Category Archives: NRI’s / PIO’s

A new ball game for Malayali expatriates in Italy

Amazing Feats, NRI's / PIO's, Sports, World Opinion, , , , ,

INDIA / ITALY :

Adlers Lombard Football Club. Photo: Special Arrangement

Adlers Lombard, a Keralites-run football club, will become the first of its kind to compete in an Italian soccer league on Sunday

They moved from Kerala to Italy for higher studies, work and seeking better lives. But for these soccer maniacs, there was no better life without football. Moving from a football-crazy State to a country where soccer is almost a religion, they took their game to a new level.

Come Sunday, Adlers Lombard, a Keralites-run football club in Italy, will begin its journey in the Italian football system by competing in the CSI (Centro Sportivo Italiano) Regione Bergamo, a lower-division football league competition consisting of 12 teams. The club formed in 2019 plays the 7-a-side football format. It is the first of its kind, with 15 Keralites among its 20-member roster, to play in an Italian league. The CSI Regione Bergamo season lasts 10 months.

“Before moving to Italy from Kerala, one thing we all liked doing most was playing football. We came to Italy from different parts of Kerala at different times. But football has brought us together. After launching Adlers Lombard (Eagles from Lombardy), the team initially participated in some local tournaments. In the last 12 months or so, we have won five tournaments organised by the Kerala European Football Federation in Italy and Germany. The victories prompted the team management to register the club with the CSI and participate in the league,” says club vice-captain Mohammed Naseef C.P. who hails from Malappuram and works as a teacher in Italy. According to him, Adlers Lombard is the first ‘Indian Club’ to compete in an Italian football league.

The team is captained by Muhammed Abir P.T., also from Malappuram. The rest of the Keralite players are from Thrissur, Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram and so on. Two other Indians and a couple of Italian players are part of the team.

The club has spent around €20,000 (approximately ₹15.84 lakhs) to prepare the team for competing in the league. They raised the money through sponsorships from several funders including an Italy-based automobile giant.

For Adlers Lombard, competing in CSI Regione Bergamo is just a start. “We are currently plying our trade in a lower division. But we are ambitious and have a long-term goal. Our aim is to play professional football in Italy in Serie D, Serie C, Serie B and Serie A and compete against top teams like Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan. We hope to recruit Indian players and provide them with a chance to play in the Italian league. It will help the growth of football in India,” says Smento Joseph, president, Adlers Lombard who hails from Angamaly in Kerala.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Kerala / by Sam Paul A / September 30th, 2022

Dubai: Apple CEO Tim Cook sends email to Indian girl who developed iOS app

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021), NRI's / PIO's, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

KERALA / Dubai, U.A.E :

Hana (left) and Tim Cook (Photo: Gulf News)

The idea for creating the app came to Hana while watching a documentary about the importance of the parent-child relationship.

Abu Dhabi:

A 9-year-old Dubai-based Indian girl who developed an iOS app receives appreciation from Apple CEO Tim Cook for her achievement at such a young age.

Hana Muhammad Rafeeq had initially emailed Tim Cook claiming to be the youngest iOS developer.

In his reply, Tim Cook wrote to her “Congratulations on all of your impressive achievements at such a young age. Keep at it and you will do amazing things in the future.”

Hana Muhammad Rafeeq, when she was 8-year-old developed ‘Hanas’— storytelling app, which allows parents to record stories in their voices for their kids, Hana handwrote more than 10,000 lines of code.

The idea for creating the app came to Hana while watching a documentary about the importance of the parent-child relationship. “If the parents are busy with work, they can record the stories so that the children can listen to them before bed,” Hana told Gulf News.

source: youtube.com / Hanas iOS Mobile App preview

Hana and her 10-year-old sister Leena are both self-taught coders who got inspired by their parents.

As per reports, sisters are now experts in coding languages HTML, CSS, C, C++, Swift and the latest SwiftUI. They are also learning human languages English, Spanish German, Arabic, Hindi and Malayalam.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Middle East / by Sakina Fatima / September 24th, 2022

SEED-USA, Helping Hand foundation provide scholarships worth Rs 24 lakh to meritorious students in Hyderabad

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, SCHOLARSHIPS, Useful / SCHOLARSHIPS, World Opinion

Hyderabad, TELANGANA / U.S.A :

Picture by arrangement

SEED has been an active organization providing education to 15,000 students studying in 58 schools and has provided around 2 crores of scholarships to school-going students. 

Hyderabad :

Two philanthropic organizations SEED-USA and Helping Hand Foundation provided scholarships worth Rs 24 lakh to several meritorious students in Hyderabad. 

“Education is our top priority and we have spent approximately 5 crores on education this year,” said Syed Mazhar Hussaini, founder of SEED-USA. 

SEED, which stands for Support for Educational and Economic Development USA, was founded in 2009.

SEED has been an active organization providing education to 15,000 students studying in 58 schools and has provided around 2 crores of scholarships to school-going students. 

On August 14, SEED and Helping Hand Foundation held a memorial and Merit Scholarship Award for students across India at the MESCO Convention Centre, Hyderabad. Students from Hyderabad and other parts of the country attended the award function. The 57 award recipients were from different backgrounds, including 11 MBBS Students, 13 PhD Students and 33 Master’s students from different streams. 

“The services of the SEED organisation are also being extended to provide mentoring services to the widows & destitute families and provide placement assistance to vocational training graduates; around 757 widows and single mothers got support from seed recently,” Husaini said in his speech. 

The donors of the SEED include philanthropists and helping Non-Residential Indians (NRIs). These donations are dispersed through various activities conducted by Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) permitted NGOs based in India.

SEED is working to provide modern education to poor children in slum areas of cities in India and aims to increase scholarships in states in North India. They aspire to increase vocational training in other states (other than Telangana). 

Chief guest Prof. Amirullah Khan, who is a Development and Trade Economist emphasized the need for education to build a prosperous nation. He highlighted that only a small percentage of students make it to school and even fewer numbers manage to go to college because of financial constraints. 

Mujtaba Hussain Askari, who is the founder and managing trustee of the Helping Hand Foundation, was also present at the occasion. 

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by TCN News / September 09th, 2022

Meet Saba Haider: An Indian-Muslim woman running for DuPage county board election in US

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Ghaziabad, UTTAR PRADESH / Illinois, U.S.A.:

An Indian-Muslim woman running for DuPage County board elections in the US – TwoCircles.net
pix: sabahaider.com

Saba is the only candidate of Indian origin among 19 elected members from the state of Illinois. She came to the United States in 2007 and after initially working as an employment consultant, began promoting yoga in America by training yoga teachers.

Uttar Pradesh :

Saba Haider, an Indian-Muslim woman from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, has been nominated by US president Joe Biden for the state board member election from DuPage County in Illinois and given a ticket by his Democratic party. 

Her website describes Saba as a community organizer, small business owner, a wife and a mother to a 14 and an 10-year-old. She has been running her business in the health and wellness area for over a decade. She provides wellness consulting services to corporate clients and local businesses and organizations from the Chicago-land area.

Biden appreciated Saba’s social work, especially during the worst phase of Covid-19 pandemic in the US. 

More than one million voters will vote to elect their board members in this election, which is to be held on November 6 this year. The election is an important one as this state-level board directly makes public welfare policies in the state. There are a total of 19 members on the state-level board and 11 of them are democrats.

Saba is the only candidate of Indian origin among 19 elected members from the entire state. She came to the United States in 2007. After initially working as an employment consultant, began promoting yoga in America by training yoga teachers. She continued doing this for nearly 10 years.

Saba has described the opportunity as “a very important one”. She said that she is an ordinary citizen who has been playing the role of a mother, sister, wife and small business-woman until now. “Being given this opportunity in politics is a completely new and huge responsibility,” she said. 

Saba is considered a strong candidate who is getting support from her Democratic party allies Sadia Covert and Don Dessert, who are contesting the same election from other districts. Being a Yoga trainer, she has emphasized mental health in her campaign and commended the American people for showing mental strength during the worst periods of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

If Saba wins the election, she will replace Amy Shavez, a democrat whose term ends in December. 

Family elated at her success
Her family lives in Vijay Nagar, a posh area of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. She is the eldest daughter of her family. Her father was an engineer in Uttar Pradesh Water Department and her mother runs a school in Ghaziabad.

Her two younger brothers, Abbas Haider and Zeeshan Haider are elated with their sister’s achievements.

Expressing happiness during an interview, Saba’s younger brother Abbas Haider said that “Saba has always been active in social work as she believes in helping people.” 

“In America, she has always stood with people who needed help of any kind. It didn’t matter whether the person was Indian, American or of any other country, she has always stood with others,” he said.

Abbas said that Saba was active during the Covid-19 pandemic period. “She helped people in many ways during Covid. She feels that politics is a good way to improve the society and help the people as a whole and hopefully she will win the elections,” he said. 

He called her nomination a matter of great pride for the family and the entire country

www.sabahaider.com

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Aas Mohammad Kaif, TwoCircles.net / September 12th, 2022

Majees Technical Services signs partnership agreement with Oman Cricket

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Chennai, TAMIL NADU / Muscat, OMAN:

Muscat:

Youth are the future of any sports and Oman Cricket (OC) is a firm believer in grooming the youngsters in the country.

With an aim to provide a strong foundation, Oman Cricket has roped in an energetic partner in Majees Technical Services (MTS).

Oman is all set to host the prestigious ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup (CWC) Division 2- Asia from September 29-October 7 and the partnership agreement between OC and MTS comes as a perfect boost for the national team.

Speaking at the signing ceremony held at the OC headquarters on Thursday, Ishrath Habibulla, MTS managing director, said, “It is a matter of great pride to join the Oman Cricket family. We are a young company and have been in service for past 15 years. So our focus and aim is to associate ourselves with a similar age-group bracket. The U19 cricket development perfectly matches our ambitions and we are happy to join the journey with Oman Cricket.”

Habibulla, who himself has been an active cricketer in domestic league during his young days, said ‘the remarkable growth of Oman Cricket has made all cricket fans proud’. “We have also fielded team in the Oman Cricket Premier Division last season and had a decent outing. Our love for the game is now further strengthened by our association with U19 cricket,” he said.

The MTS top official said that ‘the journey with Oman Cricket’ and supporting the youth [U19] is the way forward for his company.

Oman Cricket Chairman H E Pankaj Khimji termed the partnership ‘a positive development for the youth cricket’.

After signing the agreement in the presence of the OC board treasurer Alkesh Joshi, OC board member Kiran Asher and OC chief development officer Duleep Mendis, H E Khimji said, “U19 cricket is a very important stage in the development of the game and for the future of our national team. We have witnessed the talent of our U19 players who have grown into our national team stars. The likes of Jatinder Singh, Aqib Ilyas, Sufiyan Mahmood and Wasim Ali have proved their credentials.

“The support we will get for the U19 team from Majees will help us nurture more players in the future. We thank them for their partnership as our boys prepare for the ICC U19 Men’s CWC-Division 2 tournament in Oman later this month.”

H E Khimji said, “Oman cricket’s rise at the global stage is evident and in cricket parlance, we are now a recognised commodity. This has been a result of the success in hosting successfully the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last year and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier earlier this year. Our national team’s success at international level has got the corporates notice the value of supporting the game. We hope to give our partners the value in investing with us.”

On this occasion, Mendis said, “The U19 squad acts a feeder for the national team. To get a partner for the young team is an encouraging development that will go a long way in giving a boost to the youth cricket structure in the country.

source: http://www.timesofoman.com / Times of Oman / Home> Sports / by Times News Service / September 04th, 2022

On top of world with 81 certificates in 24 hours — meet Kerala’s Rehna Shajahan

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Illickall (Kottyam District), KERALA :

Rehna has set a world record for the maximum number of online certificates secured in a day, reports Cynthia Chandran.

Kottayam:

Rehna Shajahan was devastated when half a mark cost her an MCom seat at the Jamia Milia Islamia. However, she did not lose heart. The 25-year-old enrolled for two postgraduate courses online — a master’s in social work and a diploma in guidance and counselling

She went on to prepare for the common admission test in management studies. As she cracked the CAT exam, Rehna was the only Malayali in her batch to get admission to the Jamia Millia Islamia for an MBA programme. And now, her zeal for study has earned her the world record for the maximum number of online certificates secured in a day — a whopping 81.

A resident of Illickal in Kottayam district, Rehna says her sister Nehla, whom she fondly calls ‘itha’, inspired her. Nehla got a lucrative job after pursuing her master’s in operational research from the London School of Economics and was always the studious one. “But I was determined to overcome the tag of an average student,” Rehna says.

When her sister got admission in Lady Sriram College, New Delhi, Rehna too wanted to try her luck in getting into a central university. She missed by a whisker and the rest is history. While pursuing the two post-graduate degrees simultaneously, she worked with an NGO, ‘Women’s Manifesto’, based in New Delhi that worked for women’s empowerment.

“When I cracked the CAT exam, I realised I can excel in studies. We need to try rather than just dream. I was keen on enhancing my repertoire by pursuing certification courses,” she says.

The previous world record for maximum online certificates received in one day was 75. She had recently quit her cushy job as a management professional in Dubai to attend to her father PM Shajahan, who has had a transplant surgery. For Rehna, her family comprising father, mother CM Rafiath, husband Ebrahim Riyaz, who is an IT engineer, and her sister is her priority. For that is the support system that gives her the courage and the inspiration to reach for the stars.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Cynthia Chandran / Express News Service / August 28th, 2022

Popular calligraphy artist from Kerala aims to ‘build bridges between communities with his art’

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Kakkore Village (Malappuram District) KERALA / Doha, QATAR :

Abdul Kareem with his calligraphy art. | Picture by Lulu Ahsana

A graphic designer by profession, Abdul Kareem, who is popularly known as Kareemgrahy, left his job at an American company in Qatar last month to pursue his passion for calligraphy. 

Kerala:

When tea-seller Abdurahman from Kerala bought a calligraphic painting from a Sufi saint to his home one day in the early 1980s, he hadn’t imagined that his six-year-old son Abdul Kareem will make calligraphy his profession. The painting had Arabic verses written in the shape of a person offering the Islamic prayer. 

“That image was inscribed in my heart,” said Abdul Kareem, 44, a popular calligrapher from Kerala, popularly known as Kareemgraphy. Originally hailing from the Kakkove village in Malappuram district in Kerala, Kareem presently lives in Qatar with his wife and three children.

A graphic designer by profession, Kareem left his job at an American company in Qatar last month to pursue his passion for calligraphy.

Love for calligraphy art was imbibed in Kareem from his childhood. Recalling an incident during his Madrasa days, Kareem said when his teacher wrote some Arabic words on the board, he was moved and could see “the beauty in how the words were written and shaped.” 

In 1996, Kareem had to drop out of his course at the School of Arts in Kerala due to financial constraints. He was 18. This, however, didn’t deter him from pursuing his passion. He started work as a painter of hoardings and a few years later, he moved to Saudi Arabia to earn a living, where eventually he became a graphic designer. 

“The beautiful symmetrical patterns on the Roudha Shareef (where the Prophet (PBUH) is buried), and the calligraphy on the pillars and walls there influenced me a lot,” said Kareem about the city of Madina, one of the holiest cities of Islam. 

Kareem said he wanted to devote all his focus to calligraphy and left his job to pursue it. 

“Calligraphy has been my passion for more than 20 years, but I took to serious learning and experimentation only five years ago and left my job to pursue this dream,” he said. 

Kareem credits his teachers for instilling a passion for knowledge in him and his success. “All those who give ilm (knowledge) in my journey are my ustaads (teachers),” he said. 

Calligraphy art has different forms and styles. Kareem follows the contemporary style.

“Art and rule are combined in traditional calligraphy. But in contemporary art, it is freedom. I do calligraphy on things and ideas that people in my locality can relate to. As an artist, I am trying to blend different styles, without conforming to any specific script or style,” he said. 

Abdul Kareem’s portrayal of a student during the Hijab row in Karnataka | Picture: Abdul Kareem Facebook

As his fame grew in the last five years, Kareem started conducting calligraphy workshops in India, UAE, Qatar, and Turkey. On August 10 this year, he attended the All India Calligraphy Akshar Mahotsav organised by the Calligraphy Foundation of India in New Delhi. He has also won a few awards for his work, including the Youth Icon Award-Doha (2017) and the Youth Signature Award (2021). 

Last year, Kareem founded a centre for calligraphy in Kozhikode called the KagrArt. Its logo was launched online by famous French-Tunisian calligraffiti artist ElSeed. “I want to popularise this art. It is more important than being famous. There should be a physical space for artists to meet and interact,” he said.  

KagrArt was founded by Abdul Kareem last year as a centre for calligraphy art. | Picture by Lulu Ahsana

In addition to his calligraphy works, KagrArt displays art pieces like lanterns, carpets, calligraphy and images from different countries.  

In one of the programmes held at KagrArt last month, Kareem talked about his visit to Uzbekistan and his love for travelling. 

“Instead of calling it a trip to Turkey or Uzbekistan, we can call it going to different people, and seeing things that they built and wrote in the past,” he said. 

Kareem’s dream is to build a bridge through his art between different religions, peoples and countries, between traditional and contemporary calligraphies, between Arabic and Malayalam calligraphies, and between old and new generations.  

“I want to work on a serious theme in future which would fill the minds of people with hope, and which would give the message that no one should run away from anywhere and that people can be where they are,” he added. 

Kareem’s wife Fasija said that “calligraphy is more than just a passion for him.” She credits his “hard work and dedication for the success he has achieved.”

Najiya O is an independent journalist from Kerala. She tweets at  @najiyao

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Najiya O, TwoCirlces.net / August 18th, 2022

CP Rizwan, electrical engineer from Kerala is UAE’s T20 captain for Asia Cup

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Thalassery, KERALA / U.A.E :

CP Rizwan moved to the UAE in 2014 after not getting a Ranji Trophy game. Will be special if we get to play against India, he says.

From not being able to get a game for his state in the Ranji Trophy to leading a national team, Rizwan’s cricketing fortunes have changed for the better.

CP Rizwan’s cricket career didn’t really take off and the electrical engineer from Kerala, like many from his state, migrated to the gulf after landing a job in Sharjah.

Eight years later, the 34-year-old has made it big – on the field. On Thursday, the Emirates Cricket Board named Rizwan the skipper for the Asia Cup qualifiers. If Rizwan’s United Arab Emirates (UAE) win the qualifiers, they will be in the same group as heavyweights India and Pakistan.

“It will definitely be special if we qualify and get to play against India. But we just want to focus on one step at a time,” Rizwan told The Indian Express The UAE, Kuwait, Hong Kong and Singapore will be fighting for the one spot available in the group stage.

From not being able to get a game for his state in the Ranji Trophy to leading a national team, Rizwan’s cricketing fortunes have changed for the better.

Rizwan, leg-spinner turned batsman, hails from Thalassery, a cricket hub with a history that dates back to the British Raj. He made a name for himself in age-group cricket and represented Kerala in U-19 and U-23 levels. He also toured South Africa with a Kerala team that included the likes of Sanju Samson. But he could not progress further because he took a break from the sport to complete his engineering degree. He tried to make a comeback after completing his studies but was not able to replicate his age-group success at the senior level. He was named in the Ranji Trophy squad but remained on the bench.

Migrating to the UAE for a job also gave Rizwan’s cricket career a new lease of life, and it has reached new heights now. On Sunday, he walked out to lead the UAE against Kuwait in their first qualifier game.

Last year, Rizwan scored his first international century (109) in an ODI against Ireland when the team was under pressure at 51 for 3. He added 184 runs for the fourth wicket along with Muhammad Usman. The two centurions helped the UAE chase down 270 with six wickets in hand and an over to spare.

“I am happy and honoured to lead the UAE national team. We have been doing well in T20 tournaments. Our players play a lot of T20 games here in the domestic circuit also. But having said that, we have to execute the skills in the right way on the given day,” Rizwan said.

In former India all-rounder Robin Singh, the UAE have an experienced coach to guide their newly-appointed skipper.

“We have been working really hard under coach Robin Singh. He is a person with a great work ethic and that quality has rubbed on to the players also. We have been training well and hopefully, everything will fall into place,” Rizwan, who has played 29 ODIs and seven T20Is for UAE, said.

The electrical engineer, who graduated from Cochin University of Science and Technology, had an opportunity to return home when he got a job with the postal department but he decided against moving back.

His performances in the domestic matches in UAE for teams like Yogi Group, Bukhatir XI and Interface, eventually opened the doors to the UAE national team. After fulfilling the requirement of residing in the UAE for four years, Rizwan made his debut for his adopted country in an ODI against Nepal in January 2019.

“Yes, it could be said that my decision (to stay in the UAE) has been vindicated. I just want to say thanks to all the coaches, friends, family and relatives and the almighty who helped me in this journey,” said Rizwan.

Biju George, the former India women’s fielding coach, has seen Rizwan from his under-23 days for Kerala.

“Rizwan is a fully dedicated player. He is a confident and street-smart player, I think, he can be an asset to the UAE team as their captain,” George said.

The UAE opted for split captaincy and Ahmed Raza, who was the captain in all formats, now leads the team in ODIs.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Sports> Cricket / by Narayanan S, Kochi / August 22nd, 2022

Gurucool, a Jamia alumni-led ed-tech start-up launches app for underprivileged

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NEW DELHI :

Adil Meraj: Co-founder of Gurucool. | Photo: By arrangement

The Padhai app will provide academic space for learning and to make quality education accessible for the underprivileged. 

New Delhi :

 Gurucool, a Delhi-based EdTech startup launched the Padhai app on Friday. The app seeks to provide an academic space for learning and to make quality education accessible for the underprivileged by providing more than 3500 curated open-source educational courses offered by platforms like MIT open courseware, Khan Academy, YouTube educators, and many more.

Adil Meraj and Khansa Fahad, the two alumni of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) started Gurucool in 2019. Gurucool is an educational networking platform that offers a suite of phygital (physical+digital) tools to connect learners and educators. The founders of Gurucool got into the limelight when they secured pre-seed funding of $150,000 (around 1 crore rupees) in November 2021.

“The Padhai app counters the price-tagged digital education offered by other ed-tech platforms while making digital education accessible and free for all,” Meraj told TwoCircles.net.

“The Padhai app provides information on scholarships, educational short videos similar to YouTube shorts called BITS, and other things of importance to learners. It offers curated courses in 8 regional languages,” Meraj said, adding that the app has live classes, study material, test series and questionnaires for K-12, competitive exams, and the skill India program. 

The higher education department of the government of Bihar approved the Padhai app as a pilot project, he said. Conversations are on with several other governments to start the Padhai app on a pilot project basis. 

Gurucool is an educational networking platform offering over 25 tools and a vast content pool for educators and learners to learn, network, and have fun with them. Gurucool aims to digitize education while not compromising on the need for physical classrooms. We are making education phygital, said Meraj. 

Gurucool got pre-seed funding from the Indian-American angel investor, Parvez Jasani (CEO, Zulie Venture Inc.) and Aqib Hussain of FreeFlow Venture Builders. The ed-tech platform is estimated worth $ 2 million. 

“When I spoke to Adil and Khansa for the first time I was super impressed with their vision and passion, and that made me invest in Gurucool instantly”, Parvez Jasani told TwoCircles.net. 

Gurucool offers a vast content pool, empowering educators, schools, and colleges with minimal financial support and which are functioning especially among the marginalized groups. The schools and colleges can potentially build their digital infrastructure using Gurucool’s content. 

The Ed-Tech platform follows the model of personalized learning by creating educational centres which implement the concept of a conference-based teaching ecosystem that has a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. These education centres have a club system, library, workshops, sessions, and smart classes among other things.

Gurucool  aims to launch 50 centres in 15 cities across India in the upcoming year with each centre having an accommodating capacity of 600 students.

www.gurucool.xyz

Mohd. Umair Yunus is a fellow in the SEEDS-TCN mentorship program. 

source: http://www.twocircle.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Mohd Umair Yunus, TwoCircles.net / August 13th, 2022

25-year-old PIO is UK’s youngest civic mayor

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Valsad, GUJARAT / London, U.K :

banner img
Humaira Garasia, whose family roots are in Valsad, was .elected speaker of London borough of Hackney in May

Surat :

Rishi Sunak might be in news for being the frontrunner for the post of Prime Minister of the UK and he will create history if he is elected for the post of the country that once ruled India.

But Indian origin Humaira Garasia (25) has already created a history by becoming the youngest-ever speaker of council in London Borough of Hackney.

Garasia’s family is originally from Valsad and her father had migrated to the UK at a young age. Garasia was determined to enter active politics when she was 15 and wanted to represent the marginalised population.

Untitled design - 2022-07-23T090744.002

She identifies herself as a Gujarati of Indian origin. She studied BA politics from the University of London. Her father Rafik Ahmed, a warehouse worker, is from Nana Taiwad in Valsad while her mother Najma, a housewife, is from Bharuch.

“I am the youngest-ever speaker/civic mayor of Indian origin in the whole of the UK and the youngest speaker to have ever been elected for the London Borough of Hackney,” says Garasia.

Untitled design - 2022-07-23T091008.368

“I was elected at the age of 21 as a councillor in 2018 and completed a four-year term. I was the youngest person of Indian origin to be elected as a councillor then. I was successfully re-elected as a councillor in May 2022,” she added.

She said: “I will be working with leaders, residents and communities from across the borough to address issues of inequalities, while also helping to tackle long-term issues such as racism and discrimination. I will focus on providing support to the most vulnerable members of society and helping young people to feel both empowered and safe.”

Untitled design - 2022-07-23T091115.687

Born and brought up in London, Garasia’s parents migrated around 35 years ago. Garasia visits Valsad every year with her family.

source: http://www.timesofindia.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News / by Yagnesh Bharat Mehta / July 23rd, 2022