– Khan Tahir
‘Framing Academia’ is a major initiative by SIO of India aimed at introducing premier institutes to common students and assisting them in securing admissions to such institutions. The Indian education system features numerous premier institutes, including central universities, IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, and IISER, among others.
These publicly funded institutions offer top-notch education in various fields, generate knowledge, and are relatively affordable. These institutes are not only hubs of learning but also serve as epicentres for student politics, ideas, and movements, given the presence of high-achieving students from various societal backgrounds and their stature in society.
However, due to various reasons, minority and marginalised communities, as well as common students, often have limited access and exposure to such institutes. Through the Framing Academia initiative, SIO endeavours to bridge this gap and extend support to students from disadvantaged communities and backgrounds, helping them gain admission to these prestigious institutions.
In short, the purpose of Framing Academia is to prepare those children who cannot afford expensive coaching but have the determination to study.
Centuries ago, in Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare said, “What’s in a name?” He was wrong; there is something in a name. The phrase “What’s in a name?” became very famous, and we still hear it today because the person who said it was William Shakespeare, and it was in Romeo and Juliet. If someone named Golu, living in a nearby street, said, “What’s in a name?” we would probably reply, “Since your name is Golu, you don’t see anything in a name.”
In Islam, too, there is encouragement to give children good names.
Two coaching programmes were run by Framing Academia: one was named the Muhammad Muslim Mentorship Programme, and the other was the Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi Mentorship Programme.
For coaching journalism students, there could hardly be a better name than Muhammad Muslim, and for coaching social science students, there could be no better name than Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi.
The Muhammad Muslim Mentorship Programme, an initiative by SIO India in the name of Eminent Journalist Muhammad Muslim, this mentorship was designed especially to assist students preparing for the CUET, Jamia Millia Islamia, IIMC. This 2-month-long course was offered at no cost, with SIO India and its sponsors covering all expenses. The programme targeted underprivileged students lacking financial resources, exposure, and access to quality education. We employed highly qualified teachers who were not only knowledgeable but also adept at delivering lectures tailored to the students’ needs and standards.
Who is Muhammad Muslim?
Muhammad Muslim was born on September 20, 1920, in Bhopal. He began his journalistic career in 1938, working as an honorary sub-editor for the newspaper Nadeem. In 1946, he was arrested for allegedly violating Section 144 but was honourably acquitted a few days later.
In 1947, he was appointed editor of the Nadeem newspaper. In 1948, he was arrested once again but released after a few months. In 1950, he was placed under house arrest for three months. In 1952, he moved from Bhopal to Delhi at the request of Maulana Abul Lais Islahi, the first Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, and in October 1953, he became the sub-editor of the weekly Dawat. Muhammad Muslim was also a member of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
In 1965, he was appointed editor of the weekly Dawat. During his tenure, the government filed five cases against him; he was fined in three cases and acquitted in two. In 1964, he was detained in Tihar Jail for 13 days, and during the 1971 India-Pakistan war, he was detained for 42 days. Following the imposition of Emergency in 1975, he was imprisoned in Delhi and Ambala jails for 21 months.
Muhammad Muslim’s mentorship programme for journalism provided students with two months of online coaching. Additionally, a two-day offline coaching session was conducted specifically for students appearing for the India’s most prestigious institution in journalism (IIMC) entrance. And our hard work paid off, as six of our students got admitted to IIMC.
Muhammad Muslim Mentorship Programme for Journalism received 177 registration. Among them, over 30 students secured admission to Central Universities and more than 5 students to State Universities. As previously mentioned, the programme did not focus solely on journalism coaching but also offered separate classes for Political Science, History, Geography, International Relations, Current Affairs, Economics, and Sociology.
Benefiting from this multidisciplinary approach, 20 students chose to pursue courses other than journalism, such as Sociology, Economics, History, and Political Science. Of these, 8 students gained admission to Central Universities, and 12 secured admission to State Universities. Thus, 20 students from the Muhammad Muslim Mentorship Programme for Journalism opted for other courses instead of journalism.
Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi Mentorship Programme for social science, an initiative by SIO India in the name of Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi (Renowned Islamic scholar, Economist), was designed especially to assist students preparing for the CUET (Economics, History, Political science, Geography, Sociology, English, Urdu, General paper). Dr. Najatullah Siddiqi’s programme for social sciences 2-month-long course included one month of online coaching and one month offline, with centres in West Bengal, Delhi, and Assam, offered at no cost, with SIO India and its sponsors covering all expenses.
Who is Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi?
Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi was born on August 31, 1931, in Gorakhpur. Initially, Dr. Siddiqi had planned to pursue engineering, but later he decided to study Arabic and Islamic sciences.
Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi enrolled in the Jamaat-e-Islami’s Rampur secondary school and then received formal education at Madrasatul Islah from 1950 to 1954. After completing his religious education, Dr. Siddiqi joined Aligarh Muslim University in 1956 and pursued a BA (Arabic, Economics, and English). He topped his class in both his BA and MA. From 1961 to 1974, he worked as a lecturer at Aligarh Muslim University while completing his PhD. He continued working as an Assistant Professor until 1977. In 1978, when he received an offer to work at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, he moved there. He served as a professor of Economics at the university until 2000, continuing his teaching career.
Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi was also a member of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
For his outstanding research in Economics, Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi was awarded the King Faisal International Prize in 1982. In addition, he received several other honours, including the American Finance House Award in 1993.
Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi was the author of over 25 research and Islamic books. His works have been translated into languages such as Arabic, Persian, Hindi, and Turkish. His most famous book, Banking Without Interest, has been published in over 27 editions.
The Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi Mentorship Programme for UG (Undergraduate) Online Courses received 386 registrations, out of which over 100 students secured admission to Central Universities, more than 80 gained admission to State Universities, over 25 were admitted to Private Universities, and more than 15 students are pursuing their education through distance learning mode.
The Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi Mentorship Programme for UG (Undergraduate) Offline Coaching received 52 registration. Of these, 30 students secured admission to Central Universities, 5 students to State Universities, 4 students to Private Universities, and 2 students are pursuing their education through distance learning mode.
Our Special Achievements
Syed Ilham Jafri has successfully gained admission to the University of Leeds, UK, for an MA in International Journalism.
Nawazish Arzoo achieved the top rank in Urdu across India in the CUET (UG) exam.
Maaz Alam secured the first position in the 2024 entrance examination for the Mass Communication Department at Jamia Millia Islamia.
In addition, the Framing Academia provided full support in paying the fees of students who were unable to pay for their course fees.
Special Session
Muhammad Muslim Mentorship Programme for Journalism and Dr. Najatullah Siddiqi Mentorship Programme for Social Sciences organised online coaching sessions focused on Islamic programmes, where children were taught the basics of Islam.
For students selected for the interview at Jamia Millia Islamia, an online class was conducted by Dr. Reyaz, a professor at Aliah University, on the topics “How to Make a Portfolio” and “How to Face an Interview.”
Similarly, offline coaching programmes were also conducted periodically. During the offline orientation programme, key speakers included Syed Tanveer Ahmed, Secretary of Markazi Taleemi Board, and Salimullah Khan, President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Delhi.
Additionally, a Tazkiyah Night was organised, where Dr. Khan Yasir, Faculty at the Indian Institute of Islamic Studies, Rameez EK President of Students Islamic Organisation of India, Daniyal Akram, National Secretary SIO India, and Imrul Quesh, President SIO Delhi, shared their knowledge with the students.
A special programme was held with Shibli Arslan, Director of Jamia Mewat Campus.
In the concluding session, speakers included Imran Hussain, National Secretary SIO India, Khan Tahir, In-charge Framing Academia, Faizy Rahman, In-charge CTAG, and Brother Abul Kalam, Zonal Secretary SIO Delhi.
Additionally, all students were given a tour of Jamia Millia Islamia to inspire them to aim for admission in central universities, to encourage them to perform better in entrance exams, and to foster a passion for studying to achieve higher marks.
