by Shaheryar Hossain for Maeeshat 

New Delhi: Okhla based Zakat Foundation of India (ZFI) felicitated its students who cracked UPSC exam on Sunday.

While Syed Zafar Mahmood, a former civil servant, has been running the Sir Syed Coaching and Guidance Centre under the parent organisation ZFI, 28 students from his centre qualified UPSC exam this year.

“During its 10 years journey, ZFI has helped many students crack the country’s most prestigious exam. 28 candidates from our institute cracked this year’s UPSC. Two candidates are from 2015 ZFI batch,” said Mahmood on the sidelines of the felicitation ceremony, held in collaboration with Interfaith Coalition for Peace, at a hotel in New Friend’s Colony.

ZFI initially engaged in activities such as running an orphanage and helping the needy students. However, the coaching programme began in 2007.

“I am thankful to ZFI for supporting me. I want to give the credit to ZFI, Jamia Milia and Hamadard for my success. I didn’t clear the exam the first time. But I didn’t give up. I attempted again,” said Inabat Khaliq, ZFI fellow who qualified UPSC this year.

The Kashmiri girl secured 370th rank in the merit list. She had qualified the UPSC exam 2016 as well but secured a lower rank.

Lauding the hard work put forth by the civil service aspirants in cracking the exam, Interfaith Coalition for Peace’s Father Packiam T. Samuel also congratulated the qualified the prestigious civil services.

Selection process

The foundation launched Sir Syed Coaching and Guidance Centre in 2007.

Every year, 35-40 candidates between the age of 22 and 27 are shortlisted for the fellowship.

Shortlisted candidates from Muslim and Christian communities are coached at various institutes and are accommodated in three boys hostels and a girls hostel in Mukherjee Nagar.

Highlights

Of the 51 Muslim candidates who cracked this year’s UPSC exam, 28 are from the ZFI.

The students were given certificates.

A total of 990 candidates — 750 men and 240 women — have been recommended by the UPSC for appointment to various central government services.

List of Successful ZFI fellows

Name                                                    State

Imran Ahmed                                      Uttar Pradesh

Asim Khan                                           Uttar Pradesh

Syed Imran Masood                          Uttar Pradesh

Ejaz Ahmed                                        Uttar Pradesh

Md Shafiq                                           Uttar Pradesh

Junaid Ahmed                                   Uttar Pradesh

Syed Ali Abbas                                  Uttar Pradesh

Dr Haaris Rashid                            Uttar Pradesh

Arif Khan                                          Uttar Pradesh

Illma Afroz                                       Uttar Pradesh

Dr Ibson Shah I                               Kerala

Ihjas Aslam CS                                 Kerala

Shahid T Komnath                          Kerala

Amal Noushad S                              Kerala

Muhammad Shabeer K                  Kerala

Anna Sosa Thomas                         Kerala

Benson Ninan                                  Kerala

Afsal Hameed                                  Kerala

Atul Choudhary                              Jammu and Kashmir

Inabat Khaliq                                  Jammu and Kashmir

Md Farooq                                       Jammu and Kashmir

Nooh Siddiqui                                 Maharashtra

Shaikh Salman                                Maharashtra

Md Nadeenuddin                           Karnataka

SaraiyaRizaz Bhai Rafi Bhai        Gujarat

Khalid Hussain                               Bihar