Telangana Celebrates National Education Day and Minority Welfare Day with Prestigious Awards Ceremony
Hyderabad: Telangana is commemorating the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, India’s first education minister, as National Education Day and Minority Welfare Day. The state will celebrate this significant occasion at 11:30 a.m. at the Ravindra Bharati Auditorium in Hyderabad, with the event organized by the Telangana State Urdu Academy and the Minority Residential School Society.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, along with several state ministers and public representatives, are expected to attend the event, which will honor exceptional individuals for their contributions to education, social welfare, and the advancement of minorities in India.
Prestigious Maulana Abul Kalam Azad National Award
A highlight of the celebration will be the presentation of the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad National Award. This prestigious award recognizes distinguished individuals for their efforts in areas such as education, social development, and national progress, particularly in the context of minority communities. This year’s recipients include:
- Zahid Ali Khan, Editor of The Siasat Daily
- Syed Asif Pasha, former minister
- Ms. Lakshmi Devi Raj, philanthropist and educator
- Ghulam Yazdani, senior advocate
- Aminul Hasan Jafri, community leader
The awards will be presented by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, honoring achievements from the period of 2019 to 2023.
Makhdoom Award and Lifetime Achievement Awards
In addition to the Maulana Azad Award, the Telangana Urdu Academy will confer the Makhdoom Award for 2024 in the research and criticism category to Prof. Naseemuddin Farees. The Academy will also present Lifetime Achievement Awards to 21 individuals for their outstanding contributions to various fields between 2021 and 2023. The award categories include poetry, fiction, research, criticism, education, Urdu promotion, and journalism.
Notable recipients in the poetry category include Anjani Kumar Goel, Tayyab Pasha Qadri, and Moinuddin Amar Bumboo, while Surayya Jabeen, Hameed Adil, and Muhammad Abdul Qadoos Rizwan will be honored in the fiction category. In the research and criticism category, the recipients include Dr. Athar Sultana, Dr. M.A. Qadeer, and Dr. Muhammad Abdul Qavi.
Other honorees include Jafar Jari, Chand Bibi, and Muhammad Mehboob for their contributions to education; Sheikh Ahmed Zia, Muhammad Rafiuddin Farooqi, and Rafia Nausheen for their work in promoting Urdu; and Ahmed Ali Khan, Muhammad Javed Ali, and Rafeeq Shahi for their contributions to journalism.
Special Lifetime Achievement Awards
The event will also feature Special Lifetime Achievement Awards to recognize individuals who have made significant impacts in their respective fields. The awards will honor:
- Amjad Hyderabadi and Sayeed Shaheedi for their contributions to poetry
- Agha Haider Hasan for fiction
- Prof. Habibur Rahman for research
- Srinivas Lahoti for his dedication to the promotion of Urdu
Additionally, the Mehboob Hussain Jigar Awards will be presented to prominent journalists for their contributions to Urdu journalism and minority welfare.
This event serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, whose vision for education and social justice continues to inspire generations. It also highlights Telangana’s ongoing commitment to the upliftment of minorities and the promotion of Urdu language and culture.
