On Friday morning, author of the famous and most resourceful Madinah Arabic Book, Shaikh Dr. V Abdur Raheem, passed away in Madinah, Saudi Arabia at the age of 90.
A master of the Arabic language, a world renowned Islamic Scholar, multi-linguist, author, teacher and translator he dedicated his life to extraordinary contributions to Arabic literature by helping millions learn the Arabic language in his over 50 years of experience.
Born in 1933 in Vaniyambadi, Tamil Nadu, he obtained his B.A in English from the University of Madras and M.A in Arabic from the Aligarh Muslim University, India in 1962. He also held a M.Phil. and a Ph.D. in Arabic Philology from Al-Azhar University, Egypt.
A recipient of the National Award from the President of India in 1997 for his services in teaching, he was a self made man who learnt Arabic from the scarcest resources available to him in his little town. His three-volume series, Madinah Arabic Book, a one of a kind in its field, is the official curriculum of the Madinah University, Saudi Arabia, and is also used widely in schools and universities across the world to teach students the Arabic language.
Former Professor of Arabic Language for 30 years at the International Islamic University of Madinah, he has taught Arabic Language at Islamic Universities around the world including at Omdurman in Sudan, Germany, Washington D.C and British Guyana. An expert on European Languages and their etymology, phonetic change and semantic development he was a former Director of the ‘Institute of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language’, at the Islamic University of Madinah.
A close associate of the Islamic Foundation Trust (IFT), Chennai, majority of his books have been published by IFT.
Along with the Madinah Arabic Book series he has to his credit a host of other books too including ‘Let’s Begin to Read Arabic: A Beginners Guide to Learning the Arabic Language and the Qur’aan’, ‘AL-TIBYAAN – Easy way to Qur’aanic Reading’, ‘Arabic Course for Non-Native Speakers of Arabic: Originally Devised and Taught at Islaamic University, Madinah’, ‘From Esfahan To Madinah In Search of Truth: Salmaan al-Faarisi’s Hadiith’,‘Both These Lights Emanate from the Same Niche’ – Hadiith of Umm Salamah (raDiyAllaahu “anhaa).’ ‘Suurah al-Hujuraat – With Lexical and Grammatical Notes and DVDs’.
His passing is indeed a great loss to both the Muslim world and to Islamic literature.
source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> News / by The Cognate News Desk / October 21st, 2023
Several girls from the Bakarwal community, a nomadic ethnic minority in India’s Jammu and Kashmir area, recently cleared the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test, also known as NEET, for admission to undergraduate medical courses in all Indian medical institutions.
Aasiya Choudry, 20, of Jasrota village in Jammu’s Kathua district, is one of the Bakarwal girls who cleared the NEET exam on her second attempt, securing 430 points.
Education Remains A Distant Dream For Kashmir’s Tribal
“It was not a cakewalk for a student like me who belongs from a community where students did not have much resources and guidance,” Aasiya stated to Two Circles.
She said that no one in her community was aware of the NEET exam. This is not surprising given that schooling remains a faraway dream for Kashmiri tribal youth.
According to the 2011 census, just 17.8 percent of the people of the twin tribal settlements of Gujjar and Bakarwal can read and write.
Aasiya completed her basic education at a government school in her village before attending Jawahar Nagar Vidyala Basoli in Kathua.
Cleared NEET Without Coaching
“I didn’t always have enough money to buy textbooks, pens, and other supplies. I had to overcome hardships in order to achieve and qualify for NEET, but it was a dream that came true,” said Aasiya, who did not register in coaching to clear the entrance since her family could not afford the expenses.
Aasiya’s father Mubashir Hussain Khatana is a shepherd who tends to his livestock and provides a living for his family.
Aasiya says she was fortunate to have a supportive home environment that allowed her to prepare for this national-level competitive exam in a neighbourhood where options for education are limited, particularly for girls. “They [parents] motivated me to overcome my challenges and work towards achieving my goal,” she said.
Studied for NEET On YouTube
Aasiya had to care for her three younger sisters and a sixth-grade brother when her elder sister married two years ago, and she also had to help her mother with chores at home. Choudhry kept her studies going by watching free NEET videos on the online video sharing and social media platform YouTube.
Due to bad network connectivity and a limited data plan, she found it difficult to study for NEET on YouTube. To overcome these obstacles, Aasiya had to walk at least two kilometers every day to a location with WiFi in order to download videos.
Aasiya studied for approximately 10 hours each day. “Our village did not always have electricity. I used to watch saved videos on my phone at night under candlelight,” she explained.
Wishes To Become a Gynaecologist To Help Bakarwal Women
Aasiya aspires to be a gynaecologist — a physician who specialises in treating diseases of the female reproductive system — in order to help her community, which treks to green pastures with their animals for six months of the year. “During the seasonal migration, the Bakarwal people suffer [due] to the absence of basic health care facilities, especially pregnant women,” Aasiya stated to Two Circles.
Another Bakarwal Girl Cleared NEET
Ulfat Ismail, from the border village of Kandi Jarda in the Tehsil Karnah of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district, cleared the NEET exam on her second attempt, scoring 417 points.
Ulfat received her basic education at the village’s government middle school. She was accepted to the Government Medical College in Baramulla for a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS).
Ulfat used to study for almost 8 hours a day to clear NEET.
Mohammad Ismail, father of Ulfat stated that his dream is for his daughter to become a doctor since her accomplishments have the ability to positively impact their tribal community in the future.
“It was a proud moment for our family that our daughter had qualified the NEET exam and is going to become a doctor,” Ismail added.
Tauseef Ahmad is an independent reporter based in Kashmir.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Education / by Tauseef Ahmad, TwoCircles.net / September 26th, 2023
This IAS officer cracked the UPSC exam at the mere age of 21 years in spite of facing multiple problems as a child.
Clearing the UPSC exam takes a lot of dedication and hard work. It is even difficult for those who have fewer amenities and resources. But there are so many people who have cracked the IAS exam with limited resources and came out shining bright.
One such example is IAS Ansar Shaikh. He faced multiple challenges during his days of preparation but did not lose hope and gave it his 100 per cent.
Shaikh hails from the Marathwada district of Maharashtra his father was an autorickshaw driver and his mother worked in the fields. His brother dropped out of school in seventh standard to provide for the family.
Other than financial constraints, he was also exposed to child marriage and domestic violence during his childhood. He was also open to alcoholism. Shaikh’s family was struggling financially, hence, they always pushed both the brothers to take up any job and never prioritise education.
But Shaikh wanted to do something big and started preparing for the UPSC exam. He used to dedicate 12 hours a day to his studies and with his hard work and dedication, he cracked the UPSC exam with the All India Rank (AIR) 361. Not only did he crack the UPSC exams, but he became the youngest IAS officer in 2016 at the age of 21.
source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> Education / by DNA Web Team / October 19th, 2023
In a significant milestone, Prestige International School has clinched the prestigious first position in the Education World India School Rankings 2023-24, under the esteemed ‘Co-ed Day School’ category.
The Education World India School Rankings (EWISR) serve as a global benchmark for evaluating educational establishments, acknowledging institutions that consistently demonstrate outstanding performance and educational standards.
The accolade was officially conferred upon Prestige International School during a grand ceremony held on October 13, 2023, at The JW Marriott, Aerocity, New Delhi. Hyder Ali, the Chairman of Prestige International School, was honored with this prestigious award.
“Securing the top spot in the ‘Co-ed Day School’ category in the EWISR 2023-24 is a testament to the school’s unwavering commitment to academic brilliance and its continuous efforts in nurturing well-rounded individuals,” a statement from the school added.
source: http://www.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> India / by Vartha Bharati / October 20th, 2023
So many lives have been lost due to drivers falling asleep while driving. Rabia Farooqui, a student of Hubballi, has invented life-saving glasses to eliminate this.
The same anti-sleep drowsiness preventer machine warns students if they fall asleep while studying. The night shift workers are also alerted.
The transparent glasses are equipped with a rechargeable battery, an SIB buzzer, and an IR sensor. If the eyes are accidentally closed while driving, the nano Arduino buzzer will ring instantly and alert the driver.
Rabia Farooqui is currently studying in the first year of PUC at Vidyaniketan College. The glasses invented by Rubia have now been selected for the National Best Model Award at the Inspire Awards show held in Delhi.
Apart from this, the glasses invented by Rubia have also been selected for international-level science exhibitions.
source: http://www.thehindustangazette.com / The Hindustan Gazette / Home> News> Education / by Shifa / October 19th, 2023
Success comes to those who believe in hard work and this sentence fits the case of Dr Shaikh Muna Afroz, who is all set to join the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and probably become the first Muslim female Gastroenterologist (GI) surgeon in India.
In a message to the youth, Dr Muna says, “Perseverance and determination are the keys to success. I have experienced that my consistent efforts have enabled me to surmount every obstacle on my path to success.” Intending to become an academic surgeon, she struck an optimum balance between patient care, teaching, and research. She has authored more than five indexed research publications.
Dr Muna has presented her research papers at numerous conferences and won many accolades. Her inspiration is her grandfather, who is a General Surgeon and has been serving the community since 1967.
Dr Afroz hails from Maharashtra’s Aurangabad and bagged the All India Rank (AIR) third in MCh GI-HPB Surgery in the INI-SS 2023 and she also secured an All India Rank (AIR) – 10 for the Minimal Invasive Surgery Fellowship in 2021.
Prior to it, she aced CET-UG by securing the 93rd rank and completed her MBBS in 2017 from GMC Aurangabad.
In 2022, she acquired the Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) in Edinburgh, UK. Having cleared the licensing examination from Dubai Health Authority (UAE) in 2022, Dr Muna is currently licensed to practice medicine in India, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
This report is filed by ANI news service.
source: http://www.thenewsmill.com / The News Mill / Home / by ANI / pix: edited / June 04th, 2023
We, The Indian Muslims are proud to be citizens of this great country. We have been an architect of this land all through centuries since the days of dynastic rule. Whether it was construction of world class network of transport facilities like Grand Trunk Road linking major cities, founding new cities of highest standards for that age, huge monumental structures to attract the world, development of living standards and maintain cordial relationships between groups belonging to various religions, languages, castes and cultures, we pioneered justice and maintained the system.
With the passage of years, decades and turn of events, the foreign forces got attracted to it and slowly took over the rein of rule.
We were first to challenge and fight for country’s independence valiantly. Even our clergymen took to streets and fought, thousands laid down their lives. Colonel Balwan Singh Nagial, a third-generation Indian Army officer who retired in 2019 wrote in Times of India (April 23, 2022), thus: “Muslim leadership contributed enormously to divergent phases of the Indian struggle for independence. They (Muslims) played a larger-than-life role and made significant sacrifices in this struggle for independence.
From the last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar to nawabs, princes, landlords of all sizes, clergy, ulema and the ordinary people, they all stood for the cause and took on enormous challenges and made supreme sacrifices.
When the INC was formed in 1885, the Muslims responded enthusiastically and supported all its efforts throughout the freedom struggle until India became free. The most enthusiastic support for the INC was from the Muslims of the conservative Ulama of Deoband. Earlier, the Ulama had participated in the 1857 uprising with heart and soul.
They made great sacrifices, and hundreds of them were sent to Andaman-Nicobar and many to Malta, an island to the south of Italy.
Muslim leaders who contributed to India’s struggle for independence were:
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Maulana Muhammad Ali, Maulana Shaukat Ali, Allama Iqbal, Muhammad Barkathulla, Bi Amma (mother of Ali brothers), Badarudeen Tyabji, Hakim Ajmal Khan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Dr M.A. Ansari, Dr Siafudeen Kichlu, Dr Basheer Ahmad, Syed Ameer Ali, Dr Syed Muhammad, Hasrat Mohani, Nawab Abdul Latheef, Altaf Hussain Hali, Syed Ahmad Sirhindi, Syed Ahmad Bareilly, Maulana Shibli Numani, Munshi Karamat Ali, Munshi Zakaullah.
Hindus and Muslims together fought the foreign forces shoulder to shoulder. A report by the ‘Milli Chronicle’ says that names of 95,300 freedom fighters are etched on the India Gate in Delhi, and remarkably, 61,945 of these names belong to Muslims, signifying that 65% of these brave individuals were Muslims. The significance of this statistic is eloquently captured by the renowned writer Mr. Kushwant Singh, who boldly declared that the story of Indian freedom is etched in the blood of Muslims, emphasizing their large contribution to the freedom struggle, considering their dis-proportionately smaller population percentage.
The annals of history are adorned with the stories of Muslim freedom fighters who put their lives on the line to liberate India from the shackles of British oppression. These individuals, driven by an unwavering determination to secure their homeland’s independence, demonstrated exceptional courage and resilience.
All through ages we find tall personalities like Sultan Haidar Ali, father of Tipu Sultan, (he pioneered the fight against British colonial forces); Tipu Sultan, son of Haider Ali; (he pioneered the use of iron-cased rockets); Ashfaqullah Khan,(noted for his daring attacks on British government trains); Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, the youngest President of the Indian National Congress,(who rallied Hindus and Muslims alike against British oppression); Maulana Hasrat Mohani, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, (a pivotal figure in the Khilafat movement); was jailed for 13 years by the British), Sirajud Daula, (the last Nawab of Bengal), Badruddin Tyabji (of Indian National Congress); his wife, Suraiya Tayabji, who designed the present Indian flag., Zain-ul-Abideen, an officer of the Indian National Army (INA), coined the iconic patriotic slogan “Jai Hind.”
While recounting the names of every Muslim freedom fighter may be an impossible feat, their contributions and sacrifices in the fight against British colonialism are immeasurable and undeniable. The fact that many chose to remain in India underscores their deep-rooted connection to the land. Despite attempts to distort history, India will forever be the cherished home of its Muslim citizens. We gave the independent India Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Education Minister, Dr. Rafi Ahmed Qidwai, Dr.Zakir Hussain (an Educationist and Vice President), and numerous figures as servants to the country in the form of politicians, officers, industrialists, entrepreneurs, researchers, technocrats etc. in every field.
Our very recent contribution to the nation’s public service has been the world famous Scientist/Technocrat and President Dr.A.P.J. Kalam. He set the highest, un-believable standard of honesty, transparency and clean image in public life. A glimpse into the life he spent in the Rashtrapati Bhavan as President gives a shocking information. The same is as under: Mr. P M Nair, (retired IAS officer, then Secretary to Dr. Abdul Kalam, the President writes in his book “Kalam Effect” that Dr. Kalam used to receive costly gifts whenever he went abroad (as it is part of custom & protocol) used to ask the gifts to be photographed and then catalogued and handed over to the archives. Afterwards, he never even looked at them. He did not take even a pencil from the gifts received when he left Rashtrapathi Bhavan. It was a regular practice for every President to host an Iftar party, a routine. Upon being reminded about it Dr. Kalam asked Mr. Nair why he should host a party to people who are already well fed. Instead he estimated and donated Rs.22 lac being the cost to a few selected orphanages in the form of food, dresses and blankets besides a cheque for Rs.1.lakh from his personal funds. Though himself a devout Muslim, he never organized Iftar parties in President’s house at Public expense. Once Dr. Kalam invited 50 of his relatives to come to Delhi and they all stayed in Rashtrapathi Bhavan. He organized a bus for them to go around the city which was paid for by him.
No official car was used. Their lodging and food bill which came to Rs.2 laks was paid by him as per his instructions. Dr. Kalam’s elder brother stayed with him in his room for the entire one week as Dr Kalam wanted his brother to stay with him. When they left, Dr. Kalam wanted to pay rent for that room also. Imagine the President of a country paying rent for the room in which he is staying. This was any way not agreed to by the staff who thought the honesty was getting too much to handle. When he was to leave Rashtrapathi Bhavan at the end of his tenure, every staff member went and met him and paid their respects. Mr. Nair went to him alone as his wife couldn’t as she was confined to bed due to fracture. Upon noticing her absence and knowing the reason Dr. Kalam visited his house and chatted with her for some time. The following property was left behind by Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam: 16 doctorates, 1 website, 1 twitter account, 1 email id, 2500 books, 1 Padmashri, 1 Padmabhushan, 1 Bharat Ratna, 1 flat (which he has donated), 6 pants & 4 shirts (DRDO uniforms), 3 suits (1 western, 2 Indian). He didn’t have any Car, jewelry, stocks, TV, AC, land or any bank balance. He had even donated the last 8 years’ pension towards the development of his village. He was a real patriot and true Indian Muslim. We are proud of him.
Our character building efforts continued even through the present 21st century in the country with unique results as records vouch. For example, the city of KAYALAPATTANAM (in Tamil Nadu) with 100% Muslim population goes. There is no Police Station, no cinema and no crime in the city because there had been no crime there for decades.
The present day situation in the country may appear to be disheartening and disappointing for some. The irresponsible attitude towards Muslims by some extremist groups in the country belonging to a certain ideology should be viewed as a momentary period. Their efforts to demoralize, degrade, deny civil rights are synonymous with their declared intentions. A great majority of country-men still believe and practice true Hinduism as had been for centuries in the past. True Hindus do not endorse hatred, support arson and distrust.
A long history of peaceful co-existence of Muslims and Hindus for centuries with mutual respect, rejoicing specially the occasion of festivals and long socio-economic ties in every nook and corner of the country is its evidence.
Our country has been an example of ‘Unity in diversity’ for the world for a long time. Nobody from either community can imagine a survival without another. The bond has been and will surely be strong as Steel. The ever increasing social evils like Corruption, nepotism, frauds, woman-bashing and vandalism like termites in the country have made the life of common man miserable.
Decline in the values like increased greediness, and wide spread of dishonesty, revenge, vindictiveness, and non-adherence to law need to be challenged and controlled. The ‘PLEDGE’ we used to read in our text books once in first page is long missing both from the book and in practice.
We the Indian Muslims, whether a common man, clergy, intellectual, and technocrat, worker or even those with any political group should realize that notwithstanding the company or area, we have a responsibility towards the country and duty-bound to work for our own community. We need to understand todays challenging scenario and strengthen its unity. We are the inheritors of a great legacy, and not followers of the ilk of this day. We Muslims should remember that we are ordained by the Almighty Allah to be united, behold his Commands; make efforts to spread virtuous deed and work eradicate evils. The entire country is looking forward for the honest.
As the phrase rightly goes, ‘Service to humanity is service to God’. Our population in the country according to 2011 census stands at about 200 million which constitutes 15%. We need to contain our extravagant life-style especially in matters of functions and festivals.
We should stop depending on politicians, their promises and focus on a self, collective effort. We need to move forward together in the fields of education, employment opportunities generating plans through mutual cooperation. For this purpose and as in the days of our Prophet, we should make our area Masjid a center for gathering, deliberation, planning, guidance and service as per law.Experts and experienced in relevant fields can be roped in for the purpose and the available resources can be put to work.
سبق پڑھ پھر صداقت کا، شجاعت کا، عدالت کا۔۔ لیا جائیگا تجھ سے کام، دنیا کی امامت کا۔۔
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim / by Syed Ilyas Basha / October 03rd, 2023
Professor Bushra Ateeq is Special Senior Fellow, and teaches at the Department of Biological Sciences and Bio-Engineering (BSBE) of the IIT Kanpur.
Kanpur:
Two professors of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, Bushra Ateeq and Nitin Saxena, have been awarded with the prestigious Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Fellowship for the year 2023-24.
Professor Bushra Ateeq is Special Senior Fellow, and teaches at the Department of Biological Sciences and Bio-Engineering (BSBE) of the IIT Kanpur.
Professor Nitin Saxena, Founding Coordinator of the Center for Developing Intelligent Systems (CDIS) at IIT Kanpur, is from the Computer Science and Engineering Department of the institutions.
“I am delighted to share that two distinguished members of our faculty, Prof. Bushra Ateeq from the Department of Biological Sciences & Bioengineering, and Prof. Nitin Saxena from the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, have been honoured with the prestigious Fellowship of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) for the year 2023-24”, Director IIT Kanpur, Abhay Karandika, wrote on social media platform X, earlier known as Twitter.
“The INSA Fellowship recognizes the research of scientists from diverse fields and supports them to further their research with necessary assistance”, he added.
Professor Bushra Ateeq
Dr. Bushra Ateeq joined Department of Biological Sciences and Bio-Engineering (BSBE) at the IIT Kanpur in February 2013. She was trained as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Arul Chinnaiyan’s group at Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan. Prof Bushra also served there as a Research Investigator (Junior Faculty) before joining IIT Kanpur.
Prior to this, she was a postdoctoral trainee in Dr. Shafaat Rabbani’s group at McGill University, Montreal. She served a brief stint as a Research Associate at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi. She received her Ph.D. from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
Dr. Ateeq is primarily interested in exploring the genetic and epigenetic changes that initiate cancer and its progression by employing novel strategies and approaches. Her overarching goal is to explore the molecular events that drive cancer and facilitate the process of acquiring resistance towards chemotherapeutic drugs, in hopes that these discoveries can lead to the development of more effective therapies against specific causative pathways or alterations.
Professor Nitin Saxena
Professor Saxena has completed Bachelors in Computer Science from IIT Kanpur in 2002 and completed PhD under Manindra Agrawal in 2006. His interest area is Computational Complexity Theory, Algebra, Geometry and Number Theory.
Professor Saxena is a visiting Graduate Student in Princeton University (2003-2004) and National University of Singapore (2004-2005); a postdoc at CWI, Amsterdam (2006-2008) and a Bonn Junior Fellow (W2 Professor) at Hausdorff Center for Mathematics, Bonn (2008-2013).
source: http://www.ummid.com/ Ummid.com / Home> Education & Career / by Ummid.com news network / September 18th, 2023
Background: Fouzia Tarannum started her preparation for UPSC in December 2010. She quit her job as a Business Analyst with Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. In CSE 2011, she cleared with AIR of 307, thereby joining the IRS (IT). The attempt in 2012 didn’t see any improvement in her rank/service.
Her preparation journey: Once posted she started feeling the difference in service – IAS and IRS. She felt that she should try one last time for her dream service and give one last attempt. A few weeks before 2014 prelims she jumped into preparation mode.
What made her successful this time? She reread the standard books, along with the sources available online. She feels that a big part of the improvement in rank to AIR 31 this year was due to her growth as a person, becoming more mature, having seen more of this world and a creeping sense of practicality and realism in approach, compared to an over-idealistic one earlier.
Her advice: She advises that UPSC is actually looking for more rounded personalities with problem solving approach and an analytical mind. The UPSC journey should be looked at in this light, and not merely reading of books.
How difficult it was to prepare with her job? She felt a deep sense of duty and responsibility towards her work that she doesn’t compromise on her present work while giving this attempt. She had to be more than justifying the salary that she was taking home.
Though it was tiring at times, but she made sure that at office, she would concentrate on work, and at home on preparation efforts.
How did she balance both? The balance came from management of time. There will never be enough time; rather we have to make time for everything. She took no leave before prelims, took 30 days leave before mains and 5 days leave for interview.
How did she plan her studies? She studied for atleast 2 hours a day, on working days – depending on her work day either early morning or late night – August to December 2014. She also managed to take a few Fridays off after the prelims results, so as to get 3 days of continuous studies.
She finished weekly newspapers that she piled up and studied for about 4 hours a day, on weekends and holidays.
How did she manage her different subjects? She focused on revising her strong areas (economy, geography, etc.) and re-prepared her weak areas (history, culture, sociology, etc.) along with preparing for the newly introduced topics.
She focused on current events and ensured that she remained updated with GS.
Optional Subjects: she chose Sociology as optional because it takes lesser time to prepare in comparison and enjoyed reading this subject, though she had never studied this subject academically.
Her tips for Ethics- GS Paper 4: She just read a few solved papers and looked up definitions on all the terms used in the syllabus and made short notes. She suggests that one must give true answers to most situational questions/case studies.
Did she practice writing answers? She says she couldn’t practise writing due to lack of time and also feels that if she had practised, she could have scored better.
Tips to write answers: She gave many examples in her answers, and tried to keep them interesting to whoever was to read them.
Time Management: There is a dire need for short, productive periods of reading through the day. For instance, she read the news feeds after returning from lunch at office, watched news/saved videos while travelling to and from office, etc. Such reading of 15 minutes in short bursts 4-5 times a day really adds up and contributes immensely to our efforts.
Whenever she felt low in her studies: She use to take up a subject that she liked and enjoyed when she would feel depressed. This really helps make our efforts more productive. She suggests one should be judicious in the time one allots to various “sub-subjects”.
Writing style: She feels short, to the point, bullet points, covering as many dimensions and aspects as possible is the best way to write answers. She didn’t focus much on word limits, for some answers she looked for more space and for some she just jotted down half a page. She suggests interlinking of topics and use of diagrams/charts. She also underlined important points while writing.
Her suggestion: A lot of resources are available online, one must have a look and settle for what works best and not waste time on internet unnecessarily.
Do not lose focus and never lose faith. Stay consistent in your efforts. Believe in yourself! Don’t forget to keep learning and to keep improving!
Though a certain amount of luck is required, hard work does pay!
” She says- “I have not studied in big “Ivy League” institutions, nor do I have any civil servants in my family. I come from a very simple, ordinary, loving household, where education has never been very important”.
source: http://www.civilsdaily.com / Civils Daily / by Root
In a heartening development, two Kashmiri girls – Sadaf Mushtaq and Farhana Imtiyaz Makroo – have topped the 10th class examination conducted by the J&K Board of Secondary Education (BOSE) by scoring 498 out of 500 marks.
While their achievements are similar their stories run on two different tracks.
While Sadaf comes from Srinagar’s well-off family, Farhana who is from south Kashmir’s small town of Bijbehara, (Anantnag district) has faced many challenges in life.
Farhana Imtiyaz told Awaz-the Voice on the phone from her home in Bijbehara that she had lost her father when she was in eighth standard. “My mother never let me and my siblings feel the pinch of economic deprivation this tragedy brought us,” she said.
Her mother Lateefa Akhtar has been supporting the family with her meagre income of Rs 5,000. She works with Anganwari (Integrated Child Development Services, ICDS) in her town.
No wonder Farhana hero-worships her mother. “She never lost hope and courage nor did she allow us, the children, to feel depressed. We continued to focus on our education.” Her elder brother is preparing for his medical entrance examination and has joined a coaching centre in Srinagar while her younger sister is in school.
Farhana has excelled in academics throughout her schooling.
Farhana said she believes in “the power of consistency and determination; these two have been the guiding principles in my studies. Nothing is impossible as long as one is persistent and focused.”
Inspired by her late father, who was an Ayurvedic doctor and had a clinic in the town Farhana says she wants to become a doctor and “carry forward his legacy.”
She says her father was a generous practitioner and would give medicines and offer treatment to the poor free of cost.
She wants to qualify for both the NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) and AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) examinations for the MBBS course so that she can join the best Medical College.
Farhana says she believes that one’s financial circumstances should never hinder one’s pursuit of education and dreams.
Farhana with her younger sister
Farhana says her Mamu (maternal uncle) Mushtaq Ahmed Wani has been another source of her strength. “Her uncle had given the family’s apple orchard to her family for using the proceeds of harvest for their needs.
She said her uncle’s support saw the family through difficult times. Farhana expressed her gratitude to her Mamu, and his contribution to making her dreams come true is immense.
In her pursuit of excellence, Farhana advises aspiring students to display consistency in their studies. She firmly believes that unnecessary breaks and interruptions can impede one’s path to achieving excellent results.
Farhana emphasizes the importance of maintaining a steady focus and dedicating oneself to continuous learning and improvement. She encourages students to set clear goals, develop effective study habits, and remain committed to their educational journey.
His generosity and belief in her potential have alleviated the financial burdens that could have hindered her progress. Farhana expresses her heartfelt gratitude to her maternal uncle, recognizing his invaluable contribution to making her dreams a reality.
Her advice to those seeking to emulate her is: consistency and regular study are important; one must do proper time management and make daily study a compulsive habit.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Mehak Banday, New Delhi / July 01st, 2023
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