By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: The Delhi-based Human Welfare Foundation yesterday felicitated 750 meritorious students of Muslim community of Uttar Pradesh in a function in the state capital of Lucknow. Besides, 10 schools were also felicitated on this occasion and were given mementos and citation for their good performance in the last three academic sessions.
The awardee students were those who scored 60% marks or above in their Board Examination for the academic session 2008-09. Each of the students was given Rs 1000 in cash prize besides citations in the award giving function held at Hari Lawn, Ashok Marg, Lucknow.
Academic Excellence Award – 2009 U.P. is an initiative of Human Welfare Foundation, New Delhi, and P M Foundation, Kerala.
“The Award for Academic Excellence – 2009 (UP) is meant to encourage the students to continue performing better in future. It is to motivate the minority students for performing excellently in their academic studies. It is to be noted that the Higher Secondary Examination Results of Muslim Community in the state has been on the poor side during the recent years,” said Prof. K.A. Siddiq Hassan, General Secretary, Human Welfare Foundation.
Addressing the students and their parents, Prof. Hassan, who is also working on the Vision 2016, a mega socio-economic empowerment program, emphasized the role of education in the development of our country. “Therefore, we are making every effort to improve the quality of life of the neglected sections of this society through the Vision 2016 program,” he said.
The awardees were given cash prizes and citations, where as the schools were also ranked according to their performances in last three academic sessions. A total of 10 schools were felicitated on this occasion and were given mementos and citation.
S.M.A. Kazmi, chairman, Minority Commission of Uttar Pradesh state graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and congratulated the awardees for their achievement
Addressing the gathering, Justice K. A. Abdul Gafoor, Chairman, PM Foundation, Kerala, said that the PM Foundation started this project in Kerala twenty three years back with just 100 students who secured 60% and above marks, which is now reached to 836 students securing more than 90% marks in the 23rd Award Distribution Programme and we expect the same here in Uttar Pradesh also.
The function was presided over by the foundation’s Vice President Muhammad Jafar. He congratulated the awardees and said that this award will be a milestone in their life and urged them to perform better and better, so as to compete with this extremely competitive world.
A number of other dignitaries who attended the program included UP State Information Commissioner, Mr. Virendar Kumar Saxena, Maulan Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli, Naib Imam, Idgah Lucknow, Mr. N. M. Sharfuddin, Trustee, P M Foundation, Mr. C. P. Kunju Muhammad, Trustee, P M Foundation, Mr. Manzoor Ahmed, Ex-IPS, Former Vice-Chancellor, Agra University and Trustee HWF, and Maulana Waliullah Saeedi Falahi, President Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, UP East.