, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

Mysuru:

Rashk e Iram, a novel in Urdu by Shahida Shaheen and published by Karnataka Urdu Academy, was released at Bazm e Batool in N.R. Mohalla recently.

Syeda Niloufer Nayab, President, Fatima Women and Children’s Welfare Association, releasing the book, wished success and encouraged the novelist to continue writing. 

Prof. Jahan Ara, retired, Head, Department of Urdu, spoke on the book.

The programme started with Quranic verses by Yasmin Taj, Hamd by Uzma Sultana, Naat by Salma Bano followed by introduction of Novelist by Momina Mukhtar. Salma Siddiqua and Mushtaq Sayeed were the chief guests. Prof. Shahida thanked all those who assisted her in bringing out this novel. Nyamathulla Khan compered.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / October 14th, 2019

Women should be allowed to follow their dreams: Nadia Beig who cracked UPSC civil services exam

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, ,

Kupwara District (Kashmir), JAMMU & KASHMIR :

During her personality test, the panel asked her questions ranging from Kashmir and the history behind its name, export of saffron which is cultivated widely in the Valley and the Shankaracharya temple.

Twenty-three-year-old Nadia Beig, who became one of the youngest to crack the civil service exam (CSE) 2019, says women should be allowed to follow their dreams and decide their future. Hailing from Kashmir’s Kupwara district, Nadia moved to Delhi to pursue a graduate degree in Economics from Jamia Millia Islamia after completing secondary school.

She cracked the exam on her second attempt. “I appeared for the exam in 2018 first. I had full preparation but was unable to crack even the preliminary. It was the first time that I was appearing for a national level entrance exam of such high competency. I was not confident despite devoting day and night to my studies. This year, I had worked on my weaknesses,” said Nadia who has secured 350th rank in the UPSC civil services exam.

Reading newspapers was a habit for Nadia, which she believes had come handy in cracking the exams. During her preparation for the second time, she had also focused on expressing herself better and worked hard to grasp the English language.

“My preparation started on the first day of my college. I gathered information not only from books but also from many free resources available online. I was part of many groups on Telegram as well. Meeting people from different backgrounds at a university campus also helped in learning,” she said.

During her personality test, the panel asked her questions ranging from Kashmir and the history behind its name, export of saffron which is cultivated widely in the Valley and the Shankaracharya temple.

Beig’s parents are teachers and her two younger sisters are pursuing a course in medicine. She was part of the residential coaching classes for UPSC offered by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and run at the JMI campus.

While she wishes to work for public welfare in general, education is one of the causes she would like to focus on. Nadia said women should have the liberty to decide their future. “There is additional pressure on girls. Every human being has potential regardless of gender. Girls should be given the freedom to explore their potential and decide when they want to marry or which dreams they want to follow. No one should be made to feel lesser because of their gender.”

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Jobs / by Shyna Kalra / Newd Delhi / August 04th, 2020

Eye on Olympics, martial arts champ seeks sponsor

Amazing Feats, Sports, World Opinion, , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Jameel Khan Patan clinched gold, bronze in world championship

For over two decades, Jameel Khan Patan has been waging a grim battle against all odds even while quietly collecting medals on the international stage; 18 gold, 12 silver and 18 bronze, to be precise. That’s not all. The martial arts champion also has to his credit four gold, two silver and six bronze medals in World Cups since 2016.

Yet, this spirited Hyderabadi continues to run from pillar to post in search of financial support to sustain his passion. “With the specific goal of making it to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in which karate is being introduced, I am still pursuing my love for martial arts,” he says.

For someone who earns a modest salary by training some schoolchildren in and around Toli Chowki, all that he looks for is some kind of support that would help him realise his goal of making it to the Olympics. “Compared to the support I got in the US with special exemptions to train and compete, the response back in my hometown has been disappointing,” says Jameel.

“Well, I am not from a high-profile sporting discipline but a medal in any World Cup is not presented on a platter. You have to put in a lot of effort. I fail to understand what more I must achieve to get sponsorship,” the 43-year-old asks.

Despite his latest gold win in the adult breaking division, bronze in black belt forms and black belt weapons division in the World Cup final last month in Virginia, he is “struggling to overcome the fact that he remains an unknown personality in the world of sports when so many incentives are being showered on others”. “All I can hope is for some positive response even as I try my best to make it to Tokyo.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – February 26th, 2019

Bat-man of cricket’s stars battles on tricky wicket

Sports, , , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

With a clientele of the who’s who of cricket, the fraternity comes forward to aide the ailing Aslam Chaudhry

Aslam Chaudhry / Telegraph file picture

Aslam Chaudhry’s bats have fetched hundreds of runs but at present he finds himself on a difficult wicket, trying to fend off the bouncers that life has thrown at him.

Aslam Chaudhry is no famous batsman, but you could call him a busy bat-man. At least that was supposed to be his calling card before the pandemic sent the world haywire.

From Sachin Tendulkar to Chris Gayle to Virat Kohli to Steve Smith, Chaudhry’s clientele comprises the who’s who of cricket. They all have sought his help at some point.

For the bats he produced and the tweaks he made to get them back in shape from his decades-old workshop – M. Ashraf Bros, a bat-manufacturing shop set up by his father in the late 1920s – in south Mumbai, the 67-year-old Chaudhry has had a hand in the success of many a stalwart of the game.

But Chaudhry is not well. First, his business took a hit when Covid-19 put a brake on all sport, including the IPL which was supposed to be held in April-May. That is usually the time when he used to be busiest. Then, all of that started taking a toll on his health as well. And at present, Chaudhry is in a Chembur hospital, being treated for multiple ailments.

“He was so sick with kidney stones and water in the lungs… When I saw him, he was reduced to half of what he used to be. It seemed like he was being slow-poisoned,” recalls Prashant Jethmalani, a close friend of Chaudhry.

Prashant, who looks up to Chaudhry as his “mentor, brother and guide”, is actually the only one who’s looking after him at the moment. “I did inform his immediate family about his health. Some of them stay in London and some in other parts of England. But unfortunately, they are unable to come due to visa-related issues,” Prashant said.

“His elder brother too passed away quite some time back. So with no one to look after him, I’ve taken the onus on myself to get him cured and bring him back to normal life.”

Chaudhry has been suffering since the last two-three months and hospitalised for more than a week.

“The good thing is, he’s slowly responding to medications. He is most likely to be discharged from hospital this week itself.

“All these days he had been surviving mainly on juices, but from last Monday, he started having a bit of solid food. We somehow made him take a bit of it,” Prashant said.

A furniture designer by profession, Prashant’s own business has suffered because of Covid-19. But determined to ensure Chaudhry’s treatment wasn’t affected, he requested help from the cricket fraternity and wasn’t turned down.

“Suryakumar Yadav (Mumbai and Mumbai Indians batsman), Shashank Singh (Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan Royals batsman), Indian woman players Punam Raut and Mona Meshram, and (ex-India batswoman) Reema Malhotra are among those who have transferred funds for his treatment.

“My factory too had a major loss because of the pandemic, so I had requested the cricket fraternity for help. Thankfully, it did its bit because everyone feels for him,” Prashant said.

Chaudhry may not have been a top-class cricketer, but it seems he has scored enough for his admirers to acknowledge his contribution to the game. After all, he is the bat-man, forever.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, online edition / Home> Sports> Cricket / by Sayak Banerjee, Calcutta / August 25th, 2020

Three teachers from State to receive national award

Education, Karnataka (under research project), , , , ,

KARNATAKA :

It recognises their contribution to education

Three teachers from Karnataka have been selected to receive the prestigious President’s National Awards for Teachers 2020. In all, 47 teachers from schools across the country will receive the award instituted by the Union Ministry of Education.

From Karnataka, Chemmalar Shanmugam, headmistress, Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2, AFS (East), Jalahalli, Bengaluru; Yakub S., teacher, Government High School Nada, Nada, Belthangady, Dakshina Kannada, and Surekha Jagannath, teacher, Government High School, Bandarwad, Afzalpur, Kalaburagi, are the recipients.

The award, instituted in 1958, is presented to recognise the unique contribution of teachers. The award would celebrate commitment and efforts of teachers in improving quality of school education and also enriching the lives of their students. Every year, the award is presented on September 5 that marks the birth anniversary of former president Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.

Selection process

This year, the Ministry’s Department of School Education and Literacy constituted a national level independent jury to select the recipients. The jury reviewed a list of 153 teachers as shortlisted by committees set up by States and Union Territories and also organisational selection committees through a videoconference.

The jury considered the applications and presentations made by all shortlisted teachers and after detailed deliberations, recommended names of 47 teachers. Ms. Chemmalar is the only teacher from Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghatan to be selected for the award.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Sudhindr A.B / Bengaluru – August 24th, 2020