Category Archives: Education – Gold Medallists, Toppers, Merits, Achievers (wef. June 12th, 2023)

All India Ideal Teachers Association to Honor Dr. Abdul Qadeer with Afzal Hussain Shikshan Ratna Award

Bidar, KARNATAKA:

Gulbarga :

The All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has announced a highly anticipated State-level program set to take place on October 1st, 2023, at Gulbarga, Karnataka.

In a recent press conference, Muhammad Raza Manvi, the President of AIITA’s Karnataka Chapter, unveiled the event’s details, highlighting the prestigious State Level Education Award, the Afzal Hussain Shikshan Ratna Award, which will be bestowed upon Dr. Abdul Qadeer the founder of Shaheen group of Institutions, a distinguished figure in the field of education.

Dr. Abdul Qadeer has been selected to receive this distinguished accolade in recognition of his remarkable contributions to the field of education, setting an inspiring example for educators across the state. The award ceremony is expected to draw attention not only to Dr. Qadeer’s accomplishments but also to the importance of education and its transformative power.

The highlight of the event will be the presence of Dr. Fouziya Tarannum, the District Commissioner of Gulbarga, who has graciously accepted the invitation to serve as the chief guest.

The event is anticipated to be a gathering of educational luminaries, as teachers and educators from across Karnataka are expected to participate. This assembly will not only celebrate Dr. Abdul Qadeer’s exceptional achievements but also provide a unique opportunity for educators to come together, exchange experiences, share knowledge, and gain valuable insights into the evolving landscape of education in India.

The AIITA State-level program on October 1st, 2023, promises to be a momentous occasion, celebrating excellence in education and the dedication of individuals like Dr. Abdul Qadeer, who continue to shape the future of our nation through their unwavering commitment to learning and teaching. The event is expected to inspire and motivate educators, fostering a spirit of innovation and collaboration in the pursuit of educational excellence across Karnataka.

source: http://www.thehindustangazette.com / The Hindustan Gazette / Home> News> Education / by The Hindustan Gazette / September 30th, 2023

Jamia alumnus and Okhla resident Umar shines at ‘BS2023 Competition’, Tongji University, Shanghai

Okhla, DELHI:

Jamia alumnus and Okhla resident Umar shines at Shanghai event

Jamia Millia Islamia alumnus and Okhla resident, Mohd Umar, shines at the BS2023 competition at Shanghai.

Son of Professor Asif Zameer and Gauhar Asif, he is a resident of Nazir Apartment in Okhla.

Four students from India – Arjita Gupta, Debanjana Das, Mohammed Umar, and Mohi Saxena – participated in the event.

Of the 19 entries received from the USA, Australia, China, Africa, and other European countries, the CEPT team from Ahmedabad, conducted an in-depth performance analysis of the Students’ Activity Centre (SAC) at Tongji University, Shanghai, China and brought home the trophy.

This year’s competition programme aims to design and optimise a nearly net zero carbon emission building by computer simulation, it said.

source: http://www.theokhlatimes.com / The Okhla Times / Home> JMI/EDU / by the okhla times (headline edited)/ September 15th, 2023

Muslim woman principal in Jaipur scales new heights in educational excellence with innovations for students

Jaipur, RAJASTHAN:

Principal Sarwat Bano (first from Right)

Jaipur:

A Muslim woman Principal of Mahatma Gandhi Government English Medium School in Jaipur has scaled new heights in educational excellence with her innovations, which have led to the inclusion of her school in the Rajasthan government’s pilot project for complete digitalisation programme. The school headed by her is among the first 11 institutions in the state which have been digitalized for their operations.

The new English medium co-educational schools named after Mahatma Gandhi have been opened by the Rajasthan government in all districts of the state as part of an ambitious drive to give the students a level playing field to enable them to compete with the elite private schools. These flagship schools are an attraction for the public at large in view of low cost of education and an assurance for upward social mobility with the proficiency in English.

Sarwat Bano, serving as Principal of Mahatma Gandhi Government School, Adarsh Nagar, Jaipur, for the last four years, has taken steps to impart quality education to underprivileged children and empowered them with knowledge and skills. Under her leadership, the school has progressed so much that the number of applications received for admissions at the beginning of each academic session are many times more than the seats available.

Since the school functioning in the same building earlier was a girls’ Hindi medium institution, which was converted into the Mahatma Gandhi Government School in 2019, the English medium was introduced first for the class VI students. This first English medium batch of students appeared in the State Board of Secondary Education’s X class examination this year and came out with flying colours. The school’s result for the Board exam was an impressive 96.25% pass percentage.

Bano, 53, has played multiple roles while bringing laurels to her schools and guided her colleagues as a Master Facilitator at the State Resource Group in the Rajasthan Leadership Academy at Goner, Jaipur, functioning under the State Institute of Educational Management and Training (SIEMAT). Her efforts for improvement of academic standards and skill development of students have been widely acclaimed.

As part of the digitalisation of operations, Bano’s school is set to get a new and robust infrastructure, sponsored by an educational technology company with its corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund, for e-education, smart classes, virtual reality lessons, robotics lab and information communication technology lab. The similar digital education facility, approved by the Rajasthan School Education Council, is being provided to nine other schools in Jaipur district and one in Rajsamand district.

The State government’s Education Department has shifted teachers from the pool of its regular academic staff who were willing to join the Mahatma Gandhi Schools to create a separate cadre of English medium teachers. Private teachers have also been appointed as the guest faculty to overcome the shortage of teachers. The schools have been adding one class every year to accommodate the promoted students.

Bano’s salutary initiative to introduce an English language proficiency programme for underprivileged children of all communities through a unique microscholarship scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic, for which she invited the U.S. Embassy’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs to her school, has won her all-round praise. The programme has met with encouraging results. Incidentally, Bano has an educational background of chemistry, as she completed her post-graduation and M.Phil. in that subject.

The English access microscholarship programme has sought to strengthen the foundation of language skills among the selected students and enable them to avail of educational and employment opportunities in future. The children selected for the initiative were in the age group of 13 to 16 years. They learnt the linguistic skills with distinction and were later felicitated at a “graduation ceremony”.

After being taught in an online mode for more than a year, the students joined the after-school physical classes and intensive sessions in March 2022. The programme, implemented through New Delhi-based Learning Links Foundation, adopted a communicative approach to teaching English, infusing a spirit of participatory learning among the children and helping them groom their personalities. The students also attended the regular school for VIII to X classes.

Bano said the students selected for the programme had excelled in extra-curricular activities, with an all-round development visible in their personality, and they were winning awards in various other competitions as well. “Our students have developed confidence to overcome the impediments and improved their writing and speaking skills as well as critical thinking. Such a project is the need of the hour because students of government schools, coming from poor background, face language barriers,” she said.

American Embassy’s Regional English Language Officer Ruth Goode, accompanied by specialist Rachna Sharma, visited the Mahatma Gandhi School before the launch of physical classes. Goode interacted with the students and obtained their feedback, while informing them of the scope for studying in the U.S. through the exchange programmes.

The students trained in the programme will later be selected for attending the South Asian meets, where they will be exposed to the educational atmosphere in India’s neighbouring countries. The global microscholarship programme is operative in as many as 90 countries, where an assistance is provided for development of curriculum, textbooks and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching methodology.

The learning material provided to the students in Mahatma Gandhi School laid emphasis on content creation by writing unified paragraphs, developing vocabulary with the talks about hobbies, interests and people, using visuals to support comprehension, identifying sequence of events, asking questions and understanding the cause and effect of natural phenomena. The science of fun, wonders of the sea, long ago and today and “good idea” were some of the lessons taught to the selected students.

The State government has recently honoured Bano with a “certificate of excellence” in recognition of her leadership skills, tireless efforts and valuable role in building the foundation of children’s future in the school. The Joint Director, School Education, signed the certificate presented to the Principal on July 25. Muslim organisations of Jaipur, including the Association of Muslim Professionals, have also praised her educational innovations.

Bano told India Tomorrow that she was inspired by the Muslim woman from Tunisia, Fatima Al-Fihri, who had founded the world’s first university, the University of Al-Qarawiyyin, in Morocco more than 1,000 years ago. “If a Muslim woman in the 9th century could have the vision for promoting education in her community, nothing stops the women today from taking similar initiatives with the help of modern technology,” Bano said.

Bano shared an anecdote about a class IX girl student of her school, who was given the responsibilities held by the Principal for a day on International Women’s Day on March 8 as a fun activity. The student, Pragya Patel, played the role with perfection and said at the end of the day that she desired to become a Principal in future. “Her reaction made me think that if only one initiative can help a student in having a clear vision about her career, then we should continue to take such innovative steps in future as well,” she said.

source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education / by The Correspondent, IndiaTomorrow.net / September 19th, 2023

15-year old Schoolgirl Arnazbanu Sipahi who was not called for award ceremony by school despite topping Class X board exams felicitated

Lunava Village (Mehsana District), GUJARAT:

Also present at the event were Gujarat Congress MLAs Amit Chavda and Imran Khedawala, former Congress MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh, AMC leader of Opposition Shehzadkhan Pathan, and late Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Patel’s daughter Mumtaz Patel.

Indian Muslims for Civil Rights, IMCR Gujarat felicitation ceremony, Arnazbanu Sipahi, Independence Day, Gujarat education news, indian express news
Arnazbanu Sipahi from Mehsana at the IMCR event on Saturday. (Express File Photo)

The Indian Muslims for Civil Rights’ (IMCR) Gujarat unit on Saturday felicitated 15-year-old Arnazbanu Sipahi from Mehsana, who was not called for a felicitation ceremony by her school despite holding the first position in the Class X board exams at her school, on Independence Day.

A former student of K T Patel High School, who had topped her school in Class X state board exams in March, Sipahi has now shifted to a nearby grant-in-aid school for her Class XI studies.

K T Patel High School principal has maintained that the August 15 award ceremony was organised by the school staffers and the school would felicitate Sipahi instead on January 26, next year.

Speaking to The Indian Express , Mehsana District Education Officer A K Modhpatel had earlier said, “I had checked with the school and learnt that the August 15 award ceremony for first three toppers from Class X and XII was organised by the teachers. They had collected funds to motivate school students. The girl and those who were not studying in the school (when the felicitation ceremony was held on August 15), will be awarded on January 26.”

Maintaining that she was “wronged” by the school, the IMCR – at a state-level conference on constitutionalism and secularism held in Ahmedabad  – called Sipahi on stage to felicitate her in the presence of a host of Muslim leaders. Azam Baig, national general secretary (organisational) of IMCR, announced that he would personally fund Sipahi’s education, including higher studies.

Handing her a plaque and a flower bouquet on stage were former IMCR trustee and Congress leader Salman Khurshid, former member of Planning Commi-ssion, Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, as well as Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi, among others.


Addressing the conference on the topic of ‘constitutionalism and secularism and the way forward’, Hameed cited Arnazbanu’s “experience” and the recent viral purported video of a Muslim boy being hit by his classmates upon being goaded by their teacher at a Muzaffarnagar school, as “examples where children are being discriminated against (on religious lines).” “We have to build a common front… work in an organised way (to counter the polarisation)… The Gujarat riots’ blueprint, which is now being attempted to be implemented elsewhere in India, we must not let it succeed.”

K Rehman Khan, former deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha , urged Muslims to be “givers” and not “seekers”, emphasising that they must empower themselves and “saving the Constitution should be the first priority”. “Only if the Constitution and secularism is saved, can we live a life of dignity,” Khan added.

Former Union minister Salman Khurshid said that “it is not acceptable that rule of law is replaced by rule of bulldozer”. He added that the “public must understand that what is happening today at someone else’s household can also happen at your household”. “We want that the majority speaks for the minority and the minority speaks for the majority,” Khurshid said.

Also present at the event were Gujarat Congress MLAs Amit Chavda and Imran Khedawala, former Congress MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh, AMC leader of Opposition Shehzadkhan Pathan, and late Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Patel’s daughter Mumtaz Patel.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> News> Cities> Ahmedabad / by Express News Service, Ahmedabad (headline edited) / August 27th, 2023

After Outrage, Gujarat School Apologises, Felicitates Topper Muslim Girl Arnaz Banu

Lunava Village (Mehsana District), GUJARAT:

After Outrage, Gujarat School Apologises, Felicitates Topper ...

Social media was awash with people talking about the wilful insult of the Muslim girl. Although mainstream media, as is their wont, did not report the issue, some news outlets gave a prominent space to the sordid affair. Muslim individuals and organisations and some secular-minded people also vociferously raised the issue 

New Delhi:

Over a week after denying the topper award to a Muslim girl student on the occasion of Independence Day, the school authorities in Gujarat’s Mehsana district have tendered an apology and facilitated the meritorious student at a special event on Thursday.

Authorities at the K.T. Patel Smriti Vidyalaya in Lunava village of Mehsana district did not give the topper award to Arnaz Banu, who had secured the highest marks in Class X, during the prize distribution event held on the occasion of Independence Day. Instead, the student who was in the second position was called on the stage for felicitation. Banu broke down at the deliberate denigration and informed her parents. 

The dismayed parents immediately contacted the school authorities but could not get any satisfactory response.

Former Congress MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh visited the student’s home and felicitated her this week. He told Clarion India that Banu’s parents informed him that the school principal had come to their house on Wednesday evening and apologised.  

“After a lot of outrage on the issue, they felt ashamed. Then, the principal visited her house yesterday evening (Wednesday) and apologised. On Thursday, they felicitated the girl at a small function at the school,” Shaikh told Clarion India over the phone.

Earlier, Shaikh had tweeted a report about the school authorities apologising to the student.

twitter

After the incident was reported, social media was awash with people talking about the wilful insult of the Muslim girl. Although mainstream media, as is their wont, did not report the issue, some news outlets gave a prominent space to the sordid affair. Muslim individuals and organisations and some secular-minded people also vociferously raised the issue. This pressurised the school authorities to rethink and they decided to apologise to the girl, Shaikh said.  

“This is wrong. It should not have happened. The incident had a very discouraging impact on her mind. This is disgusting. Hatred has made people do so. PM Modi (Narendra) talks about ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao,’ and ‘The Qur’an in one hand and Science in another’. But, such incidents happen,” Shaikh said.

Shaikh told Clarion India that he and his colleague, Jamalpur MLA Imran Khedawala, had also written to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Gujarat chief minister and education minister about the issue.

“It is truly disheartening to witness such unjust behaviour from responsible individuals within the school itself. This incident tarnishes the reputation of the sacred field of education. Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel’s Gujarat was known for treating innocent children without discrimination, irrespective of their background. Such acts go against the principles of humanity and the teachings of these great leaders,” reads the letter written to the state Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel.

Describing the incident as “a discriminatory act against a student in school solely based on their Muslim identity”, the letter urged the chief minister to conduct a thorough probe and called for strict action against the erring officials.

“The individuals responsible, whether school administrators or the principal, must be held accountable for this shameful act. We request you to take strict action against those who engage in such discriminatory practices,” stated the letter.

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source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Big Story> India / by Waquar Hasan, Clarion India (headline edited) / August 24th, 2023

Guntur Girl Enters Record Books With Periodic Table

Chilakaluvripeta (Guntur District) , ANDHRA PRADESH:

Fazeela Tabassum Shaik, a 9-year-old child from Chilakaluripeta, Guntur district has broken her previous Guinness World Record of “The Fastest time to arrange all elements of the periodic table” in which she took 1min 57sec. Now she arranged in 1min 43 sec setting up a new Guinness record.

Earlier, a Pakistani child had set a record in 2.27 minutes, which has now been broken by Fazeela Tabassum Shaik. Fazeela practised nearly 4 to 5 months for daily 5 to 6 hrs daily to achieve this. Fazeela is presently trying to break her own record by setting the periodic table in 1 min 30 seconds.

In January 2021, Ganapavaram CR College conducted an official attempt at the Guinness Book of World Records and Fazeela Tabassum completed the event in 1.43 minutes.

In this regard, Fazeela has received an official confirmation and certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records on April 27.

source: http://www.sakshipost.com / Sakshi Post / Home> Andhra Pradesh / May 09th, 2021

‘Success is the best revenge’: Tharoor after Tabassum Shaik, who staunchly faced hijab row, tops PUC exams

KARNATAKA:

Giving a tight slap to all the protestors, 18-year-old Tabassum Shaik scored a perfect 100 in Hindi, Psychology and Sociology.

Image Source : TWITTER/@TAHSEEN_JNU
Tabassum Shaik with his parents.

A year after Karnataka hit the headlines of major global media outlets following a controversy that erupted after a dispute pertaining to some Muslim students who wanted to wear hijab in classes were prevented by their classmates, it has again gained media attention. But this time, for some good reasons. 

Among the Muslim girls who protested against the college uniform, 18-year-old Tabassum Shaik again hit the headlines and proved “Success is the best revenge”. Notably, Karnataka’s 2nd PUC results were declared on Saturday, April 21. Shaik, who faced thousands of her classmates agitating against her Muslim attire, topped the arts stream in the Second Pre-University (PU) exams. 

Shaik scored 593 points out of 600 

Among the highest scorers, the 18-year-old who still wears a black scarf proudly, received 593 points out of 600 and placed first in the Arts Stream. Giving a tight slap to all the protestors, she scored a perfect 100 in Hindi, Psychology and Sociology. 

Meanwhile, speaking to Indian Express after her achievement, Shaik said that she preferred to choose “education over hijab.” “I decided to give up the hijab in college and pursue my education. We will need to make some sacrifices for education,” Shaikh was quoted as saying to The Indian Express.

Follow the law of the land: Proud father 

Her proud father, Abdul Khaum Shaik, who played a significant role during her tough days, said he always suggested his daughter prioritise her education over other kinds of stuff.

He told his daughter it is important to “follow the law of the land. Education is more important for the children”.

Notably, all the Muslim girls including Shaik stubborn about wearing hijab, had filed a petition in the court, seeking permission to attend classes wearing hijab.

Tharoor praises efforts 

When the controversy broke out, the matter was confined to some regions of the state but soon it evolved into a significant dissension that even the High Court had to intervene. According to the agitating students, wearing a black scarf was their ‘fundamental right’ bestowed under Articles 14 and 25 of the Indian Constitution. Besides, they also argued wearing a hijab is an ‘integral practice of Islam’. However, the Karnataka high court upheld a government order and asserted to continue banning religious attire in educational institutions.

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Shashi Tharoor@ShashiTharoor “ Success is the best revenge”. #ShabashTabassum !

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8:43 AM . Apr 24, 2023·1.3M Views

3,202 Reposts 262 Quotes 27.1K Likes 80 Bookmarks

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Subsequently, Shaik said she accepted the court’s order and resumed her studies without the scarf.  Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor praised the efforts of the student and said, “Success is the best revenge”. #ShabashTabassum!

source: http://www.indiatvnews.com / India TV / Home> English News> Karnataka / by Ajeet Kumar, New Delhi / April 24th, 2023

Karnataka: Hijab-clad student Ilham Rafiq secures 2nd rank in PUC exam

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA:

The Internet has been overjoyed with Ilham’s success. Many shared her success story and pointed out that her religious identity did not deter her from securing a top rank.

Ilham and Anisha Mallya

On June 18, as Karnataka PUC results were being announced, Ilham, a Muslim woman who wears a Hijab, discovered that she had scored overall state second rank in the science stream. Her batchmate Anisha Mallya from the Commerce section also scored overall second rank in the state.

Both the girls have scored first rank in Dakshina Karnataka. While Ilham scored 597 out of 600, Anisha secured 595 out of 600 marks.

Ilham and Anisha are students of St Aloysius PU College from Mangalore in Dakshina Karnataka. The irony is worth noting as a mere few months ago the hijab row had engulfed the country?

Speaking to reporters, Ilham said, “I am very excited. I checked my percentage which was 91.5%. I informed my relatives. After some time, I started getting calls from my cousins saying my name is coming in the news. At that moment I realised that I got a rank. Till then I was unaware.”

Ilham says she still has not come in terms of her success. Asked what would she want to become in the future, she said she was always interested in pursuing a career in BSc in Clinical Psychology.

Ilham’s parents are over the moon. Her father, Mohammed Rafiq, used to work in the Gulf as an IT employee and now is retired while her mother Moizatul Kubra is a housewife.

The Internet has been overjoyed with Ilham’s success. Many shared her success story and pointed out that her religious identity did not deter her from securing a top rank.

Her classmate, Anisha Mallya, who secured Karnataka second rank in the Commerce section said the results were unexpected. “I have achieved this feat with the help of teachers and they have been really supportive. I gave my 100 percent. I am very happy and content,” Anisha said. She plans to continue studying in the same college.

In December 2021, six Muslim students wearing Hijab were banned from their school in Udupi, Karnataka. The management stated that they cannot enter the school wearing a hijab as it represents a religious symbol.

The issue soon spread in other schools of Dakshina Kannada which then snowballed into a national issue. Female Muslim students wearing hijabs were not allowed on the school premises. Even the teaching staff faced the brunt and many resigned.

In fact, it took a deadly turn with many Hindu students, all from pre-university colleges (PUC) started supporting the anti-hijab movement and partook in proests. Visuals of saffron shawl-clad teenagers in their school uniforms began flashing in news channels as the students revolted against their Muslim peers.

The issue took a legal turn with the six Muslim students filing a petition at the Karnataka high court against the state government of Karnataka. Unfortunately, the verdict was pronounced against the girls and Hijab has been banned.

For many, especially members from the right-wing sector, it was a huge win.

The Karnataka government made it clear that those wearing Hijab will neither be allowed into the classrooms nor allowed to sit in the recently concluded PUC examination. As a result, many young Muslim girls opted to stay at home rather than abandon the hijab.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> India / by The news desk (headline edited) /posted by Veena Nair / June 20th, 2022

Mysuru’s City Girl Falkia Khan Enters India Book Of Records

Mysuru, KARNATAKA:

Mysuru’s Falkia Khan (10th standard) has entered India Book of Records to deliver maximum public speakings by a teen.

She is the daughter of Ajajulla Khan, businessman and Farheen Khan, a housewife, residents of Rajivnagar, in city.

She is also a National Muay Thai Boxer who has won Gold in National Championship and many gold medals in boxing and kickboxing apart from winning gold in spellbee competitions.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / June 11th, 2023

Mysuru’s Falkia Khan Wins First Place In State-Level Elocution Competition

Mysuru, KARNATAKA:

Falkia Khan, Brand Ambassador of Mysuru City Corporation’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, has  won first place and cash prize of Rs. 5,000 in the State-level Elocution Competition organised by Rashtrabharathi Charitable Trust, Mysuru, on account of Digvijay Divas at Gopalaswamy Shishu Vihara near Nanjumalige Circle in city on Sept. 10.

PU, Degree and PG students from several Colleges across the State participated in the contest.

Every year Sept. 11 is celebrated as Digvijay Divas as that was the day Swami Vivekananda gave the world-famous speech in 1893 at Chicago in the World’s Parliament of Religions.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Photo News / / headline edited / September 13th, 2023