In a big breakthrough in the field of cancer prevention, Dr Hifzur Rahman Siddique, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, in coordination with Dr. Keigo Machida, University of South California, USA, has discovered a common mechanism that activates disruption of a single RNA binding protein, MSI-2 binding to mRNAs of the cancer-causing proteins and significantly reduces the synthesis and accumulation of these proteins, reducing HCV infection and proliferation. The single RNA binding protein (named MSI-2) helps to accumulate multiple cancer-causing proteins in patients and helps to proliferate Hepatitis C Virus to promote liver cancer.
Dr. Siddique and the team who have identified this protein by analyzing the liver tissues of 374 liver cancer patients, said, “As we know, alcohol and cholesterol-rich high-fat diet and hepatitis infection promotes cancer initiation, but the exact molecular mechanism is unknown. In this research work, we have discovered that MSI-2 protein helps to accumulate multiple cancer-causing proteins and supports HCV proliferation to aggravate the disease.”
Dr Siddique said that Liver hyperplasia is also reduced in the animal model predisposed to viral infection fed with alcohol mixed cholesterol-rich high-fat diet. This is a very exciting discovery and could serve as a potential therapeutic target for the drug design and give direction to the management strategy for this deadly disease.
“The study has been recently published in Cell Death Discovery (April 2023, available at www.nature.com/cddiscovery),” he added.
Dr Siddique and his team had earlier discovered the molecular pathway that promotes the abnormal division of Cancer Stem Cells that are responsible for cancer therapy failure and Cancer reappearance/recurrence. Their study was then published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications 11 (2020) and found a place in different national and international dailies.
He said that the liver is considered the powerhouse of the body and due to the change in lifestyle, chronic alcohol consumption, high-fat diet, and hepatitis virus infection, the incidence of liver cancer is increasing fast. More than 350 million people are currently infected with hepatitis viruses, out of which 70 million are infected with Hepatitis C. It is estimated that approximately 40 million people are chronically infected with Hepatitis B and 6-12 million people with Hepatitis C. The situation worsens when Hepatitis infection occurs in an alcoholic person.
He said that the discovery is significant in the treatment of liver cancer as blocking the identified protein has an immense effect on liver cancer in the animal model and also stops the accumulation of the number of human cancer-causing proteins, the proliferation of hepatitis viruses and improving recovery.
Dr Siddique has been working on Cancer Stem Cells for a decade and has established a dedicated lab to initiate pioneer research on Cancer Stem Cells at AMU with a team of 10 researchers and collaborators from the USA, Russia, China, the UK, India, etc.
Recently, he got a Patent for his herbal formulation to prevent liver cancer and expecting some extramural grant from the Government of India for further clinical research.
source: http://www.amu.ac.in / Aligarh Muslim University – AMU / Home> AMU News / by Public Relations Office / May 01st, 2023
Winners of the 2023 Boeing National Aeromodelling Competition. 39 finalists from 12 teams were selected for the finale, which was held at R.V. College of Engineering in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru:
This year’s competition attracted close to 2,200 students across India.
Boeing announced the winners of the 8th annual Boeing National Aeromodelling Competition in India, on May 3.
This year’s competition attracted close to 2,200 students across India, and saw a two-fold increase in participation across zonal and national rounds. 39 finalists from 12 teams were selected for the finale, held at R.V. College of Engineering in Bengaluru.
Arshad Khan (right) from Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal won the 2023 Boeing National Aeromodelling Competition. The finale was held in Bengaluru
Arshad Khan from Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal was declared winner of the competition.
Sharanya Acharya Nishmithe, Aman Kumar Srivastav and Gagan G. Nayak from Nitte Mahalinga Adyanthaya Memorial Institute of Technology (NMAMIT), Nitte, Karnataka bagged the second spot
Divyamshu, Rathan Raj K. Nancy and Anantha Krishna, also from NMAMIT-Nitte, took the third spot.
The zonal rounds of the competition were held at IIT Kanpur, IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, and IIT Madras. The top three teams from each zone then travelled to Bengaluru for the finale.
The competition started as an annual event in 2013 to provide a nationwide platform for students who have a keen interest in aerospace engineering and related fields. The competition allows them to demonstrate their skills and creativity in designing, building, and flying fixed-wing aircraft models of different types and sizes.
Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India, said, “This national aeromodelling competition provides an excellent platform for young aviation and technology enthusiasts to present their creativity, and engineering and design skills. It is a testament to our commitment to encourage engineering talent to pursue careers in aerospace and defence in India.”
Ahmed Elsherbini, managing director, Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center, and chief engineer, Boeing India, said, “Aeromodelling competition plays a crucial role in the aerospace sector. It brings fresh perspectives, new ideas, and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking. With the aerospace industry constantly evolving, student innovation can be a driving force in the development of new technologies and sustainable solutions.”
Over the years, Boeing has strategically invested in developing talent for the aerospace sector in India.
Its programs, including Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development (BUILD) Program, the Boeing HorizonX India Innovation Challenge, and the Accelerated Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME) Apprenticeship program, have all helped empower entrepreneurs and contributed to building a skilled frontline workforce for India.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by The Hindu Bureau / May 03rd, 2023
Just an 11-year-old girl astonishes the world with her extraordinary development skills. She recently created an AI Application that uses advanced models to determine eye diseases or serious conditions such as Melanoma, Cataracts, etc. Read below about this creative Kerala-origin girl.
An 11-year-old Dubai-based girl called Leena Rafeeq has designed a modernistic application integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI). This young girl from Kerala proclaimed that this smart app can locate common eye disorders and symptoms. Moreover, this can be determined through a unique scanning method built into the app and only the iPhone supports this advanced model so far.
iPhone users will be able to check their eye-related problems and conditions with 70 per cent accuracy. The intelligent app that has been going viral for a couple of days has been named ‘Ogler EyeScan’ by Ms Leena Rafeeq. She was just 10 when she built it and now after so much research at the age of 11, she exuberantly launched it.
Self-taught Techie
On a social media platform called LinkedIn, she vividly presented the model. She further expounded the workings of her self-made in an online video that she posted online after which several viewers are impressed with her knowledge and skill set.
She asserted that this AI-based application has the capability to evaluate various parameters. The specifications include light and colour intensity, distance and look-up points in order to track down the eyes.
It scans the human eyes within the available range of the frame and this is possible through the “advanced computer vision and machine learning” used in this model’s design.
Features of ‘Ogler EyeScan App’
Leena Rafeeq explains her exceptional achievement and said that the Ogler EyeScan App can also identify any light burst issues. Additionally, this app will first check the eye positioning inside the scanner frame and after that through advanced technological scanning procedures, it can identify some of the common eye problems.
Built with Machine Learning Algorithms and Computer Vision Systems, eye conditions like Arcus, Melanoma, Pterygium and Cataracts can be checked however 70% accurate results have been recognized till now.
How AI App is developed?
Ms Rafeeq told that this smart technology app was developed natively with high-level programming developer ‘SwiftUI’ without the involvement of any third-party libraries or packages. She also reveals that she dedicated herself for almost six months to conducting research and development to come up with this initiative.
Along with this, she continued her learning about different eye conditions, computer vision, algorithms, machine learning models and other advanced levels of Apple iOS development which involves sensors data, AR, CreateML, CoreML and many such tools.
It is notable that the Ogler EyeScan is supported solely in iPhone 10 or Apple phones with iOS above 16. The app is under review on the App Store and this young girl hopes that her model gets listed soon.
Appraisal of her Project
This young Kerala girl leaves many flabbergasted by the invention of such a little girl. People congratulated her as she attains this level at this age. A user commented that this is a pretty good example of how AI can be effectively used in the health sector.
Another goes on to say that this is such an amazing creation and wished her good luck with her future endeavours. They all wished her positive reviews on her app. Ms Rafeeq responded that the model accuracy is “almost 70 per cent”.
However, she is handling some difficulties with the presence of glare and burst from lights caused by the distance required for capturing scans through the phone device. She has implemented metrics and detection for light-related issues so that the users will be able to re-scan. Her current focus is on training more elegant models. As soon as Ogler is accepted by the Appstore, she will be releasing an update in the software.
source: http://www.jagranjosh.com / Jagran Josh / Home> Current Affairs> Science – Technology Current Affairs / (headline edited) April 2023
Shah Rasheed Ahmed Quadri is engaged in the field of Bidri Ware handicrafts and is known for introducing the Phooljhadi design.
Image: Twitter/@rashtrapatibhvn
New Delhi:
President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday, presented the Padma Shri award to renowned craftsman Shah Rasheed Ahmed Quadri for Art.
The master craftsman is engaged in the field of Bidri Ware handicrafts and is known for introducing the Phooljhadi design.
Quadri has invented many Bidri Ware articles and has trained hundreds of artists in the field.
” Quadri has repeatedly raised concerns regarding Indian art due to the lack of marketing. He has also requested the government to provide an appropriate market and platform to artists so that they can create and develop their art “
Notably, Quadri is among the eight personalities from Karnataka to receive the prestigious Padma award this year.
Who is Shah Rasheed Ahmed Quadri?
Shah Rasheed Ahmed Quadri started learning this ancient art when he was just 10 years old against the wish of his father Shah Mustafa Quadri who was also a Bidriware craftsman. The 68-year-old artist is a third-generation artisan from his family. Apart from introducing the Phooljhadi design, Rasheed Quadri has also reintroduced sheet-work, which was popular during Bahmani empire.
Before winning the Padma award, Quadri has already won the State Award in 1984, National Award in 1988, District Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 1996, and The Great Indian Achievers’ Award in the year 2004.
The artisan has also exhibited and demonstrated the ‘Bidri’ craft across many countries, including USA, Netherlands, Spain, Bahrain and Oman.
All you need to know about the Padma Awards
Padma Awards are presented in three categories including Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri to honour people for their notable work in different disciplines and fields like art, social work, literature and education, public affairs, etc.
The Padma Shri is the fourth highest civil honour in India. While the Padma Shri is bestowed on those with distinguishing contributions in any field, the Padma Bhushan is granted to those who have had distinguishing contributions of a high order. The Padma Vibhushan is the highest of all and is awarded to those with exceptionally distinguished services.
Bharat Ratna is considered to be the highest civilian award of country. Notably, the award has not been bestowed to any single person since 2019. The last Bharat Ratna was awarded to Nanaji Deshmukh (Posthumous), Bhupen Hazarika (Posthumous) and former President of India Pranab Mukherjee.
source: http://www.republicworld.com / Republic World / Home> English News> India News> General News / by Mahima Joshi / April 06th, 2023
Bengalis are a race of foodies who practically eat to live and live to eat. It’s an inevitable component of any adda and the Bengalis are dead serious about it, any day, any time. Even people who have lived all their lives in the comfort zone of their homes and hearth do not hesitate to become the quintessential explorer when discovering new food or joints.
And when it comes to something like biriyani, the happiness of the Bengali Epicurean is one of exuberance and excitement and all one’s self-restraint is defeated as the flavourful aroma overpowers the senses. Truly, biryani is one dish that Bengalis unanimously love indulging in though it is not an indigenous dish of India.
The exact origin of biriyani is not known, though historian Lizzie Collingham writes that the modern biryani was developed in the royal kitchens of the Mughal Empire (1526–1857) and is a mix of the native spicy rice dishes of India and the Persian pilaf. According to Pratibha Karan, who wrote the book ‘Biryani,’ biryani is of Mughal origin, derived from pilaf varieties brought to the Indian subcontinent by Arab traders. She speculates that the pulao was an army dish in medieval India. Armies would prepare a one-pot dish of rice with whichever meat was available. Different varieties of biryani developed in the Muslim centers of Delhi (Mughlai cuisine), Rampur, Lucknow (Awadhi cuisine), and other small principalities in North India. In South India, where rice is more widely used as a staple food, several distinct varieties of biryani emerged from the Hyderabad Deccan. Whereas, some believe that the dish originated from Tamil Nadu (Ambur, Thanjavur, Chettinad, Salem, Dindigul), Kerala (Malabar), Telangana, and Karnataka (Bhatkal), where Muslim communities lived.
Navratan Biryani
All said and done, there is no denying that biriyani staged a bloodless coup and became the monarch of all gourmets in India, kings and paupers alike. The deliciously complex blend of flavours, spices, and aromas in biryani epitomizes the zenith of Indian cuisine. The ingredients for biryani vary according to the region and the type of meat and vegetables used. Meat (of either chicken, goat, beef, lamb, prawn, or fish) is the prime ingredient with rice. As is common in dishes of the Indian subcontinent, vegetables are sometimes also used when preparing biryani. Corn may be used depending on the season and availability. Navratan biryani tends to use sweeter, richer ingredients such as cashews, raisins, and fruits, such as apples and pineapples. The spices and condiments used in biryani also differ according to regional preferences.
The evolution of biryani spans many centuries, many cultures, many ingredients, and many cooking styles. From an army dish to a dish fit for royalty, the biryani today is a pan-India culinary favourite. Its varieties reflect the local tastes, traditions, and gastronomic histories of their regions of evolution. There are so many types of biriyanis with local and hyperlocal variations that one is truly spoilt for options when it comes to experiencing this melting pot of flavours.
Biryani can be cooked using one of two styles/techniques, pakki (“cooked”) and kacchi (“raw”). In pakki biryani, the rice, marinated meat, and vegetables are partially (“three-quarters”) cooked separately, before being combined into layers in a cooking vessel. Different layers of rice may be treated with different spices (e.g., with dissolved saffron or turmeric to give the rice different colours and flavours). The contents are then baked to complete the cooking and allow the flavours to combine. Alternatively, the components may be fully cooked, and then simply combined by layering before serving.
Kacchi Biryani
In kacchi biryani, layers of raw marinated meat are alternated in layers with wet, pre-soaked, raw rice (which may be treated with different spices as above), and cooked together by baking, or applying medium-to-low heat (typically, for at least an hour). Cooking occurs by a process of steaming from the ingredients’ moisture: the cooking vessel’s lid is sealed (traditionally, with a strip of wheat dough) so that the steam cannot escape (proper Dum pukht). A yogurt-based marinade at the bottom of the cooking pot provides additional flavour and moisture. Potatoes often comprise the bottom-most layer because, with their natural moisture content, they brown with less risk of getting burned accidentally. The lid is not opened until the dish is ready to serve.
Kolkata Biryani
In Bengal, the Calcutta or Kolkata biryani evolved from the Lucknow style, when Awadh’s last Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was exiled in 1856 to the Kolkata suburb Metiabruz. Shah brought his chefs with him. The Kolkata biriyani is characterized by the unique presence of potato, along with meat and egg. It is said that the former Nawab of Awadh was a great connoisseur of good food and encouraged his chefs to try new ingredients in the dish. The potato was an exotic vegetable in India and his chefs added it to biriyani, transpiring pure magic!
Unlike other Indian biryanis, which are eaten with salan or raita, the Kolkata biryani is a complete meal and needs no accompaniment. Many, however, many swear by the combination of biryani and chaap—slow-cooked meat in a luscious gravy. It’s a great spicy companion to the otherwise mellow biryani. As one of the most popular dishes in Kolkata, it also has a fan following to match.
Dhum Pokht Biryani
Some of the oldest and best-known biriyani joints in Kolkata include names like Shiraz Golden Restaurant on Park Street, Aminia in New Market, India Restaurant in Kidderpore, ZamZam in Park Circus, and New Aliah Hotel. Many new players have entered the fray and are also doing very well. The delicate flavour of Kolkata biriyani combines well with mutton pasanda and mutton chaap. Gourmets recommend Kachi Gosht biryani at India Restaurant, a recipe derived from Hyderabadi biryani preparations.
The Dhakai version of the dish from the Bangladeshi capital is no less seductive and is believed that it could have traversed the sea route to reach this port city, which was once ruled by nawabs. In 1610, after the Mughal rulers declared Dhaka as the provincial capital, Mughal subedars and other high officials arrived in Dhaka to manage the administration, and they brought — along with intrigue, grandeur, and tantrums — the biryani. Back then, people believed that the biryani could be prepared only for members of the ruling family, and that too on special occasions. The cooks came from the west, where the Hyderabadi biryani had only started to spread its aroma around India.
Somewhere along the way though, the Dhaka biryani developed its characteristics, which set it apart from its Hyderabadi progenitor – and even from the Sindhi, Kozhikode, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Tehari offshoots. The Kachchi Biryani is perhaps the most pleasant and authentic cuisine of Bangladesh. So, what makes Dhakai Kachchi different from other schools of biryani?
It refers to the ingredients which are cooked raw and in layers. Layers of meat, rice, and potatoes are infused with delicious blends of aromatic spices to prepare the Dhakai Kachchi Biryani. The key is to get the right balance of spices – not too spicy, not too bland, just right with succulent pieces of meat and potatoes.
Dhaka is also known for selling Chevon Biryani, a dish made with highly seasoned rice and goat meat. The recipe includes highly seasoned rice, goat meat, mustard oil, garlic, onion, black pepper, saffron, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, lemon, curd, peanuts, cream, raisins, and a small amount of cheese (either from cows or buffalo). Haji Nanna Biriyani is a favourite joint as are Hazi Fakhruddin Kachchi, Shalimar Kachchi, Bashmoti Kachchi, Sultan’s Dine, and scores of others.
Awadhi Biryani
Unfortunately, a majority of biriyani lovers are not acquainted with the real taste of true-blue biriyani because the fare dished out at most eateries can be best described as “frying pan biriyani”. Here you may find long grain Basmati rice with a hint of saffron, but the traditional cooking process is not followed. Instead, most chefs have developed the fine art of “assembling” the dum ki biriyani. Despite all, Bengal’s love affair with biriyani continues unhindered and grows by the day. mellow biryani. As one of the most popular dishes in Kolkata, it also has a fan following to match.
Some of the oldest and best-known biriyani joints in Kolkata include names like Shiraz Golden Restaurant on Park Street, Aminia in New Market, India Restaurant in Kidderpore, ZamZam in Park Circus, and New Aliah Hotel. Many new players have entered the fray and are also doing very well. The delicate flavour of Kolkata biriyani combines well with mutton pasanda and mutton chaap. Gourmets recommend Kachi Gosht biryani at India Restaurant, a recipe derived from Hyderabadi biryani preparations.
The Dhakai version of the dish from the Bangladeshi capital is no less seductive and is believed that it could have traversed the sea route to reach this port city, which was once ruled by nawabs. In 1610, after the Mughal rulers declared Dhaka as the provincial capital, Mughal subedars and other high officials arrived in Dhaka to manage the administration, and they brought — along with intrigue, grandeur, and tantrums — the biryani. Back then, people believed that the biryani could be prepared only for members of the ruling family, and that too on special occasions. The cooks came from the west, where the Hyderabadi biryani had only started to spread its aroma around India.
Hyderabadi Biryani
Somewhere along the way though, the Dhaka biryani developed its characteristics, which set it apart from its Hyderabadi progenitor – and even from the Sindhi, Kozhikode, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Tehari offshoots. The Kachchi Biryani is perhaps the most pleasant and authentic cuisine of Bangladesh. So, what makes Dhakai Kachchi different from other schools of biryani?
It refers to the ingredients which are cooked raw and in layers. Layers of meat, rice, and potatoes are infused with delicious blends of aromatic spices to prepare the Dhakai Kachchi Biryani. The key is to get the right balance of spices – not too spicy, not too bland, just right with succulent pieces of meat and potatoes.
Dhaka is also known for selling Chevon Biryani, a dish made with highly seasoned rice and goat meat. The recipe includes highly seasoned rice, goat meat, mustard oil, garlic, onion, black pepper, saffron, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, lemon, curd, peanuts, cream, raisins, and a small amount of cheese (either from cows or buffalo). Haji Nanna Biriyani is a favourite joint as are Hazi Fakhruddin Kachchi, Shalimar Kachchi, Bashmoti Kachchi, Sultan’s Dine, and scores of others.
Unfortunately, a majority of biriyani lovers are not acquainted with the real taste of true-blue biriyani because the fare dished out at most eateries can be best described as “frying pan biriyani”. Here you may find long grain Basmati rice with a hint of saffron, but the traditional cooking process is not followed. Instead, most chefs have developed the fine art of “assembling” the dum ki biriyani. Despite all, Bengal’s love affair with biriyani continues unhindered and grows by the day.
source: http://www.getbengal.com / Get Bengal / Home> Culture> Food / by Shuvra Dey / November 16th, 2022
Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) faculty have invented an environment-friendly cement. The cement was invented by Dr Ibadur Rahman, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Jamia Milia Islami, including other researchers from AMU. The Patent Office, Government of Australia has granted a patent to this cement as an intellectual property.
The invention is entitled ‘A Method for Preparing Modified Cement and Evaluating Mechanical and Chemical Properties,’ it’s main objective is to reduce carbon emissions.
Professor Mohammad Arif, Professor Abdul Baqi, Er Mohammad Gamal Al-Hagri, Er Amer Saleh Ali Hasan and Dr M Shariq are the co-inventors from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
Dr. Rahman said “There is a pressing need for the construction and other industries to go through green revolution-in other words, industries need to adopt and introduce environment-friendly materials.”
An official statement said this invention emphasis on the cement replacement effects with micro-silica fume, nano-silica fume and fly ash in a combination of two supplements on the mechanical properties of the concrete mixes.
The inventors said that the mixture of micro and nano-silica fumes, improves the mechanical properties of concrete and ultimately the microstructure and chemical analysis of the modified concrete show amplification in the morphological properties of concrete yielding to pore filling with further dense and compact formation.
Dr. Rahman has been working for the last eight years in the field of nano-based modified cement and concrete composite during his PhD research. A JMI statement said Dr. Rahman now has two patents to his merit.
Last year September, the intellectual property at the Patent Office, Government of India bestowed Dr. Rahman, the patent titled “High Strength Cementitious Nanocomposite Compositions and the methods of making the same.”
source: http://www.thehindustangazette.com / The Hindustan Gazette / Home> News> Lifestyle / by Rabia Shireen / June 11th, 2021
Muhammed Shiyad Chathoth, a 17-year-old Kerala resident studying computer science in class 12, has created a functional robot to assist his struggling mother with some household chores.
When Chathoth and his family were being served by a simple humanoid robot in a Kannur eatery, that is when Chathoth first thought of the concept, when he overheard his mother saying, If only she had a robot that could assist her with chores around the house.
Chathoth enquired about the robot at the same restaurant and was told that it cost Rs 3-4 lakh, and they did not have any technical details about the robot system.
Buying the expensive robot was out of the question he researched and came up with cost-effective ways to build such a system.
He said, “There is no direct information available on the Internet about putting together a robot. But I noticed that the machine in the restaurant was following a fixed path. My research led me to find many videos that explained this tech.”
He build it in about 10,000 rupees and named his robot named Android Pathooty, after a Malayalam film named Android Kunjappan.
Within a year, Shiyad created a simple design by mounting a plastic stool on top of an aluminium base supported by four tyres. A female mannequin that can turn 180 degrees makes up the robot’s top half. But the system is entirely automated.
All that is required is to put a tray of food onto Android Pathooty, and it will proceed to the table along a predetermined course that has been indicated with black tape. The movement is powered by a gear and motor that ran on 12 volts and is controlled by an ultrasonic sensor. The distance between the kitchen and dining area is long, now Pathooty carries the food from the kitchen to the table.
Additionally, a mobile application has been developed through the MIT app and Admega MicroController. It can work both manually and automatically as well as carry a load of up to 6 kg.
Chathoth has big dreams, as he hopes to launch a robot startup in the future.
Source: First Post
source: http://www.thehindustangazette.com / The Hindustan Gazette / Home> National> Kerala / by The Hindustan Gazette / October 26th, 2022
Shah Rashid Ahmed Khadri, a 67-year-old Bidri craftsperson from Bidar, is among the Padmashri Award winners this year.
He gained instant popularity when he sat working with his tools on the Karnataka Tableau at the Republic Day parade in 2011.
He has spent nearly five decades in the art that he learnt from his father Shah Mustafa Khadri, a master craftsman who was honoured by the Nizam of Hyderabad.
The Khadris were a family of limited means and Rashid could study only up to PU. His father, however, did not want him to be a Bidri craftsman as he felt they did not earn enough. He enrolled Rashid into English typewriting course. However, he began assisting his father who began losing eyesight due to old age.
He is a winner of Shilpa Guru Award, Rajyotsava Award and national award for handicrafts. He is a regular invitee to the Suraj Kund Mela, Dilli Haat and other exhibitions in India.
He has also served as a procurer for the Cauvery handicrafts museum in Bengaluru and a master trainee for various various craftsman training programmes of the Central and State governments.
His creations have been exhibited in the U.S., Europe, West Asia and Singapore.
He said that he had never expected this honour. “I miss my father today. I am sure he would have been happier than I am,” he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / January 25th, 2023
Phones have not stopped ringing at Tahir Ahmed Parray’s home in North Kashmir Hajin after his daughter Arbeen Tahir completed handwriting Holy Quran.
It took Arbeen six months to write the Quran using her calligraphic pen. With no formal training, she learnt calligraphy by watching YouTube videos before she tried her hand at writing the Quran.
“It was my childhood dream to write the holy Quran. I had no experience or training in calligraphy. I started watching videos and trying scribbling on paper before I learnt the art. I started writing the holy Quran in June and completed it in November. I was regularly showing manuscripts to my cousin for any correction,” she said.
Coming from a religious family, Arbeen’s father is a businessman dealing with fruits. She has a younger brother who studies in Class 10. Arbeen is living in a big joint family with all her uncles and cousins under one roof.
Arbeen received religious education from her childhood. Well versed in different languages, she developed an interest in reading theology and religious scriptures.
“I have written the manuscript on 900 pages. Now I plan to preserve this copy for posterity. I plan to bind it and keep it in my study. It is the prized possession,” she said.
Arbeen has become a role model for her clan and society. A student of class XII, she is now preparing for NEET and wants to become a doctor to serve humanity.
“I am working hard to crack NEET. My cousin is a doctor and she is my inspiration. I too want to become a doctor to serve mankind. I am preparing hard to achieve my goal,” she said.
The 18-year-old is also working on her debut book. “I am writing a book. `Tragedy of Innocence’ will soon hit the stands,” she said.
Arbeen is not the first student who has handwritten the Quran in Kashmir. Last year, Adil Nabi Mir of Srinagar completed writing the Holy Book in 58 days. Mir said he wrote the Quran in his handwriting purely for the ‘sake of Allah’ and to inspire the youth to follow Islamic teachings.
Coming from a humble background, Mir’s father is a mason. Mir said he received a lot of encouragement from his father and other family members.
He started writing on January 27, 2021, and it took him 58 days to complete the work. He used to write in his free time and spend 6-7 hours doing this. His fingers would ache a lot, but he persisted. Mir would rarely move out of the house barring visits to the mosque so that he could finish his task.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Religion / by Ishfaq-ul-Hassan (headline edited) / December 13th, 2022
Mohammad Hafeez, veteran veterinarian and retired professor at Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University receiving ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from Vice-Chancellors S.C. Parija (Sri Balaji Vijayepeeth, Pondicherry) and P.K. Roul (Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology) at the National Congress of Veterinary Parasitology in Bhubaneshwar on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University (SVVU) former Vice-Chancellor in-charge and a retired professor of veterinary parasitology Mohammad Hafeez received the ‘Stephen K. Wikel IAAVP Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the 3 rd National Congress of Veterinary Parasitology held at Bhubaneshwar on Tuesday.
He received the award from Vice-Chancellors S.C. Parija (Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Pondicherry) and P.K. Roul (Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology) at the event organised by Indian Association for Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (IAAVP). The award was presented in recognition of his path-breaking research undertaken in the field of parasitology.
Prof. Hafeez is currently a research advisory member of ICAR’s National Research Centre on Equines (Hissar, Haryana) and Maulana Azad Education Foundation’s inspecting authority.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Andhra Pradesh / by A.D. Rangarajan / December 07th, 2022
