Guided with the belief that illiteracy is the root cause of social and economic backwardness, a group of doctors in Hyderabad got together in 1983 to form the Muslim Educational Social And Cultural Organisation, an educational, social and cultural organisation for Muslims, recalls Dr Fakhrudheen Muhammed

The vision of the Muslim Educational Social And Cultural Organisation (MESCO) lies in enhancing the inherent skills of the community and help it develop into a live, vibrant, ambitious, positive and healthy body. The area where MESCO institutions are located falls in an educationally under-served area of the old city of Hyderabad, where majority of the population is Muslim.
Due to acute poverty and illiteracy, the parents here were initially reluctant to send their children to schools for modern or mainstream education. MESCO,therefore, made special efforts to create awareness and confidence in the community to get educational enlighten ment by offering different facilities at an affordable and subsidised cost through scholarships and concessions. The organisation provides opportunities for learning and instruction while endeavoring to preserve and augment faith, moral values, culture and social obligations. The resultant boost to the psyche and morale of the community helps in building individuals who are competent to take up the challenges of the modern world and develop leadership skills and qualities.
The good news is that the organisation’s efforts are being fruitfully rewarded and the students’ intake has increased ten fold. The enrollment of students has steadily improved and this is true especially for girls. Over the last 30 years, the dropout percentage of boys from Class VI has also decreased from over 40 per cent to a negligible figure. Presently, the break up of the girls and boys ratio is 45:55. In order to encourage women students, MESCO is aggressively marketing the courses run by them by offering free, subsidised scholarships and grants.

“The process of getting educational loans for Muslim students in particular is very cumbersome”

The Big Picture

Minority institutions face difficulties and discrimination as far as affiliation is concerned. Therefore, a new body on the pattern of the CBSE should be created. This can help in prompt affiliation of minority-managed higher secondary schools and also maintain their standards. The government should also look to establish a large number of higher secondary schools in minority populated areas. Furthermore, some institutions, which are not being run properly for want of funds and facilities, may be taken over by the government with the consent of the management, if necessary, for a limited period. This will save immediate expenditure on buildings etc. and the plan can be implemented without delay.
Muslim-managed schools are generally run by members of a backward community, for a backward community and in a considerably backward milieu and manner. Also, there is hardly any data-based research report regarding the physical and academic condition of schools in the localities largely inhabited by Muslims. Till date, there has been no comprehensive survey on enrollment, dropout rate and the learning achievements of Muslim children in the two kinds of schooling systems Madarsa and public. Information regarding the Mus- lim youth’s overall access to higher education opportunities, their participation in professional education, absorption in the employment market and future life accomplishments is scantily available.

Talent Crunch

In terms of attracting good talent, our institutions do manage to do so. However, we have been unable to retain them due to intense competition and the absence of encouragement or financial assistance provided by statutory bodies. Though we strive to keep the standards high to meet the industry requirements, the expectations are very high and no handicap support is considered. Despite the limitations, we train and nurture talent to meet the professional and corporate culture of the industry.
Ours is a management institute with a decade-old standing. On-campus job place ments are very competitive and we attract high levels of corporate attention. We have a full-fledged placement officer in the faculty who interacts with the industry and arranges regular campus placements and interviews. However, we do not have any support as far as government jobs are concerned. To cater to the needs of students in general, and Muslim students in particular, the Mesco Centre For Advanced Learning Through Distance Mode And Research In Education (CADRE) was established in 2004 exclusively for distance education programmes of various universities.

Expectations from the Narendra Modi government

• Stronger Right to Education (RTE)
• Focus on increasing quality of education and training
• Create employment opportunities
• Transparent and effective spending of educational funds
• Introduce nationwide uniform curriculum for stronger education base.
• Hunar Scheme should be implemented country- wide through NIOS

Hurdles

The process of getting educational loans for Muslim students in particular is very cumbersome. One reason is the fact that Muslims are not able to provide collateral security to the banks for such loans. Banks, as a result, appear to be reluctant to provide loans to Muslim students without heavy security.
As a matter of state policy, the students who get admission to professional courses should get interest-free bank loans on the sovereign guarantee of the state. The economic status of parents should not matter in such cases.

For the last 26 years, the Thassim Beevi Abdul Kader College for Women in Kilakarai of Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu is working hard to empower the Muslim girls of this not-so-developed region

The Thassim Beevi Abdul Kader College for Women was established in 1988 to support, uplift and empower Muslim girls. Before the institution came into being, there was no women’s college for the minority community girls in the State of Tamil Nadu. After the birth of JBAS College for Women (formerly SIET) in Chennai in 1955, until 1988, there was a big gap in Muslim women’s higher education in the state, as only well-off families of the community could afford to educate their daughters in Chennai. The birth of this institution in 1988 came as a huge relief for the Muslim girls of this region.
Today, this college is a blessing for women coming from the Muslim community. The college has completed 26 years of service in providing higher education, and many women have now received degrees from the institution.

Partners in a Cause

The institution has made significant efforts to interact with various institutions and industries, and partnered with some of them:

1. ICT academy of Tamil Nadu, Chennai
2. Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology, Tanjore
3. Tamil Nadu Food Grains Marketing Yard, Madurai
4. Regional Directorate of Employment and Training, Madurai Region
5. CMFRI, Mandapam Regional Centre
6. Mother Teresa Women’s University, Kodaikanal
7. IGNOU, New Delhi

The founding father of this college, Alhaj B S Abdur Rahman, a philanthropist of Kilakarai town, dreamt of establishing a college exclusively for Muslim girls. The college was founded in 1988 by Rahman Sahib and sponsored by the Seethakathi Trust, Chennai, which has established various educational institutions par excellence. The college was named after the founder’s sister Thassim Beevi and her husband Janab Abdul Kader. She and her husband died in an accident on 24th January 1977 while returning after attending the school day function at the Crescent Residential School, Chennai. Thassim Beevi was a very enthusiastic lady who was interest- ed in the higher education for women.
The college has made many initiatives for the past 25 years to educate poor Muslim girls by creating student welfare fund, TBEES Scholarship Scheme, pri- vate scholarships, government and minority scholarships for Muslim girls and other SC/ST scholarships for SC/ST students to support them financially.
There are two factors as to why many minority institutions do not become popular. Firstly, there is a misconception and mindset among the non-minority communities that minorities propagate and coerce their faith. Also, the survival of self-financing minority arts and science colleges mainly depends upon the fees they collect which is not sufficient to make both ends meet.
The challenges of running a minority girls institution in a not-so-developed region like this are multi-dimensional in nature, including payment of high affiliation charges to the parent university or higher education body while introducing new programmes. As per the policy of the Government of Tamil Nadu, grant-in-aid is not given to educational institutions started after 1988. Running a college with the available finance collected by way of fees would not be of much help in running an educational institution, particularly arts and science colleges.

With state-of-the-art infrastructure, a highly qualified faculty and several other amenities, the B.S. Abdur Rahman Institute of Science and Technology has fast emerged as a preferred destination for students across the country. An ENN report

Located in the picturesque tropical forest area of Vandalur, the B S Abdur Rah- man Institute of Science and Technology has been a preferred destination for students from across the country. Set up in 2008, the institute’s outcome-based syllabus, choice-based credit system and a placement record of 90 per cent are the main attractions for students and par- ents. Spread across 60 acres of lush green campus with over 1,50,000 sq m of lofty buildings with IGBC rating, state-of-the-art infrastructure, laboratories and students amenities, the high teaching standards and a variety of choices available in various disciplines of engineering, technology, management, architecture, life sciences, physical and chemical sciences and social sciences are some added advantages.

Salient Features

• Targeting to achieve 100 per cent faculty with Ph.D
• Thrust on research with incentives for publication of papers, books and research projects
• Regular review and revision of syllabus every two years
• Academic freedom
• Inter-disciplinary programmes and research projects

 The institute, which was established as a Deemed University under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956, earlier existed as a prominent engineering college of Tamil Nadu in the name of Crescent Engineering College. This institute is just one of the several institutions established in 1984 by the Founder Chancellor Alhaj Dr. B S Abdur Rahman, Chairman of the Seethakathi Trust, Chennai and President of the All India Islamic Foundation. Besides this uni- versity, the AIIF runs 13 educational institutions across Tamil Nadu.
What is notable is that this is the first Muslim minority university which has obtained an “A” Grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in the first cycle of accreditation. The Chairman of the management board is Abdul Qadir A. Rahman Buhari, who is also an acclaimed industrialist and a visionary. Within a short span of five years, the university has obtained an extramural funding to the tune of `678 lakh and has a total of 54 projects worth `2,194 lakh in the pipeline.
In a mark of unmatched quality, the university has published over 2,401 research papers out of which 790 are in international journals of repute. The data centre with streaming servers provides access to e-resources round the clock, much to the benefit of the faculty and students.
The university has also engaged with foreign institutions and has signed MoUs with more than 28 leading overseas universities, Indian universities, institutions and industries. Collaborations with Deakin University, Curtin University (Australia), Purdue University, Missouri State University (USA), Cambridge University, University of Central Florida, Plymouth University (UK), Universiti Teknologi Mara, UNIMAS (Malaysia), Ford, Infosys, IBM, CIPET, CII, ETA Ascon, etc. are a few among them.
The university also has a faculty train- ing academy, an IAS training academy, a women’s empowerment cell, an Apple iOS centre, students cultural centre, Rotaract Club and NSS which make the campus vibrant. A robust feedback mechanism from students, parents and alumni has helped the university maintain high standards of teaching. The Authors Forum, a faculty body, has already written and published over 40 books and nearly 150 titles are in the process of being written. The university is also in plans to establish a Patent Cell and Innovation Centre on campus.
Students amenities include a health centre, gymnasium, excellent sports grounds and a swimming pool, a book shop, cafeterias and hostels for students on the campus. The campus also has two mosques for the convenience of Muslim students. Half of the students here are from the Muslim minority community and the rest belong to the others. About 32 per cent of the students are girls and over 65 per cent of the faculty are women. The university has a vision to emerge as one of the top ten universities of the country with at least 10 per cent international students and five per cent international faculty and collaborative research.

Yenepoya Abdulla Kunhi, founder, Yenepoya University believes professional education opens up greater opportunities for minorities and to join the mainstream. An ENN Report

Karnataka’s population has risen steeply in the last decade. The state ranks fifth in literacy with a sharp increase in the number of schools, colleges and IT companies. Literates out of the total population aged seven years and above stand at 75.36 per cent, up from 66.64 per cent in the last 10 years. Though educationally progressive, there were gaps in higher education (medical education in particular) for minority students in the district of Dakshina Kannada and neighbouring areas of Karnataka.
Things took a turn when Yenepoya Abdulla Kunhi, Chairman of the religious minority trust Islamic Academy of Education (IAE) established in 1991, and Director at the Yenepoya Group of Companies, and a few like-minded intellectuals recognised this gap. This led to the establishment of Yenepoya University, an initiative of IAE, a trust dedicated to the memory of legendary entrepreneur late Yenepoya Moideen Kunhi, who laid the basis of industrialisation in the region.
The Islamic Academy of Education (IAE) is today working the upliftment of the social, economical and educational status of the minority communities in the region. The IAE trust was created with the objective to establish and administer educational institutions, such as schools, colleges and institutes of general education, medical and dental education, engineering and commercial education. This dream was fulfilled with the help of Yenepoya University.
A minority institution, the Yenepoya University is the first private deemed university in Dakshin Kannada district and has a total intake of over 400 students with the Muslim community constituting 70 per cent of students at the medical college. Till date, 1,700 students from minority communities have been awarded degrees by this university and other institutions under the ambit of the IAE. These institutions have also generated employment for over 3000 people from minority communities alone. The founder Yenepoya Abdulla Kunhi firmly believes that professional education can provide greater opportunities for the Muslim community to join mainstream professional careers by utilising their knowledge and skills for the betterment of society.
Prior to the establishment of Yenepoya institutions, the number of minority students, especially Muslims, opting for professional courses such as medicine was limited as education in this particuar discipline was quite expensive. The opportunities were also limited in other institutions due to fierce competition from others. For minority students in this region, the establishment of Yenepoya institutions was a dream comestrue as it provided an opportunity to study medicine and health science subjects in affordable way. Till date, several thousands of students from minority communities, especially women, have graduated from Yenepoya institutions and are contributing to the society in a big way.
Running several specialised courses in medicine, admission to the university is through an all-India entrance test which is held in multiple centres throughout India. The selection is based on merit, which ensures selection of right students who can match industry standards. The placements records are proof of the quality education provided at the university.

Future Ready 

Keeping in tune with times, Yenepoya University has also undertaken instructions through digital learning and etablished an e-learning centre in 2011. ‘Yengage’, the e-learning portal for Yenepoya University was setup by the Information Technology section to support ICT-based learning for its students. This is an online service which facilitates the students, staff, tutors and management with a friendly and interactive environ- ment, which will enable better learning by providing study information and learning content anytime anywhere.

“‘Yengage’, the e-learning portal for Yenepoya University was setup by the Information Technology section to support ICT-based learning for its students”

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Training

The E-learning centre undertakes onjob training on usage of electronic medical record-keeping, which is an essential part of any medical hospital abroad. The EMR modules are becoming an important feature of the Indian hospital environment. The e-learning centre at Yenepoya University started training on EMR modules for medical interns and the post-graduates as an add-on course. The university also received a National Award ‘Certificate of Excellence’ by e- INDIA for the innovative training programme on Health Information Management System (HIMS).
The Yenepoya Foundation, a unit of Yenepoya Moideen Kunhi Memorial Educational & Charitable Trust and the Yenepoya University jointly distribute academic excellence awards to students excelling in SSLC, PUC and under-grad- uate degree examinations and encour- age them through scholarships every year. These awards are given to students of Dakshin Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka and Kasaragod district of Kerala purely on the basis of merit. Recipients of these awards are around 300 every year and the total budget allocated for this purpose is Rs 10 lakh. The award is given to individuals who score the highest percentage in their respec tive examinations and also to a few minority institutions which have secured 100 per cent results. The award consists of certificates and cash awards ranging from `3,000 to `10,000.
Today, Yenepoya institutions are a role model for making professional and technical education accessible, affordable and contemporary.

Schemes for minorities should be planned in a manner where the Centre is responsible for implementation, disbursal, monitoring and evaluation and the state government is not in the picture, says Dr Zahir I Kazi, President, Anjuman-I-Islam. In conversation with ENN, Kazi says that timely implementation of central schemes for minorities is the need of the hour. Excerpts from an interview

Anjuman-I-Islam is running educational institutions for more than a century now. Do you see a shift in the aspirations of minority youth?

The shift is so visible that minority community youth do not have any inferiority complex now. They are aware of ample opportunities and challenges they have to face. This is a big shift. They realise they are part of the competitive world and need to be gogetters.

Are minority educational institutions able to meet the growing aspirations of youngsters?

Minority educational institutions run by Anjuman take care of content and container, which translate into the quality of content and the infrastructure. We get the best of equipments and faculty for our students. Minority educational institutions (MEIs) like Anjuman Islam invest the money they get back into the institution. MEIs create a brand for themselves and for those who are associated with it. Otherwise, we would have been unable to attract students even from the minority community.

Anjuman Islam and other minority educational organisations run colleges and institutions. Why shouldn’t they try to build a university?

We have more than one hundred schools, colleges and polytechnics, and we have enough land too. But Anjuman is not getting funded by the government like Jamia Millia or Aligarh Muslim University. Nor are we a private company running educational services on a commercial basis. However, we are thinking of having our own university.

What is the time frame you have set to establish such a university?

We will establish it in the next five to six years.

Is Anjuman expanding abroad?

We had got offers. But nothing concrete has materialised. We are in the process of due diligence on the offers we get.

How do you view the budgetary allocation for minority education?

Frankly speaking, I have not understood the Union Budget. What I know is that in the 12th Five Year Plan, there was a certain amount to be given to minority community for education. I was the Chairman of the Sub-Committee on implementation of schemes aimed at minorities set up by the Union Human Resource Development ministry. We spent some time on that. Several problems emerged during the meetings. The central government has to talk to state governments over the implementation of central schemes. There are too many speed-breakers. We have to ensure implementation of minority schemes on time. With regard to the budgetary allocation, all I can say is that it looks rosy on paper. Timely implementation of central schemes is what matters. Let me illustrate this with an example. The government has earmarked 100 girls’ hostels in the minority-concentrated districts. Now, the government has been unable to find land for the same. But if you involve organisations like Anjuman, we can take the responsibility of setting up these hostels.

Rich History

With a strong desire to see the Muslim Community advance in education and social standing, Anjuman-I-Islam was founded in 1874 by a small group of devout and progressive Muslims led by Dr Badruddin Ty bji, the third president of the Indian National Congress and the first Indian Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. 140 years in existence has seen it grow from one school to over a hundred schools, colleges and polytechnics

“Anjuman is not getting funded by the government like Jamia Millia or Aligarh Muslim University”

Does setting up of a separate minority education board serve any purpose?

Again, it will be faced with the same problems. It will not have authority over state governments. The schemes should be planned in such a way that the Centre is responsible for implementation, disbursal, monitoring and evaluation and the state government should not be in the picture. Currently, Centre gives 75 per cent and there are delays by state government which has to give 25 per cent. It should be funded 100 per cent by the Centre.

Would increased representation of education leaders from the community in the decision- making process improve the situation?

Yes. There is a case for better representation of minorities in decision-making bodies. Competent leaders from the minority community should be engaged and their inputs should be taken into account by the government while designing policies and schemes.

Having begun with an inspiration to meet the challenges of education in rural India, the Teerthanker Mahaveer University today strives to become the ultimate destination for world-class education

A small number of schools, unimpres- sive infrastructure, limited resources and lackluster faculty are some of the many issues that have, over the years, hampered access to education for many in the boondocks of India. Place these issues in the context of minority education and you get a gloomy picture.
They say it takes an optimist to find inspiration in adverse situations. The founders of Moradabad-based Teerthanker Mahaveer University (TMU) set one such example. The inspiration behind setting up this institution stems from the very issues that have plagued the spread of education in India. Prem Prakash Jain (father of the current university Chancellor Suresh Jain) was a teacher by profession, and a passionate one at that. What troubled his passion for teaching, however, was the limitation of resources and the absolute dearth of schools with a decent infrastructure.
This inspired his son Suresh Jain to dedicate his life to his father’s dream of upliftment of society through quality education. He decided to convert his village residence into a school, which soon turned into a hub for teaching activities in the rural area and is today known as the Madan Swarup Inter College, imparting education to about 3,000 children in Hariyana, Moradabad.
Setting up of an institute with a vision to impart professional education to the students of Moradabad was another milestone in this journey. Suresh’s endeavour soon began bearing fruits with the establishment of Teerthanker Mahaveer Institute of Management & Technology (TMIMT) in 2001 to offer programmes such as BBA, BCA, MCA, MBA, B.Ed, M.Ed and B.Sc. (Home Science) which brought employment opportunities for the young aspirants.
Seven years later, Teerthanker Mahaveer University finally came into existence in 2008. Set up as a Jain minority state private university established by Act No. 30 of 2008 of the Government of Uttar Pradesh and approved by University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 2(f), the university is located on National Highway-24 and is barely 144 km from New Delhi. The university stands committed to the ideals of Lord Mahaveer i.e. right philosophy, right knowledge, and right conduct in all its operations. The university aims and aspires to be recognised as an ultimate destination for world-class education.

Awards and Recognition

• “The Best Private University of India Award” constituted by Journalists Federation of India in September 2012
• “Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award” for Best Higher Education Institution by Pehchan-International Social Organisation in August 2013
• “CIDC Vishwakarma Award 2013” for outstanding contribution towards “Mission Skilling India” by Construction Industry Development Council and CIDC Partner in Progress Trophy 2014

 The driving force behind this gigantic task of setting up the university is Chancellor Suresh Jain, who along with the Group Vicechairman Manish Jain, continues to strive to raise its status to a world-class university. At present, over 100 programmes are being offered at under-graduate, post-graduate and doctoral levels through 17 on-campus colleges and six independent teaching departments in the disciplines of management, dental, medical, engineering, computing sciences, pharmacy, nursing, para-medical sciences, physiotherapy, architecture, law, journalism, education, physical education, agriculture sciences, home science, social work, hospital administration, fine arts, language studies and Jain studies. Programmes in medical, dental and engineering are the most sought after among these.
From a humble beginning of 1,055 in 2008-09 in the first academic session, TMU today provides education to more than 14,000 students from almost all states of the country, which includes around 100 foreign students from Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Maldives. This not only gives a pan-India outlook, but also promotes a multi-cultural environment for learning. The number of boys and girls are in 75:25 ratio. Out of the total strength of the students, 30 percent belong to minority communities.
The academic programmes are designed and reviewed in consultation with professional organisations and industry experts in order to provide a strong academic rigour and industrial perspective. These courses are delivered by a faculty known for its dedication to teaching and research and with close ties with the national/international academic and business communities. The initial faculty strength of 100 in 2008-09 has now increased to 750. The core strength of the faculty comes from the rich diverse group of men and women who are leaders in their respective fields. Some of these faculty members are educated abroad and also have research to their credit.
The university has provisions for liberal scholarship schemes and a safe and secure environment, which has resulted in a progressive increase in the enrollment of girl students in general and from the Muslim community in particular. In a short span of time, TMU has emerged as a catalyst in socio-economic transformation of the region and is nurturing professionals who are competent to meet the diverse needs of society and industry.

‘Set Measurable Objectives with Definite Timeline’

The country has high hopes from the new government at the Centre, says Suresh Jain, Chancellor of Teerthanker Mahaveer University. In an interaction with ENN, he stresses upon the need for identifying more measurable objectives with a definite timeline to gauge the effectiveness of efforts made by the state and central governments. Excerpts from an interview

Barring a few, why is it that many minority institutions do not become popular or sought after?

Most of the minority institutions offer few courses either in engineering, management or medical field. The students are doubtful about the quality of education imparted there. Though TMU is also a minority university, there is a wide variety of programmes on offer. This is why students are eager to join this university for quality education.

What were the challenges of management while setting up and in operating the institute and university?

The first challenge was to find the possibility to provide education to the increasing number of students who aspire to get higher education at par with global standards. Designing a curriculum in accordance with the higher education policy of the government was another challenge. Availability of resources was also one of the hurdles we faced.

Does your institute manage to attract best talent available? Do you believe that you can match industry standards?

Due to the quality of education that we are providing at an affordable cost, TMU manages to attract best talent available. The curriculum has been designed and is updated from time to time in accordance with industrial needs. Provision is also made to update students as per the requirement of the industry, specific to their specialisation for technical needs.

What is the level of industry interface?

The University Corporate Resource Centre regularly interacts with the industry to get inputs for review and upgradation of our curriculum. Corpo- rate meets are organised to assess the requirement of the industry and give students an insight into the working of the corporate world. It acts as an interface between industry and university.

Have you assessed whether graduates from your institution find immediate placement in corporate and government? Do they face problems?

The graduates get placement in corporate and government organisations.

Do you offer any career counselling services for students?

The University Corporate Resource Centre equips the students with necessary skills required for their employment in the industry and other organisations. This centre also organises personality development, career guidance and counseling pro- grammes for the students so as to gear them up to take on the stiff competition in the corporate world.

Any tie-ups with other central or foreign universities to offer more courses?

The University has MOUs with the following foreign universities to enhance global prospective: Polytech Nantes (France) Vanier College, Canada Sol Bridge International Business School (South Korea) Tabesh University, Afghanistan University Jean Moullin Lyon 3, France

Is your institution considering to introduce skill development and vocational courses?

The University has established four state-of-the-art language labs with 240 computer terminals provided with hi-tech language software for developing basic, intermediate and business level language skills. Various short-term courses are also offered in association with leading organisations such as SAP, Oracle, Red Hat, CISCO, IL&FS, TCS, IBM, CMS, Microsoft and CIDC.

In your view, have the central and state governments done enough to promote minority education?

Though the central and state governments are making efforts to promote minority education, more measurable objectives need to be set with a definite timeline to gauge the effectiveness of these efforts.

What are your expectations from the Narendra Modi government with the Prime Minister having stressed on education and a skilled India?

Education is the most important issue that any civilised society would like its government to address properly. The country has high hopes from the new government at the Centre. Certainly, through its policy and plans, it shall address the needs of education and help in skilling the youth for the present and future.

Any suggestions or grievances that you believe need to be urgently looked into?

There should be a level-playing field for private-funded educational institutions when it comes to policy and plan as compared to publicfunded institutions, especially in terms of research, consulting, students scholarship grants and representation on various policy and decision-making bodies of government such as councils, boards, commissions, task force and panels.

Despite receiving several lucrative offers, Mahbubul Hoque decided to begin his career as an educational entrepreneur. In 2001, he established the Education Research and Development Foundation (ERDF), Guwahati, with an inspiration to spread education to every nook and corner of society irrespective of caste, creed and religion. ENN tracks the journey

Having lost his parents at an early age, Mahbubul Hoque led a turbulent life since childhood. Managing his educational expenses by taking tuitions, he passed his matricula- 38 August 2014 / digitalLEARNING tion with high marks, graduated from GC College, Silchar and went on to complete his MCA from Aligarh Muslim University. With a strong determination to change the educational scenario of the north-eastern region, he decided to begin his career as an educational entrepreneur despite having received lucrative job offers from multi-nations in India and abroad. He established the Central IT college in 2001 and began operations with just one computer and four students. For the purpose of generating funds, Mahbubul even had to assemble computers.
However, with the mission clear in his head, Mahbubul founded the Educational Research and Development Foundation (ERDF) that enabled him to achieve new milestones in the field of educational infrastructure. He established the Regional College of Higher Education in 2007, a professional college affiliated to North Eastern Hill University, Shillong. This institute has secured top positions in all examinations conducted by NEHU. In an attempt to enable rural education capture new heights in the remotest parts of Assam, he further set up two Central public schools affiliated to the CBSE in Karimganj, his home town. His endeavours did not stop here, and in 2009, he went on to establish the Regional Institute of Science and Technology (RIST), a state-of-the-art engineering college approved by the AICTE and affiliated to NEHU, Shillong.
His dream project of the University of Science and Technology in Meghalaya where he serves as Chancellor, how- ever, was realised only when the Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya enacted the 2011 USTM Act. Through focussed studies conducted by leading academicians and scientists on the educational needs of the region, the university looms set to transform the north-east into a tech-savvy region. ERDF has also been working towards capacity-building among young graduates aspiring for the IAS, GATE, NET and other competitive examinations conducted by the UPSC and other government agencies. The Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Centre for Coaching and Guidance and ‘HOQUE 20’ are steps in this very direction. The philosophy behind setting up ERDF was to produce quality manpower that can uplift the region and accelerate the nation-building process. This, the founder believes, can be achieved through streamlining education from KG to PG, promoting research, science and technical education and developing strong leadership.
Prior to the time when the institute came into existence, there were hardly any options available for professional courses in the region. As a result, these institutions today are educating students right from the KG level up to the university. Domains of the academic programme are CBSE affiliated till class tenth and for twelfth in science and commerce. Other courses include engineering, management, computer science, biotechnology, applied sciences, environmental sciences, electronics, sociology, public administration, disaster management, education, psychology, economics, rural development, social work and library and information sciences. Engineering, biotecnology and management are the most sought after courses in the university that has a total student strength of 5,000 as compared to the four students they started with. The total faculty strength also stands at an impressive 270.
Educating girls, especially among the minority communities, has been a challenge not just for the government, but also for institutes. The prevalence of the social evils such as child and early marriage of girls in minority families both among the educated and nonedbeen possible through the encourageucated class prevents girls from getting higher education. To break this barrier, ERDF has started a women’s college in a minority-concentrated district of Assam. This, the founder says, has only been possible through the encourage ment of the Committee on Girls’ Eduction, National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI).
In further impetus to promoting education, the university provides 100 per cent tuition fee waiver for students of families below poverty line, and 33 per cent reservation for girls in all educational institutions. There is also a merit-cummeans scholarship for female students. The ratio of boys and girls in ERDF institutions stands at a healthy 4:6.

The Challenges

Attracting best talent, both in terms of student intake as well as faculty and administrative positions, is quite a challenge for any newlyformed institution. However, in the case of institutes under ERDF, not only have they been able to attract a core group of dedicated and talented persons matching industry standards, they have also managed to retain these people. Interfacing with the industry and maintaining effective linkages with all stakeholders has been a hallmark for the ERDF group of institutions. Formal tie-ups, MOUs as well as informal links are established with R&D institutions, industries both at the national and state level to accommodate training and development, internship, project works and field studies for our students. The university is also in the process of getting more collaborations with US-based universities and organisations for higher education and placements. Placing freshers today is indeed a big challenge. However, with the appropriate internship programmes and field exposures, grooming and soft skills training, ERDF has been largely successful in this department.

“The prevalence of the social evils such as child and early marriage of girls in minority families both among the educated and non-educated class prevents girls from getting higher education”

ERDF VISION 2016:

• To set up a centralised women’s hostel with library and coaching facilities for administrative services.
• To set up eight new CBSE- affiliated schools in the rural minority dominated areas
• To set up two coach- ing and career guidance centres for administrative services, employment and admission at Barak Valley and Guwahati.
• Two ITI s for women

 “We are in a very positive mode, and after a long time in India, we have a government which appears to be striking the right chord, cutting across all sections of the society” says ERDF founder Mahbubul Hoque. This has been reflected in the recent budget that emphasised on Madrasa modernisation. “It is a very good initiative, but we also have to take into account the fact that only three to four percent students are going to Madrasas. A major chunk of children either drop out from schools or do not go at all,” he adds. Focussed initiatives from the government and an emphasis on general education in minority-dominated areas through establishing quality need-based institutions could indeed go a long way in improving access of education for those who need it the most.

Ascent through education lasts a lifetime. It was a realisation of this fact that guided Haji Ajmal Ali earn people’s goodwill through welfare measures like building schools, hospitals and providing scholarships to students in the communally-sensitive Nagaon district of Assam

Sixty six years since India got its independence, poverty, illiteracy, social inequalities, lack of proper health care and violence continue to plague India. Though true, many such observations are often brushed aside as a cynic’s cliché. The reason largely being urban In dia’s growing indifference against social, educational and geographical inequalities. Although this stands true for most of the country, the lack of access to basic and higher education in north-eastern states only spells out the failure of successive governments in addressing this issue.

Despite all odds, Assam-based Ajmal family, however, dreams of a state where education is accessible to all – irrespective of caste, creed and religion. Their dream is to take education to the students of rural India at an affordable cost, cutting across the barriers of expensive education in the metros and other cities of the country.

In 2006, the Ajmals established Maryam Ajmal Women’s college of Science & Technology, Hojai in Nagaon. The college offers higher secondary education in science stream and graduation degrees in science and humanities. The college was established by Ajmals (Mohammed Amiruddin Ajmal, Mohammed Fakhruddin Ajmal, Mohammed Badruddin Ajmal, Mohamed Sirajuddin Ajmal and Late Nazir Ajmal) in memory of late Maryam-un-Nessa Ajmal. The primary idea behind setting up these institutes was to perpetuate education by empowering women and enabling them to be equal participants in the rapidly changing scientific and technological scenario that has swept the world.

Locals say that Maryam-Un-Nessa had devoted her entire life for the empowerment of rural women by supporting girls for education, providing marriage aid for girls, working towards self-sufficiency of women and undertaking awareness initiatives for capacity building etc. In line with her efforts to encourage girl students towards getting educated, the foundation also provides financial support to girls from poor family backgrounds, scholarships for meritorious girls and special exemption for girls from remote areas and SC & STs.

“The will to happiness is universal but in most cases it remains a far cry due to the domination of the class with vested interests who reap undue and unearned benefits and largesses at the cost of the deprived, the marginalised, the destitute and the poor. Real social progress will remain a mirage if a large segment of our population remains uneducated, poor and sick. It is here that people and organisations with a zeal for public welfare play the most pivotal role at social transformation. The Ajmal family strongly believes in helping people know how to fish rather than giving them a fish,” says Mohamed Sirajuddin Ajmal, Director, Ajmal Group of Companies, who is also actively involved in community services.

The Ajmals today run multiple charitable programmes under Markazul Ma’arif, Haji Majid Memorial Public trust, Ajmal Foundation and the Ajmal Group of Colleges. Through these organisations, they have established relief and rehabilitation centers, orphanages, multispecialty charitable hospitals, schools and colleges across Assam.

Asked whether the college is able to attract students and quality faculty in the face of students from the north east flocking to bigger metropolis like Delhi, Mohamed Sirajuddin replies in the affirmative. An important reason behind this is their focus on safety and security of girls, a conducive academic enviroment, individual attention, personality development and crucially, the brilliant result of students. “We also conduct Ajmal National Talent Search Examination (ANTSE), which is a national level talent testing examination conducted every year for students from the third standard to degree levels. The intent is to inculcate a competitive mindset among the students, recognise their talents, provide scholarships and cash awards. This also helps us attract talent,” he says.

Despite the goodwill enjoyed by the Ajmals, setting up the colleges and operating them was no cakewalk. The foremost challenge that the Ajmals faced was lack of awareness among the guardians and students. Motivating students and parents towards higher studies in science was a tall ask. This was apart from tracking different verticals like higher education, school education, distance and open learning, vocational educational, skill training and leveraging the scope of ICT in education. Things, however, look promising today with students intake at the Maryam Ajmal Women’s college of Science & Technology rising from a mere 18 in 2006 to 457 in 2014.

Furthering their dream to take education to remote areas and to those who could not pursue higher studies for various reasons, the Ajmal Foundation provides them an opportunity through its study centre of Krishna Kanta Handique State Open University (KKHSOU). They also have smart classrooms and satellite audio-visual interactive classroom for civil service examinations besides other facilities.

Looking ahead, the foundation wants establishment of universities for minorities or the expansion of the campus of Aligarh Muslim University in minority concentrated states like Assam, West Bengal, UP, Bihar, Kerala etc. for improving the access and quality of education in the state. They also seek new Jawahar Navodaya Model Schools in minority concentrated districts, model colleges and ITIs in minority concentrated blocks, more placementlinked Ajeevika model projects for minorities through the Ministry of Minority Affairs and scholarship facilities for minority students for higher studies, especially for girls. In terms of improving infrastructure, the foundation also wants the government to look into construction of hostels for minority boys and girls in all cities, towns, subdivisions, municipalities and adjacent areas of major educational institutions. Allocation of land for minority educational institutions, etc also feature on their list of expectations.

Nagaon district in Assam is a hot bed for communal unrest. However, welfare activities by the Ajmal family in the area has not only helped them expand their business empire and increase their popularity among people, it has also propelled them into a political force. Maulana Badruddin Ajmal of the Ajmal clan who founded the Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF), now the All India United Democratic Front, is currently a Member of Parliament from Dhubri constituency in Assam. He plans to set up a medical college in Hojai and a university in Guwahati. One hopes these measures and initiatives gain momentum and help the cause of promoting education in every nook and corner of the state.

Set up after a Moplah rebellion 93 years ago, the JDT Islam orphanage continues to work towards uplifting orphans and underprivileged children through free education and aspires to bring more children under its fold. ENN reports

Established in the Malabar region in 1922 for the rehabilitation of children orphaned in the Moplah rebellion in 1921, Jam’iyyat Da’wa Tablighul Islam, better known as the JDT Islam Orphanage, is a charitable and a cosmopolitan educational institution.

There is an interesting background as to how the JDT came into being. Prior to the setting up of the institution, a majority of the population in the region were living in abject poverty, except for a few landlords. The peasants had no right to their property except to cultivate after paying a fixed portion to the landlord as ‘pattam’. What followed was the Malabar revolt of 1921 that left about 10,000 dead and thousands of children orphaned.
Inspired by an article written in The Hindu by freedom fighter Mohammed Abdurehman, Abdul Khader Kasoori, a philanthropist from Lahore in the then undivided Punjab, went to Malabar in the 1920s and took up the initiative to purchase land and establish JDT, their first such initiative.
What began as an orphanage with the intention to provide shelter, food and care for the unfortunate offsprings of the bygone Malabar Rebellion has today made its mark spreading education in the Malabar region. Such has been the journey of the JDT group that it was bestowed with the National Award for Child Development by President Pranab Mukherjee in 2011.
Over the years, JDT has grown 27 institutions under its management offering 70 courses under various streams and offers courses that include B. pharma,D. pharma, B. Sc, Nursing, Poly Diplomas, B. Com, BBA, Multi media and Biotechnology. The group also set up an Industrial Training Institute in 1978, Information Technology Centre in 2005, School of Nursing in 2007 and a Community college in 2011. With the introduction of new courses, the intake of students has also increased in the new academic session. “Every year, the student intake is around 2,600 and continues to increase with additional number of courses introduced at every new academic session,” C P Kunhimohammed, Chairman and President of JDT Islam Group of Institutions points out.

“JDT Islam has journeyed a long way and is known for spreading education in the Malabar region”

With high literacy rates in Kerala, women form a major chunk of JDT’s faculty strength. Of the total 1,521 faculty members, around 1,109 are women and the remaining 412 are male employees. The JDT Group also offers fee concessions, free hostel accommodation and priority in employment to women students. Due to tie-ups with various industries for placement of students and training of staff, Kunhimohammed claims most engineering students are absorbed through campus interviews. “In addition, we are conducting job fairs and recruitment drives by inviting different employers. Our students are employed in various firms in and outside India,” he adds. Besides existing vocational courses, JDT Group also conducts different courses under the modular employment scheme of the central government.
In an effort to improve the employability of their students, the group has now submitted a proposal to the Centre for sanction of a Community Polytechnic. The JDT High School has also received an amount of ` 25 lakh as a portion of grant by the central government through its Infrastructure Development Scheme for minority institutions. To inspire students and teachers of the group towards new horizons, JDT also organises a talent show annually in the areas of art, handicraft, social, antiques, collections, science etc. Around 20,000 students and teachers of JDT’s 27 institutions participate in the talent show.
“We need the government to introduce scholarship programmes to for orphans undergoing vocational and professional schemes, sanction more finance to establish courses funds for institutions for infrastructure and financial assistance to minority community,” says Kunhimo hammed, seeking greater support and encouragement from the government. It is high time such philanthropic organisations engaged in uplifting the weak and downtrodden were funded well.

Educating a woman is educating a generation, believes Dr Shabistan Ghaffar, Chairperson, Committee on Girls Education, National Commission For Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI), who has made tremendous efforts in breaking various taboos on girls’ education in the Muslim community. In an interaction with ENN, she says education is a weapon which can take nations ahead and women can play a decisive role in this progress. Excerpts from the interview

How challenging is the task of empowerment of minority women through education?

Well, it is challenging every time when one talks of women empowerment. Women, regardless of religion, region or colour are a minority within minority. Every time she raises her voice for equality, even in terms of educational empowerment, she has to struggle and convince every layer of society for her rights. Sometimes, even if parents are motivated to provide education to girls, certain social taboos in the name of religion, culture and region prohibit them from doing so.

As Chairperson, Committee on Girls’ Education, NCMEI, what are the recommendations that have you made?

A number of suggestions and proposals have emerged during close interactions of NCMEI members and its Committee on Girls’ Education with policymakers, regulators, stakeholders, social activists, functionaries of NGOs, community leaders and the like. We gave more than 30 recommendations to the government. These included scholarships, open schooling, distance learning, community college, hostels, teachers training, expansion of Hunar scheme and recognition of Muslim women artisans. Most of these recommendations have been implemented by the ministry.

What according to you is the state of minority education for girls in the country?

The state of minority education in India is generally regarded as unsatisfactory, particularly for Muslims and Buddhists, who are categorised under the most educationally backward sections of the country. Although Christians, Sikhs and Parsis are deemed as educa tionally better off, they have their own specific issues and problems with regard to education. In spite of being the largest minority group in India, the Muslim community is also faced with immense tribulations, especially in the field of education where it cascades behind. Dearth of suitable educational institutions and lack of proper infrastructure in Muslim-dominated localities is one of the most recurring inadequacies which have had a bearing on the community’s educational attainments for a long time.

How do you see the work of civil society and educational institutions in promoting education?

Community sensitisation is one of the major steps taken by the NCMEI’s Committee on Girls Education. The role of civil society in the process of community development is increasing with the passage of time and the central and state governments are allocating huge funds in the social sector. However, there is a dearth of non-government organisations working exclusively among the Muslim and Buddhist communities. For other minorities such as Christians and Sikhs, quite a good number of NGOs are working and serving the interest of the members of the respective communities. Therefore, there is need to motivate local Muslim activists to form associations committed to community development in large numbers. Moreover, most of the NGOs already serving the community lack due capacity in terms of information, training, documentation and resource management.