Dr. Abdul Qadeer of Shaheen Group conferred Sir Syed National Excellence Award 2025
Aligarh: The Sir Syed National Excellence Award 2025 was conferred upon Dr. Abdul Qadeer, Chairman of the Shaheen Group of Institutions, Bidar, during the Sir Syed Day Commemorative Ceremony held at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on October 17, 2025. The award recognises his transformative contributions to education and his work in empowering marginalized communities through inclusive learning initiatives.
The citation, read out during the ceremony, described Dr. Abdul Qadeer as “an eminent educationist, visionary reformer, and philanthropist whose work has transformed education in Bidar and inspired learners across India.”
It noted that Dr. Qadeer began his career as an engineer with a Japanese firm before returning to his hometown of Bidar, driven by a deep sense of social responsibility. He went on to establish the Allama Iqbal Education Society, which later evolved into the Shaheen Group of Institutions. What began with just 18 students has now grown into one of India’s most respected educational networks, enabling Bidar to “reclaim its historic reputation as a centre of learning, echoing the legacy of the Bahmani period,” the citation stated.
The university commended Dr. Qadeer for “harmonizing religious and modern education”, thereby expanding opportunities for students of traditional backgrounds to pursue mainstream academics. His vision, the citation observed, is “resonant with the ideals of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan”, founder of AMU, who championed modern education for Indian Muslims in the 19th century.
In recognition of his efforts, the citation highlighted Dr. Qadeer’s receipt of the Kannada Rajyotsava Award and acknowledged his “exceptional commitment to inclusive education, empowerment of the marginalized, and the enduring pursuit of knowledge for societal progress.”
Founded in 1989, the Shaheen Group of Institutions currently educates more than 20,000 students with a faculty strength of over 500, spread across 13 states in India. The group runs schools, pre-university and degree colleges, and provides coaching for NEET, JEE, and UPSC examinations, along with specialized programmes like Hifz-ul-Quran Plus and Madrasa Plus that blend religious and modern learning.
The Sir Syed Excellence Awards, instituted by Aligarh Muslim University, carry cash prizes of ₹2,00,000 (international) and ₹1,00,000 (national) and are presented annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in fields such as Sir Syed Studies, South Asian Studies, Urdu Literature, Medieval History, Social Reform, Communal Harmony, Journalism, and Interfaith Dialogue.
This year’s recipients were chosen by a distinguished jury chaired by Prof. Azarmi Dukht Safavi, with Prof. Anisur Rehman, Prof. A.R. Kidwai, Prof. Imtiaz Hasnain, and Prof. Shafey Kidwai as members. The selection was approved by AMU Vice Chancellor Prof. Naima Khatoon.
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Odisha: Normalcy returns to violence-hit Malkangiri; internet services fully restored
Malkangiri (PTI): Normalcy returned to Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Monday, nearly a week after around 200 villages were damaged in violent clashes in a village, with the district administration fully restoring internet services, a senior official said.
Additional District Magistrate Bedabar Pradhan said internet services, suspended across the district on December 8 to curb the spread of rumours and misinformation following the clashes, were restored after the situation improved.
The suspension had been extended in phases till 12 noon on Monday.
The administration also withdrew prohibitory orders imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita within a 10-km radius of MV-26 village, where arson incidents were reported on December 7 and December 8.
Though the violence was confined to two villages, tension had gripped the entire district, as the incident took the form of a clash between local tribals and Bengali settlers following the recovery of a headless body of a woman on December 4, officials said.
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The violence broke out after residents of Rakhelguda village allegedly set ablaze several houses belonging to Bengali residents, forcing hundreds to flee. The headless body of Lake Podiami (51), a woman from the Koya tribe, was recovered from the banks of the Poteru river on December 4, while her head was found six days later at a location about 15 km away.
Officials said the district administration held several rounds of discussions with representatives of the tribal and Bengali communities, following which both sides agreed to maintain peace.
Relief and rehabilitation work has since been launched at MV-26 village, with preliminary assessment pegging property damage at around Rs 3.8 crore.
A two-member ministerial team headed by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo visited the affected village, interacted with officials and locals, and submitted a report to the chief minister.
So far, 18 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, the officials said, adding that despite the withdrawal of prohibitory orders and restoration of internet services, security forces, including BSF and CRPF personnel, continue to be deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
On Sunday, Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi visited MV-26 and neighbouring Rakhelguda villages, and held discussions with members of both communities as part of efforts to rebuild confidence and restore peace.
More than two lakh Bengali-speaking Bangladeshis were rehabilitated by the Centre in Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts in 1968, and they currently reside in 124 villages of Malkangiri.
