Latest news with #MaulanaAzadNationalUrduUniversity
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
NGO lauded for work in violence prevention, education, financial inclusion and interfaith dialogue
An event marking 30 years of the Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA) was organised which brought together several volunteers, partners, staff, and well-wishers from across the country. The Reflections on Association with COVA@30 event saw video messages from collaborators across India highlighted COVA's wide-ranging engagement on over 30 issues ,from grassroot works in slums of Hyderabad to policy advocacy with multilateral institutions. A documentary produced by Maulana Azad National Urdu University's Mass Communication Department traced the organisation's evolution and reach in the area of social activism. A book, Chronicle of COVA@30: Service Through Social Transformations, featuring reflections from 150 individuals, that include partners, associates, and volunteers, was also released. Speakers deeply appreciated COVA's notable work in violence prevention, education, financial inclusion and interfaith dialogue. The organisation's Compassionate Citizenship Programme, now part of Telangana's school curriculum, was praised as a model for moral and civic education. According to a media release, its research on financial inclusion, commissioned ahead of the 2013 G20 Summit in Russia, resulted in nine of its twelve recommendations being adopted by India's Finance Ministry, five of which were integrated into the eMUDRA Scheme. Participants recalled how COVA's community initiatives had helped prevent communal violence in Hyderabad since 2012, describing the group's work as vital to peacebuilding and social harmony.
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Hyderabad in fragments: a city's story told in micro-histories
Hyderabad's rich, layered history has long captivated writers and scholars. But with Telangana marking its 11th anniversary on June 2, there is a renewed interest around the State and its capital city, which has been shaped by dynasties, cultural syncretism and centuries of transformation. Tapping into this growing interest, author Daneesh Majid's new book, The Hyderabadis: From 1947 to the Present Day, paints a nuanced portrait of the city, weaving together micro-narratives of its people. Majid profiles families displaced by Operation Polo and its bloody aftermath, chronicling lives that were once comfortable but later upended, at times by the very hands that had once served them. The book presents diverse perspectives: from those who opposed the Razakars, to the story of a Hindu woman, heartbroken that her Hyderabad had fallen. Majid also turns his gaze outside India, tracing the lives of expatriates who spent several decades in West Asian countries, which became their second home. Upon returning, they had to rebuild their lives in a city that was rapidly changing. Through these different stories, he captures different lived experiences. He also seeks to reconcile the often divergent narratives many of which continue to carry political overtones. 'There was a lot of literature on the Partition which was evocative, but I found that the stories of Hyderabadis weren't many,' Majid says. 'Micro-history, which is about asking the big questions in smaller places, outside the corridors of power, these narratives are sometimes contrary to — let's say — mainstream histories. There is some truth in both narratives. And this is why micro-histories are important: they offer nuanced perspectives.' In the chapter 'From Jagirdar to Jamaati', Majid records the story of Omar Farooq Quadri, a student whose family fled Bamini in Marathwada on account of Operation Polo. They first sought refuge in rural Telangana and later moved to Hyderabad. A change in the family's fortunes turned them from landlords to paupers, even as a family member became a dervish. While 'Qadri' indicates either Sufi lineage or affiliation, the family had to change course spiritually. 'The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind played a crucial role in rehabilitating them socio-economically in Hyderabad. Omar is now a student leader at Maulana Azad National Urdu University. What struck me was that he is one of the few students from Hyderabad in place where one finds people largely from Kashmir, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,' Majid notes. Through the story of Narayan Raj Saxena, the great-grandson of Bansi Raja, a close aide of sixth Nizam Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, Majid illustrates how the Kayasth community has been an inalienable part of Hyderabad's history. 'He witnessed the tumultuous period of 1948. He saw Hyderabad change with his own eyes. There are few now who are well enough to remember,' says Majid. 'The Kayasthas were skilled administrators in the Nizam's government and were great with languages. They knew Persian, and when the official language changed to Urdu in the 1880s, they mastered that too.' Post-1948, some Muslim families moved to Pakistan. Ali Adil Khan, one of Majid's subjects, was born in Hyderabad in the 1960s during one of his parents' visits to the city from Pakistan. His father, Mohammed Anwar Ali, had left for Karachi on August 14, 1950. In 1948, when his grandfather Ishaq Ali was posted in Bidar, Operation Polo was launched. While Ishaq Ali was in Hyderabad, his family was still in Bidar. It was a Hindu neighbour who arranged for their safe passage to Hyderabad. However, Majid deliberately steers clear of discussing mainstream politics. For instance, the complex history of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, now led by the Owaisi brothers, is largely missing. While he does mention Abid Ali Khan, the influential Hyderabadi journalist, who co-founded Siasat Daily, the tussle between the heads — past and present — of these two power centres of Muslim politics does not find a place in the narrative.
Hindustan Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Maulana Azad National Urdu University junks MoU with Turkish institute, draws students' ire
Hyderabad, City-based Maulana Azad National Urdu University has announced the cancellation of its academic memorandum of understanding with a Turkish institute, following Turkiye's support of Pakistan in the wake of tensions with India. MANUU, a central university, announced cancelling the arrangement with Yunus Emre Institute, Turkiye for a diploma course, with immediate effect. In a statement issued on Thursday, the varsity's registrar said the decision was taken in protest against Turkiye's "support" for Pakistan's terrorist activities in the backdrop of India-Pakistan tensions. The central university said it signed a MoU with the Turkish institute in 2020 for a period of five years under which a diploma in Turkish language was started at the School of languages, linguistics and Indology in MANUU. A visiting professor who was appointed for the course has already returned to his country, the official informed. Following Turkiye's support to Pakistan amid heightened tensions with India, multiple educational institutions, including Jawaharlal Nehru University , have either suspended their collaboration with universities from there, or are considering such a move, officials had said recently. Meanwhile, Azad United Students' Federation in a statement posted on social media said it strongly condemned the decisions of MANUU, JMI, and JNU to cancel or suspend their academic MoUs with institutions in the Republic of Turkiye. India has never closed its doors to intellectual engagement, even in times of political strife. To use allegations of terrorism or political disagreements as a pretext to curb academic cooperation undermines the very spirit of higher education and international understanding, the statement further read. "The fight against terrorism must not become a fight against academic freedom. Suspending scholarly ties in the name of nationalism not only damages our global academic standing but also risks transforming our universities into ideological outposts that echo the narrow vision of authoritarian forces,' it said. The students' body demanded the immediate reversal of the decisions and urged academic institutions to uphold the values of free inquiry and global academic cooperation. "Let our universities remain centers of knowledge, not echo chambers of political propaganda," it added.
New Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
MANUU cancels academic MoU with Turkish university over Turkiye's alleged support for Pakistan
HYDERABAD: Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) announced the cancellation of its academic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yunus Emre Institute, Turkiye, with immediate effect. In a press statement on Thursday, the Hyderabad-based university stated that the decision was taken in protest against Turkiye's alleged support for Pakistan's terrorist activities in the backdrop of Indo-Pak tensions. It is worth mentioning that on January 2, 2024, MANUU signed an MoU with Yunus Emre Institute, Turkiye, for a period of five years, under which a diploma in Turkish language was started at the School of Languages, Linguistics & Indology, MANUU. Services of a visiting professor were hired for this. The statement said that the visiting Professor from Turkiye has already returned to his country.
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
MANUU terminates MoU with Turkish institute citing Turkiye's support for Pakistan
The Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) in Hyderabad on Thursday (May 15, 2025) announced the immediate cancellation a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Turkish institute as a mark of protest against Turkiye's support to Pakistan. According to news reports, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh had said that Pakistan had used multiple drones, possibly of Turkish origin, for its intrusions from Leh to Sir Creek at several locations. In a statement issued to the media, MANUU communicated its decision to effectively terminate a five-year academic collaboration with the Yunus Emre Institute (YEI) which was signed on January 2, 2024. According to The YEI website, the Institute is affiliated to the Yunus Emre Foundation, and has been engaged in teaching Turkish at cultural centres established in other countries so as to promote that language and Turkish culture. The MoU had facilitated the introduction of a diploma course in Turkish language at MANUU's School of Languages, Linguistics and Indology. As part of the agreement, the services of a visiting professor from Turkey were availed to teach the course. The university also stated that the visiting professor has since returned to Turkey. MANUU's cancellation of the MoU marks yet another Indian university terminating or suspending agreements with Turkish organisations. In the recent past, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) suspended an agreement with Turkiye's Inonu University. The agreement, signed in February this year, entailed faculty and student exchange programmes as well as other collaborations for three years. Similarly the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), citing national security concerns, suspended all collaborations with Turkish universities.
