Sunday, April 20, 2014

Maharashtra imports ‘Bihar Model’ for Muslim aspirants to IITs

Successful Rehmani-30 initiative shortlists students from the community for free special coaching

In the face of the low number of students from the Islamic faith studying in the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), a new Bihar Model called the 'Rehmani-30' has been imported to the state, in which 30 deserving Muslim students will get free special coaching for entrance examinations to the prestigious institutions.

In the new initiative by the Maharashtra Rajya Urdu Shikshak Sanghatna, the 30 students will be shortlisted after written tests and interviews for IIT coaching to be conducted at Anjuman Islam, alongside their Junior College education.

The programme, targeting underprivileged and deserving Muslim children, is the first initiative of its kind in Maharashtra, to be run with the help of the Super-30 coaching centre in Bihar. "Out of 6,100 total seats in IIT Bombay, only 250 are occupied by Muslim candidates.

We have also spoken to several Muslim students from rural areas — most do not even know what an IIT offers, how to prepare for it, or even that it exists as an option. We felt it imperative to take some steps for the community's betterment," said Abur Raziq Hussain, the association's district president.

The initiative was advertised using different methods, like circulating leaflets in Muslim-dominated residential areas, conducting introduction seminars at schools, shortlisting promising candidates by speaking with school heads and also by personal visits to their households.

The written test, for which more than 1,000 Class X children appeared, was conducted on April 13 this year. The top 30 candidates will be shortlisted after the interviews. "This initiative will continue every year.

In the future, we plan to go beyond the Bihar Model, offering preparatory training for other education sectors as well, like medicine, management etc.," added Hussain. Ahad Ali, a student of the Indo-Public School who has just appeared for his Class X examination, said, "I have tremendous interest in machines, especially auto-related, and want to be an engineer.

When my father came across this new initiative where Muslim students are to be given free coaching to help them crack IIT entrances, half my dream came true. I have given the test, and now hope to be shortlisted in the top 30."

His father Waheed Ali, himself an engineer, said, "A leaflet in our newspaper informed us about the initiative. These days, junior colleges coaching charges cost lakhs, and IIT entrance coaching costs even more. This programme may ensure quality coaching for my son for free. Had this been available for my elder son, who is now in a polytechnic college, he too could have tried to avail of this the facility for better results."

According to the 'Bihar Model', run by the Rahmani Foundation of Munger, the coaching programme handles the entire expenses of the 30 students — their junior college education, IIT coaching, accommodation, food etc. The initiative is aided by the Bihar DGP, Abhayanand.



Source: Pune Mirror

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