By Tarique Anwar and Mudassir Rizwan, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: Andhra Pradesh-based Muslim Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (MESCO) wants to open some academic and technical institutions in Bihar in order to promote education and technical skill among the educationally backward section of the Muslim community there.
MESCO runs 18 engineering colleges in Andhra Pradesh. About 20% of seats in these colleges are reserved for talented but economically weak Muslim students.
Addressing a press conference here in Patna on October 20, general secretary of MESCO Dr Fakhruddin Mohammad said that he came here to promote education among Muslim community.
He was here to visit Rahmani-30, a coaching centre run by Rahmani Foundation for poor but talented students aspiring to appear for IIT-JEE.
MESCO has planned to establish educational institutions from primary to medical and engineering level and for this it needs support from the government as well as Muslim intellectuals, said Dr Fakhruddin Mohammad. He said he met Ashok Kumar Sinha, principal secretary, technical education, Government of Bihar, and he promised to give land to MESCO in the state on lower rate. The organisation has seen 200 acres of land in Kishanganj, Forbesganj and Khagaria for this purpose.
Ashok Kumar has assured him that Bihar government will extend its full support to MESCO for establishment of technical colleges, he added.
Giving details about MESCO, Dr Fakhruddin said: “MESCO is in the 25th year of its service to the community. Presently it has property worth Rs 50 crores and has more than three thousand members, most of them are doctors.”
He visited technical and paramedical educational institutions run by Imarat Shariah and congratulated Imarat’s officials and promised to extend full contribution from MESCO for its progress.
He said that MESCO has planned to open a chain of English medium schools like Delhi Public School, in all districts of Bihar. “Emphasis should be given on primary schools first. Only then technical and management institutions will succeed”, he said.
Established in 1982 by a group of young doctors, under the guidance and patronage of eminent senior doctors who wanted to form an educational, social and cultural organization for Muslims, MESCO now runs several schools and colleges, organizes camps and lectures on health awareness, and conducts coaching classes for secondary students.
MESCO has also played a noble role in rehabilitation projects for the victims of Gujarat earthquake 2001 and Gujarat communal riots 2002.
It runs MBA, MCA and pharmacy programmes in its colleges.
The MESCO – ALEF (Arabic Language Education Foundation), a unique and easy method of teaching Arabic and Tajweed programme, was started by MESCO for educational, spiritual and economic development of the Muslim community. The programme has been implemented in more than 150 schools with 230 Ulema as teachers, and nearly 1,50,000 students in Hyderabad and other cities in India and abroad have benefited from the programme.
Dr Mohaamad Rafique, member, managing committee, MESCO, Waris Baig, eminent scientist, Professor Matin, director technical education, Imarat Shariah, Rashid Ahmad, ex-secretary, were also present in the press conference held in the premises of Rahmani-30.