M Naushad Ansari, TwoCircles.net,
Patna : The Rahmani 30 initiative under which 30 Muslim IIT aspirants are coached free of charge every year, shone again as 24 candidates out of 30 have qualified in the IIT-JEE preliminary tests and will now appear for the second level of mains examinations. This is their first step towards realization of their dream of becoming an IITian.
Maulana Wali Rahmani has tied up with senior IPS officer Abhayanand, who formerly worked with super-30, to start Rahmani 30, exclusively for Muslim IIT aspirants in the year 2009.
The first Rahmani 30 batch began classes in July 2008, with 10 students on board. In the very first exam, in 2009, all the ten made it to the IIT merit list. Later 12 students got selected in 2010, 15 in 2011, 16 in 2012 and 24 in the prelim exam this year.
This way Rahmani 30 has succeeded in helping several Muslim students crack the IIT entrance examinations and gain admission in institutes across the country.
In Rahmani 30, Muslim youths who have completed class X, take a written test to qualify for a free two year coaching.
Maulana Wali Rahmani views that Muslim youths mainly confined themselves to joining the industrial training institutes (ITIs) to become technicians for small jobs in India and in gulf countries. The IITs have been almost beyond their reach, mainly due to economic constraints and lack of other resources.
(M Naushad Ansari is the general secretary of Peace Foundation, Patna.)