Dr. Zahir Kazi President Anjuman-I-Islam addressing on the occasion of Sir Syed Excellence National Award from AMU

Mumbai : Prominent educational institution Anjuman-I-Islam was conferred upon the prestigious Sir Syed Excellence National Award by Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on Saturday 17^th October 2020. The Anjuman-I-Islam is awarded for its exemplary efforts and contribution in the field of education among the Muslims and marginalized sections of the society, on the occasion of Sir Syed Day at a virtual ceremony.

While thanking Aligarh Muslim University and its management for conferring this honour, Dr. Zahir Kazi said, “We are proud to receive this award from a University that was established at around the same time as Anjuman I Islam, with similar objectives of providing quality education to the masses, so as to bring them out from economic backwardness. Both the organisations have grown over the last 145+ years on the lines of the dreams and vision of their founders”.

Anjuman-I-Islam, Mumbai is the largest minority Educational and Social Trust focusing on marginalized sections of the society and empowerment of women, an organization of inclusive mindset. The Trust through its 97 institutions provides education to the students from their formative years of primary and preprimary education to post graduation and research subjects, and at any one time has approximately one lakh students studying in these institutions, with teaching and non-teaching staff of 3000 dedicated to providing quality education to these students at lowest possible cost. Professional institutions cover the diverse disciplines of Engineering, Unani medicine, Architecture, Pharmacy, Hospitality, Catering and Hotel Management, Law, Business Administration, Home Science, Teachers’ training Institutes and Other Skill development programs. Over 40% students of Anjuman I Islam are Girl children and majority of teaching faculty are women.

The Alumni of Anjuman I Islam, are recognized leaders across many countries, in diverse fields of Business, Technology, Arts, Sports, Media, Medical Sciences, Politics and allied fields. To name just a few, Mr. M. A. Pathan, ex-Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation, a Fortune 500 Company, Former CM of Maharashtra Mr. A. R. Antulay, Late Mr. Ismael Merchantof Merchant Ivory Production, Thespian and Padma Vibhushan Mr. Dilip Kumar (Yusuf Khan), Padma Shri Ms. Fatima Zakaria, ex Deputy Editor of Illustrated Weekly, and ex editor of Mumbai Mirror and Sunday Times, Famous Cricketers Salim Durrani, Ghulam Parkar, Wassim Jaffer, Advocate and Member of Rajya Sabha Mr. Majeed Memon, etc.

Over the last 10 years, under the leadership of senior radiologist Dr. Zahir I. Kazi the organization has rapidly expanded and huge infrastructure at Panvel, near Mumbai was created for establishing an integrated Campus comprising Colleges of Engineering, Pharmacy and Architecture and added a College of Law. Over this period, Post graduate courses and Research Centers in Engineering, Pharmacy, and the like were established. Major modernization projects at Institute of Hotel Management and Catering, historic Karimi Library and Sobani Hostel, CST Campus in Mumbai, Public School, Panchgani, Kalsekar Hospital, Versova, Schools at Kurla,Ahmed Sailor School, Nagpada, etc., have been completed. Capacities in several institutes were enhanced for greater intake to meet the rising demand. There are plans on anvil for a Medical Campus comprising Allopathy, Nursing, Physiotherapy, a new wing for postgraduate and research studies at Saboo Siddique Engineering College, and a campus in Sholapur.

Anjuman also runs two girls’ orphanages and a well known ‘Sahara Sponsorship’ program for educational aid for the poor and the needy and for supporting destitute women. The motto at the girls’ orphanages is ‘BetiBachao, BetiPadhao, BetiBasao’ and the girls are nurtured, educated, settled and monitored even after marriage for several years.

Anjuman I Islam has two main principles “Providing quality education at lowest possible cost” and “Ensuring that no student is turned away for lack of finance”.

Established in 1874 by some prominent public service minded residents of Mumbai, led by Justice Badruddin Tyabji, first Indian Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and the third President of Indian National Congress following in the footsteps of Sir Dadabhoy Naoroji, Anjuman-I-Islam caters to the educational requirements of the most underprivileged sections of the Society, most of whom otherwise would not have had access to quality education, most of them being first generation learners.

Anjuman-I-Islam is a Nationalistic Organisation which participated in the freedom struggle of India. Many of its iconic members were jailed as freedom fighters and many strategic meetings for freedom struggle were held in its premise. In line with these ideals, whenever the need arises, Anjuman is in the forefront for any National cause.

Anjuman is one year older to AMU as it was founded in 1874 while Madarsat-ul-Uloom which later became Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College was founded in 1875. MAO College was converted into Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in 1920.