JMI VC Assures of Opening Distance Learning Centres in Seemanchal

19 March; Sehratola (Purnea), Bihar: During a seminar on educational backwardness of Seemanchal, Prof. Talat Ahmad, Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia announced that his university will extend all possible support to open few centres of distance learning in the educationally backward region of Bihar i.e. Seemanchal. His announcement was received with huge applause of the people present during the seminar jointly organized by Human Chain NGO and Madrasa Aaisha Niswan here at Sehratola under Baisa Block of Purnea on Saturday, 19 March, 2016.

The VC expressed happiness over efforts put in by different social and educational institutions to create educational awareness among people. I am delighted that the programme is being held at a girl’s madrasa, he said stating that along with sons we need to provide education to our daughters because “an educated mother will not allow her children to remain uneducated”. He called education the most important tool to take any nation and country to the path of development.

Prof. Ahmad asked to develop a system of educational institutions in which students are provided education in both religious studies and contemporary sciences so that they do not face any problem when they join higher educational institutions to enable for mainstream services. He also appealed to provide skills training to students to increase their employment scope.

An award-winning scientist, Dr Ahmad hailed madrasas for inculcating great discipline in their students stating that the training given to students of madrasas makes them very disciplined which can help them excel in higher studies.

Stressing the need for gaining knowledge and not just degrees, he said, “We need to change our mentality. We want to get a degree at any cost even if we have to use unfair means”. But this will not get you jobs. It is advised to get knowledge of the degree we have because, after all, “It is knowledge not the degree that gets you the job”.
He appealed to the financially well-off people in society to come forward and assist students of poor families. “We should try and see that no student of any family going to school for the first time drops his studies” due to financial crises.

The VC especially urged the educated people to maintain family relations. I have observed that many people forget their families after they get higher education and especially after their financial conditions get better. Try that you do not forget your family because education gives us this responsibility to do something for our own family and for the society at large. He also talked about reviving indigenous methods of treatment for which there is need for research and experiment.

About many students not getting admission in top academic institutions, the VC said that universities have restricted numbers where students are enrolled through competition. I try that wherever people have required infrastructure and can get a fair number of students, I open distance learning centres there. There were huge rounds of applause when the VC said that after visiting the area and interacting with people “I am sure that I can easily teach some students through distance learning”.

I feel great happiness to have visited the area and I assure you to do whatever is possible at my end for maximum study opportunities. On 20th March, the VC inaugurated a school started by Tauheed Educational Trust at Belwa in Kishanganj. He also visited the Aligarh Muslim University Kishanganj Centre. It maybe noted here that for decades no VC of Jamia has visited the Purnea Commissionerate from where a huge number of students study in the university.

Engineer Mohammad Aslam Alig, president of Human Chain; Dr. Mohammad Sajjad, Director, AMU Kishanganj Centre; Dr Junaid Haris, Sr. Assistant Professor, Dept of Islamic Studies, JMI; Dr. Khalid Mubashshir of the Department of Urdu, JMI; Maulana Mutiur Rahman Madani of Tauheed Educational Trust; Manzar Imam, journalist and PhD student of JMI; Mohammad Mudassir Alam, PRO, Central University of South Bihar, Adv. Aquil Johar and others also spoke on this occasion. Hakim Ghulam Mustafa, rector, Madrasa Aaisha Niswan thanked the guests for choosing to visit a madrasa in a rural area which has remained ignored for long. Earlier, Tauqueer Alam Jamaee welcomed the guests and introduced the theme of the seminar.