Second Edition of  One Hundred Inspiring Muslim Women from Uttar Pradesh 2023

Cover Artwork:  "Rising From the Shadows" by Lucknow artist, Farzana Shahab


Publication is for release on 10th November 2023 at Lucknow 


The 100 Honorees celebrated in this book capture the diversity and exemplary accomplishments of U.P.’s Muslim women. They are from over 30 districts of Uttar Pradesh- from Agra, Azamgarh, Aligarh, Amroha, to Bareilly, Barabanki, Bijnor, Bulandshahr, Bhadohi, Bahraich and Sitapur, Shahjahanpur, Saharanpur, Shamli, Sultanpur besides Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj and Lucknow among others. 




 BEYOND STEREOTYPES


Muslim women in India have been at the forefront of the nationalist and feminist discourse in the country, during and after the independence movement. They have contributed to many aspects of national life including politics, literature, education, and social work.  Uttar Pradesh is home to many of these amazing women from history, who had broken barriers and challenged the patriarchal order in their time and do not fit the stereotypical representation of  ‘oppressed Muslim women’. These women took up various professions and dedicated their lives to ensuring equality and greater opportunities for women. Some of the historical stalwarts from Uttar Pradesh include Begum Hazrat Mahal, born in Faizabad in 1830, who was a prominent leader of the 1857 war of independence against the British. Hajara Begum who fought against the British to liberate the nation and worked for the toiling masses of the country was born in Saharanpur in 1910. A politician and activist, Begum Anis Kidwai, born in Barabanki in 1906, worked tirelessly in refugee camps after partition and also served two terms in the Rajya Sabha.  Begum Nishatunnisa Mohani, whose notion of ultimate freedom was adapted by Mahatma Gandhi, was born in Awadh in 1884. Abadi Bano Begum, who took active part in the Indian National Movement, was born in 1852 in Amroha. Saeeda Khurshid, born in Kaimganj in 1927, was the founder of the Muslim Women’s Forum. Hamida Habibullah of Lucknow, born in 1916, was  a parliamentarian, educationist and social worker and the president of the Mahila Congress. Mumtaz Jahan Haider, who was appointed the principal of the Aligarh Women’s College in 1937, worked for women’s education her entire life. Razia Sajjad Zaheer, the recipient of the Nehru Award and Uttar Pradesh State Sahitya Academy Award, wrote novels like Sar-e-Sham, Kante and Suman. Safia Akhtar from Rudauli, was a brilliant writer, poet, author and teacher. Her works include the letters that she wrote to her husband “Hurf-e-Ashna” and “Zer-e-lab” and a collection of short essays “Andaz-e-Nazar”. Rashid Jahan, born Aligarh in 1905, was a doctor, writer, political activist, and member of the Communist Party of India born in 1905. And these are just a few of the names... 


Standing on the shoulders of the stalwarts from history, Muslim women of Uttar Pradesh continue to make contributions to nation building. I am very happy to launch the second edition of the Rising Beyond The Ceiling (RBTC) 100 Uttar Pradesh. I congratulate our RBTC Uttar Pradesh Coordinator, Ms. Sabiha Ahmad, and the entire team on their work over the year to put this together. I particularly celebrate all the one hundred women in this list.  The RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh 2023 honorees have displayed exemplary resilience and success in various fields. They are shattering stereotypes in uniform, in government departments and agencies,  they are change makers in social development, they have made difference in medicine and science, have achieved excellence in academics, demonstrated leadership in the business sectors, and have made an impact as founders and entrepreneurs and in the media,  they are award winning authors, writers and poets, are creative contributors to the arts and are shining is a range of sports, hockey, shooting, others. 


Uttar Pradesh is home today to 440 lakh people who identify themselves as Muslims and make up approximately 19.3 percent of the total population. Of this population nearly 220 lakhs are Muslim women.  The 100 Rising Beyond The Ceiling stories are a small sliver from among these  220 lakh Muslim women of Uttar Pradesh.  The over 10 crore women of India, who identify themselves as Muslim, reach across all states and union territories, are from a spectrum of ethnicities and languages, do not look the same or sound the same and contribute to progress and development in a myriad way.  However, there is a stereotype narrative surrounding Muslim women of India, particularly around education, marital rights, and freedom. Muslim women are often imagined and portrayed as oppressed victims, docile, powerless, voiceless, and marginalized. It is also commonplace to view Muslim women of India, and globally, as a monolithic category, even though they are highly differentiated and heterogeneous.   The stereotypical image of a Muslim woman as uneducated and lacking ambition is neither true nor fair. It obscures the complex realities of life for many millions of Muslim women ― incorrectly attributing their low levels of educational attainment to a lack of desire, as well as to the strictures of Islam, rather than to a broader range of socioeconomic and political roadblocks. 


Rising Beyond The Ceiling was founded in 2020 out of the need to change the stereotypical narrative about Muslim women of India. I believe we ourselves must work to put forward and build our own narrative. Through sharing the stories of the lived reality of Muslim women’s lives, in all their diversity, RBTC aims to dismantle their negative societal stereotypes. The hundreds of profiles of courage and excellence of Muslim women across India and globally, demonstrate how they have overcome and addressed the hierarchies of gender, class, and location. Through shining a light on the untold stories and celebrating the achievements of Muslim women of India, RBTC proposes to make them more visible and drive a new narrative.  


I review the profiles for Rising Beyond The Ceiling and read about and talk to inspiring Muslim women of India, looking for what they have in common. The many biases and barriers that have derailed women from exploring their full potential could fill pages. However, the bigger fascination for me is not the women who were stopped, but those who refused to be slowed down. And what does that say about what we all can do going forward.  While all women achievers are distinctive and individualistic, I see some common pointers emerging.  Most achievers have a supportive person or mentor at some point in their lives, whom they mention in different ways – father, mother, spouse, mostly family – who was instrumental in their career selection and pursuance. Many women pursued a childhood dream which carried them through failure and disappointment to keep trying and finally succeed. There are stories of taking on professional careers later in life after marriage and motherhood, after exploring different professions. Several faced brickbats and backlash but were firm in their belief which helped them continue in their chosen path. RBTC honorees tend to redefine themselves as individuals without limitations of gender stereotypes, and this belief was also encouraged and supported in their families. The whole world doesn’t need to be on the side of Muslim women, and it almost never is. But one mentor, or teacher or parent or spouse offering encouragement is vital. I continue to learn about and from Muslim women of India. They diversify my perspectives and reiterate that Muslim women are heterogeneous, and not a monolith.   


As we take charge of the new narrative, inspired by these stories of success, and recognizing the tenacity of women, let us start shedding the narrow definitions of success and of us, Muslim women of India. Change occurs slowly, but it does occur. I feel we are making progress….


Dr. Farah K. Usmani , Founder & Chairperson, Rising Beyond The Ceiling

New York30 October 2023

Press Brief for Launch on 10th November 2023 at Lucknow 

Rising Beyond The Ceiling

100 Stereotype-Shattering Stories of Muslim Women from Uttar Pradesh

 

A first ever collective of its kind, Rising Beyond The Ceiling (RBTC) shares stereotype shattering stories of one hundred inspiring Muslim women contributing to nation building from various states in India as well as from global diaspora. On 10th November 2023, the second edition of RBTC 100 inspiring Muslim women from Uttar Pradesh will be launched at an event in Lucknow with participation of Rising Beyond The Ceiling honorees and dignitaries . The event will be hosted at the Convention Hall, Shalimar Grand, Jopling Road, Lucknow at 5 pm 


ABOUT THE PUBLICATION

 

The 'RBTC 100 Women' celebrated in this book capture the diversity and exemplary accomplishments of U.P.’s Muslim women. They are from over 30 districts of Uttar Pradesh- from Agra, Azamgarh, Aligarh, Amroha, to Bareilly, Barabanki, Bijnor, Bulandshahr, Bhadohi, Bahraich and Sitapur, Shahjahanpur, Saharanpur, Shamli, Sultanpur besides Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj and Lucknow among others. They are affiliated with their hometowns in U.P and have completed many parts of  their studies there.  


 The RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh 2023 honorees have displayed exemplary resilience and success in various fields. They are shattering stereotypes in uniform, in government departments and agencies,  they are change makers in social development, they have made difference in medicine and science, have achieved excellence in law and academics, taking strides in entrepreneurship, have demonstrated leadership in the business sectors, and have made an impact as founders and entrepreneurs and in the media,  they are award winning authors, writers and poets, are creative contributors to the arts and are shining is a range of sports. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh unveils the substantive contributions of Muslim women from multiple fields as scientists, lawyers, policewomen, politicians, army officers, artists, business leaders, among others.

 

RBTC Uttar Pradesh is unique in many ways, with 220 lakh women of the state identifying themselves as Muslim.  The first edition of the RBTC 100 U.P. was released in December 2021 and took two years of research and selection, which was done meticulously from a huge list of nominations received through various bodies, think tanks as well as individuals. Based on the pattern of global 100 lists, RBTC endeavors to curate a list of 100 every two years in the 15 professional categories from the continuing list of Muslim women contributing to nation building.  The editors of the publication include Dr. Farah K. Usmani, Ms. Sabiha Ahmad, Dr. Faiza Abbasi, Ms. Irena Akbar and Ms. Nayela Ahmad. The artwork on the cover of the publication is by Lucknow-based artist Ms. Farzana Shahab. Brief profiles of the RBTC 100 honorees are available at the link below.


ABOUT RISING BEYOND THE CEILING

 

Rising Beyond The Ceiling (RBTC) is a global social change initiative founded  in 2020.  Its mission is to celebrate the achievements and contributions to nation building by Muslim women of India.  Rising Beyond The Ceiling aims to change the stereotype narrative surrounding Muslim women in India, doing so in an integrated way, with collaboration of all faiths. Over 100 million Indian women, who identify themselves as Muslim, reach across a spectrum of ethnicities and languages, states, and union territories, do not look the same or sound the same, and contribute to India’s growth and development in a variety of ways.

 

RBTC Founder and Chairperson, Dr. Farah K. Usmani, who is a New York based International Health and Development leader with over 25 years with the United Nations International Civil Service  says that the  RBTC 100 lists are only a small sliver of the many amazing Muslim women in the various states in India and more stories of courage, grit and service need to continue to be told.  Dr Usmani believes that "While the focus of Rising Beyond The Ceiling is on journeys travelled by Muslim women achievers, the stories will inspire all women and girls in India, and around the world, at every stage of their lives, in all areas of endeavor and open a door to new ambitions..... 

 

Ms. Sabiha Ahmad, RBTC Coordinator Uttar Pradesh and Member of UP Sunni Waqf Board says that putting together this edition as well as the first one has been an amazing journey itself. According to Sabiha each RBTC honoree is an epoch-making individual, who has fought battles to create a niche for herself and is a reservoir of experience and a beacon of light contributing to nation building 

For further information contact: Ms. Sabiha Ahmad Cellphone/Whatsapp  +91 8009442444

Email: risingbeyondtheceiling@gmail.com


Shattering Stereotypes in Uniform  (In alphabetical order)

An Engineer Takes Wings
Captain Anam Kamal is a First Officer with Indigo Airlines since 2018, flying the Airbus A320 across both Indian and international destinations. But that is only the latest milestone in Anam’s inspiring journey.  Daughter of a homemaker and an Indian Army officer from Lucknow, Anam always wanted to fly. While her family, which includes her brother, a captain in the Indian Army, always supported her dream, they wanted her to first finish her higher education. So, after attending the Army Public School in Delhi, Anam did a bachelors, and then a master’s in technology in Wireless Communication from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad. She won a gold medal in both BTech and MTech and earned a patent on replacing bulky batteries with slim super capacitors. Anam’s academic achievements, however, did not deter her from focusing on her childhood dream of flying. Soon after completing her Masters in 2017, she trained in a flying course in Australia the same year and attained a commercial pilot license. Since then, there has been no looking back for the young captain on her commendable flight in life.
References/Sources

2 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Nominee . ARIBA NOMAN SAIFI,  Rank Holder UPSC 2021, Indian Police Service Uttar Pradesh Cadre, Hometown: Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh,  Click side arrow for profile details.

Persevering for Administrative Excellence
Ariba Noman Saifi secured 109th rank in  the Union Public Service examination in 2021, with her utmost grit, determination and perseverance despite consecutive failures for the last three attempts.  Ariba hails from the city of Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh where she received her early schooling. She is a resident of Hanif Nagar Piare Patti Road Sultanpur, was educated up to high school at Stella Maris Convent in the city, while she did her Intermediate from Indian Public School, New Delhi and B.Tech in Computer Science from Delhi University. Her father Noman Ahmed is an administrative officer in National Insurance Company while mother Rukhsana is a Nikhat housewife.  Ariba Noman got the inspiration for public administration from her maternal uncle Gufran Ahmed Saifi, who is also a famous social worker of the district.  Ariba didn’t receive success in the her first attempt and missed her prelims by a few marks, but she didn’t lose heart. She continued to prepare for success and  also took additional coaching at Residential Coaching Academy, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Finally she achieved her cherished dream also securing first position amongst all selected Muslim students. Ariba has joined the Indian Police Service in her home cadre state of Uttar Pradesh
References/Sources

3 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. AYMAN JAMAL, Indian Police Service 2018 Batch. Deputy Superintendent of Police, Chennai. Hometown: Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

From Average Student to Top Cop
Ayman Jamal, an Indian Police Services (IPS) officer, is presently serving as Deputy Superintendent of Police in Chennai. Ayman got selected in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam in 2018 and secured 499th rank. Before clearing UPSC, she was posted as Deputy Labor Welfare Commissioner in Shahjahanpur. Ayman’s father Hasan Jamal is a businessman, and her mother Afroz Bano is a teacher in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, where she did her school and college studies. Ayman completed high school from Carmel Girls Inter College Gorakhpur with 63 per cent marks and intermediate examination with 69 per cent marks. Her bachelor’s degree was in Zoology from St. Andrews College. Later, Ayman also did a diploma in human resources management from Annamalai University via distance learning. Ayman was an average student at school, but dared to dream big, and worked towards it. She moved to Delhi where she prepared for competitive exams at different coaching academies. Ayman believes there is no place for shortcuts to crack the UPSC exam and consistent practice with discipline are key to attain success. 
References/Sources

4. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. INSIA ZEHRA, Major in the India Army. Hometown: Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

A Commended Indian Army Officer
Insia Zehra, a Major in the Indian Army, traces her roots to Mittai village in Barabanki district, Uttar Pradesh. Insia, who is a resident of Lucknow, has been an achiever since childhood. She was head girl of her school, Saint Fidelis College in Lucknow, and won the National Talent Search Examination scholarship, scoring an all-India rank of two. She also represented her school in the Bournvita Quiz contest, winning the runner-up position. Insia completed electrical and electronics engineering at Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, in 2011. She was selected for a top IT company during campus recruitment, as well as cleared the Service Selection Board examination in her first attempt. Insia chose to serve the Indian Army over joining the corporate world. It was a tough decision for her, as no one in her family had a military background. Her father Mansoor Azar Rizvi is a real estate businessman, and her mother, Nazish Mansoor, a homemaker. Insia was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Indian Army in 2012 and has served in the most treacherous terrains of the country in both the north-east and the northern parts. She has held important appointments in various tenures. She is also the recipient of the Chief of the Army Staff Commendation award in 2015 and the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Commendation award in 2020 for her services. Insia is married to Major Urooj Haider Jafri, who hails from Faridabad, Haryana. She is an inspiring example for the young women of the country.
References/Sources

5. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. NEELOFER KHAN, First Officer with Indigo Airlines. Hometown: Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Sky is Not the Limit
Neelofar Khan is a First Officer with Indigo Airlines. Her experience in the commercial aviation sector extends to over 12 years and includes stints with different airlines. Her family is originally from Shahjahanpur, but she was born and raised in Andaman Nicobar islands due to her father’s posting. Neelofar attended Model School in Port Blair and then completed a bachelor’s degree in physics with Honors at Aligarh Muslim University in 2005.  Driven by her childhood dream of flying, Neelofar decided to pursue pilot training in the United States. In 2007, she embarked on a transformative journey, dedicating herself to mastering the intricacies of aviation. Over the course of three years, she underwent rigorous training, gaining expertise in flight operations, aircraft navigation, and emergency procedures, finally becoming a commercial pilot in 2012 when she joined Jet Airway. Neelofar's indomitable spirit, coupled with her educational background in Physics, has endowed her with a unique perspective and analytical thinking. As a commercial pilot, she combines her scientific knowledge with her love for aviation, ensuring a meticulous approach to every flight operation. 
References/Sources

6. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. MAJOR SABA RIZVI, Major, Indian Army.  Hometown: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Serving the Nation with Pride
Saba Rizvi is a Major in the Indian Army. She attended Loreto Convent school, Lucknow, where she learned the most important lesson of her life- discipline being the underlying tenet of purposeful living. Following this motto, Saba did a Diploma in Computer Engineering from Aligarh Muslim University, and a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from Shri Ram Swaroop Memorial College of Engineering and Management, Lucknow. She cleared the Service Selection Board examination in her first attempt in 2011.Saba is the first in her family to join the Armed Forces. Her parents, though initially reluctant, realized her potential, and supported her wholeheartedly. Saba was commissioned at Officers Training Academy Chennai, where she underwent the most arduous training with grit and determination. Her first posting as a lieutenant inthe Indian Army, she says, was the toughest in Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir. Since then, she has served in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, as Captain in Kupwara, Gurgaon (Haryana), and a Major in Binnaguri(West Bengal) and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir. Major Saba says her husband has been her pillar of support throughout and helped her overcome her challenges. 
References/Sources

7. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SANIA MIRZA, Fighter Pilot with the Indian Air Force. Hometown: Jasovar,Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Determined Indian Air Force Fighter Pilot
Sania Mirza is India’s first Muslim woman to become a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF). She is also the first woman officer from Uttar Pradesh to join the IAF as a fighter pilot. Sania cleared the National Defense Academy exam in 2022, and secured 149th rank out of 400 seats, including 19 seats for women, of which two were reserved for fighter pilots. Sania was immensely inspired by Flight Lieutenant Avani Chaturvedi, India's first female combat pilot. She studied at the Hindi-medium Pandit Chintamani Dubey Inter College in Jasovar, a village in Mirzapur district of eastern Uttar Pradesh, and then went to Guru Nanak Girls Inter College in Mirzapur city. She was the district topper in the 12th UP Board examination. Sania’s parents, Shahid Ali, a television mechanic, and Tabassum Mirza, a homemaker, supported her dream of becoming a fighter pilot and sent her to Lucknow to prepare for the NDA exam at the Centurion Defense Academy. Language was not an impediment to attain success, and she never gave up, making another attempt at cracking the exam, after her first unsuccessful attempt. Sania’s story is an inspiration for other girls in the village.
References/Sources

8. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. TASLIMA KHAN, Officer with the Central Reserve Police Force. Hometown: Kandhla, Muzaffarnagar Uttar Pradesh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Police Services Across International Borders
Taslima Khan is a gazetted police officer of the Central Reserve Police Force. She was born in Kandhla, a town in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh to an agricultural family.  Since joining the CRPF in 1986, Taslima has served with a variety of stints including a three- and half-year long stint in the Indian Peace Keeping Force, Sri Lanka and playing an instrumental role in handling the Meerut riots. She also dealt with a series of riots in the district of Aligarh till 2006 as a part of the Rapid Action Force. In 2009, she was chosen to lead the Female Police Unit  on a peacekeeping mission to Liberia under the aegis of the UN Peacekeeping Force. She has had various postings in her illustrious career but her most remarkable contribution came during her tenure in Jammu and Kashmir where her immaculate administration in the districts of Kathua and Hiranagar made her a recipient of President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2018. Her diligent service for the public and the management of the unit, also made her a well-deserved recipient of various commendations and felicitations during the Coronavirus pandemic. Taslima Khan advocates the importance of education and financial independence for young women and encourages them to be a part of the forces. Taslima holds a post-graduate (honors) degree in Political Science from CCS University, Meerut and was among the first women graduates of her town. She also received her higher secondary education in the first division from Government Girls Inter College.  
References/Sources

Inspirations from Politics (In alphabetical order)

9. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. MARIYA SHAH. Politician. MLA. Elected Member of 2022 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (MLA).  Hometown: Matera, Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Strengthening Rural Roots
Mariya Shah is currently the elected  Member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (MLA) and is affiliated with the Samajwadi Party. In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Mariya contested from the Matera constituency and won the election by a landslide, defeating her opponent by 10,428 votes. Belonging to a small village of northern India, Mariya never let the limiting elements of the place restrict her vision of a developed democratic nation and strove to do her bit with determination. She is living up to the Gandhian principle of “Swaraj” in letter and spirit, by forming flourishing  self-reliant communities that offer opportunities to the people for fullest participation at the grassroot level from the villages of India. Mariya earned her high school certificate from MPL Girls College, Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad, Uttar Pradesh and due to social constraints could not complete further studies. However, with her rich agrarian and mercantile background, she is well-versed with the intricacies of the social fabric of her constituency. Mariya has set an example of good governance by maintaining respect for human rights, rule of law, strengthening of democracy, promoting transparency and capacity in public administration to the best of her abilities for the betterment of the community.  
References/Sources

10. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. NADIRA SULTAN. Politician. MLA Member of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Hometown:  Patiyali, Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Political Prodigy
Nadira Sultan, a people's person, is an eminent Indian politician. She is currently an MLA and was elected from Patiyali constituency in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election. Nadira Sultan was born in Sahawar town into a political family and is the only child of politician and freedom fighter Late Mushir Ahmad Khan and Late Saad Fatima Khan. Her father was twice Member of Parliament from Etah and Kasganj. Her uncle was a member of the legislative assembly and her maternal was Minister in Uttar Pradesh.  Nadira completed her early education and schooling in her hometown and got married also into a political family.  Nadira is a strong adherent of justice and equality, abides by the ideology of the party, rooted in the principles of secularism & democracy. She makes sure to implement and ingrain these fundamentals in her actions. In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, Nadira Sultan represented Samajwadi Party as a candidate from Patiyali and secured a landslide win after uprooting a longtime MLA of the opposition.  On 27 December 2022, seeing her diligence and dedication, she was awarded the membership of "Joint Committee for Women and Child Development" in Uttar Pradesh. 
References/Sources

11. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. NAHID LARI KHAN. Politician. National Spokesperson for Samajwadi Party, Lucknow . Former member of the Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. Hometown: Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Articulating Political Ideology
Nahid Lari Khan, is the national spokesperson for Samajwadi Party. Nahid was born in Lucknow in a political business family of Bhadohi.  An eloquent speaker, she has been effectively representing her political party on various English, Hindi and Urdu channels in the last six years, voicing her thoughts and her party’s ideologies on a variety of issues such as inflation, unemployment, corruption, atrocities against marginalized sections of society, and crimes against women. Nahid attended the prestigious All Saints College, Nainital, and earned her MBA in marketing and foreign trade from Allahabad Agricultural Institute. After working as an educationist and entrepreneur, she shifted to the field of social welfare, and then, politics. Nahid has also formerly served as a noteworthy member of Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, working passionately for children’s holistic well-being and development, including, health, education and security concerns, ardently dissipating their prerogatives and dispensing their rightful  privileges. 
References/Sources

12. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. NASHI KHAN. Politician. Director of the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Nirman Sahkari Sangh, Chairperson, Town Area Committee, Kasganj. Hometown: Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Leading Politics, Serving People
Nashi Khan successfully contested as an Independent candidate, won by a landslide, and was elected as Chairman, Town Area Committee, Sahawar, Kasganj. Nashi entered the political following in the footsteps of her mother Ms. Najiba Zeenat Khan, who was an elected member of the UP Legislative Assembly between 2012 and 2017.  Nashi is a visionary politician, championing the cause of women empowerment, growth & development of her constituency and marginalized sections. With an unwavering commitment to gender equality, she has become a figure of inspiration for women in the districts of Kasganj and Etah. From the incipience of  her political career, Nashi Khan recognized the systemic challenges that hindered women's progress and stifled their voices. She was the youngest Director of the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Nirman Sahkari Sangh, one of the state’s biggest cooperative societies.  Nashi has endeavored throughout to equip the women to achieve greater economic, social, and political empowerment. She has been instrumental in implementing robust measures to bridge the gender pay gap, promote equal representation in leadership positions, and enhance access to education and healthcare for women. One of Nashi Khan's notable achievements is her distinguished role in establishing comprehensive support systems for all round development of her town Sahawar. She has taken the work of cleanliness, power supply and construction of new lanes in the town on war footing. Nashi also provides legal protection, access to shelters, counseling services, and educational programs to her people. 
References/Sources

13. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. QAISER JAHAN. Politician. Former Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha,  Elected Member of Parliament from Sitapur in 2009.  Hometown: Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

The People’s Voice
Qaisar Jahan is a former Member of the Parliament(MP). She was elected in the 2009 general election to the Lok Sabha from Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh as a member of the Bahujan Samaj Party. She later left the party and joined Congress in the year 2018 and is since then serving the Indian National Congress. Coming from a family of social workers, she was always dedicated to the cause with persistent steadfastness. Qaiser undertook all her official obligations accomplishing the incurred incumbencies like Legislative Responsibility: Passing Laws of India in the Lok Sabha, Oversight Responsibility: Ensuring that the Executive (i.e., Government) performs its duties efficiently, Representative Responsibility: Representing the people’s views and aspirations of their constituencies in the Parliament of India (Lok Sabha), Power of the Purse Responsibility: Approving and overseeing government-proposed revenues and expenditures with the overarching commitment towards the development of her place and people with utmost industriousness.  
References/Sources

14. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SAIYADA KHATOON. Politician. MLA. Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly 2022. Hometown: Domariyaganj, Uttar Pradesh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

The Rooted Politician
Saiyada Khatoon is a politician and currently serving as MLA, Member of the Uttat Pradesh Legislative Assembly since 2022. Belonging to the Samajwadi Party Saiyada hails from the city of Gorakhpur. She holds a master’s degree in political science from the reputed Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University. Carrying forward the political legacy of her father Late Taufiq Ahmad and mother  Khatoon Taufiq (both former MLAs), Saiyada endeavors to serve the development of her constituency wholeheartedly. Saiyada’s political journey came with its own highs and lows. She witnessed  the face of defeat in assembly elections held consecutively in 2012 and 2017 but continued undeterred. This resilience led her to significant win in the 2022 Assembly elections with 771 votes.  Saiyada cherishes her agrarian roots to the core and understands substantially the unquestionable contribution of agriculture and its allied sectors as the largest livelihood provider in India. She has always strived towards promoting agriculture, being the main economic enterprise among her people. Utilizing her educational proficiency in politics and cognizance of the fundamental, grassroot concerns, issues and factors she continues to contribute to improving the  lives of people in her constituency. 
References/Sources

Leadership in Administration  ( In alphabetical order)

15. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. BUSHRA BANO, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Firozabad. UP Provincial Civil Service. Home town: Kannauj. Click side arrow for profile details. 

The Multi-dimensional Administrator
Bushara Bano, Ph.D., belongs to the Indian Police Service. She is currently undergoing police training in Sardar Vallabhbhai National Police Academy, Hyderabad. Earlier, she was serving as Sub Divisional Magistrate in Uttar Pradesh Government in Firozabad and Auraiya. A resident of Saurikh town in Kannauj district, Uttar Pradesh, and later to Aligarh, Bushara has always been a stellar student and an early mover, enrolling in Class 2 at the age of 4, and topping through her school years. She did Bachelors in Mathematics/ Physics and completed her postgraduation by the age of 20. She then joined the Ph.D. programme in Business Administration at Aligarh Muslim University, which she completed in a little over two years. In between, she qualified for the Junior Research Fellowship and Senior Research Fellowship and started teaching at Hindustan and Anand Institute in Agra. Following marriage Bushara moved to Jazan University, Saudi Arabia where her husband was working as Assistant Professor. She too got selected as an Assistant Professor at the same university and the couple there taught together. After four years, Bushara returned to India as that is where her heart was. By now, she was a mother of a son. She joined a post-doctoral programme in AMU and started preparing for competitive exams, even working with Coal India as Assistant Manager (Personnel) in between. Though Bushara’s first attempt at the Union Public Service Commission was not successful, it was followed by multiple victories. She faced India’s toughest civil services interview in the final stages of her second pregnancy, securing 277th rank in UPSC, entitling a seat in prestigious Indian Railway Traffic Service. She also secured 6th rank in UPPCS and position of Deputy Collector in Uttar Pradesh. Bushara joined as SDM of Firozabad Sadar, but still appeared for UPSC for the third time, securing 234th rank and allotted to Indian Police Service. As an SDM, Bushara is known for her tough stand on illegal mining, illegal rackets in hotels, covid protocol implementation in Firozabad. She is also remembered for her tremendous work during Assembly Elections in Firozabad. Her story is especially inspiring as she achieved her greatest feats after marriage and motherhood, playing all roles justly. She credits her husband who sacrificed his job in Saudi Arabia, and is now teaching and doing a PhD in India.
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16. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Nominee . HUMA MUSTAFA   Joint Director at Council of Science & Technology, UP Home town: Moradabad.  Click side arrow for profile details. 

Setting a High Bar for Women in Science
Dr Huma Mustafa, a biotechnologist, is Joint Director in Council of Science and Technology, Department of Science and Technology, government of Uttar Pradesh and acting CEO of Biotech Park, Lucknow. Originally from Moradabad, Dr Huma attended St Mary’s Convent School in Prayagraj till Class XII. From graduation upto PhD, she studied at Aligarh Muslim University. Dr Huma has worked on multiple government-funded projects notably, “Cloning and Molecular Characterization of Homologous and Repeat DNA Sequences from the Human Filarial Parasites, Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi, to Design Universal Primers’’ sponsored by Council of Science & Technology, UP; “Establishment of Seed Processing Unit at Bakshi ka Talab (Lucknow)” and “Establishment of Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory for Production of Banana Plantlets” financially sponsored by State Horticulture Mission, Department of Horticulture, UP. Dr Huma has been lauded for her exemplary work on multiple platforms with several awards, recognitions & fellowships across the country. She was honored with “The Essential Women Award” conferred by Avadhnama Newspaper on the occasion of International Women’s Day.She is the eminent recipient of the “Honorable Young Scientist Award” for her project proposal submitted to CST UP. She has published more than 25 research papers in Peer reviewed Huma Mustafa Joint Director at Council of Science & Technology, journals. With her proficiency in Science & technology along with administrative skills, she has set the bar high for Indian women in the field of research and science leadership.
References/Sources

17. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. RESHMEEN AKHTAR, Chief Inspector, Minority Welfare and Waqf Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow.  Home town: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Protecting Women and Children
Reshmeen Akhtar is Chief Inspector in Minority Welfare and Waqf Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh at Lucknow.  After clearing the Union Public Service Commission exam, Reshmeen started her career as an inspector at the UP-Directorate Survey Commissioner Waqf in Lucknow in 2003. Through her hard work across several districts including Ghaziabad, Meerut, Hapur and Barabanki, she got promoted to the prestigious role of Chief Inspector. In addition, Reshmeen chairs the women harassment prevention group in the Minorities Welfare Department. Her work includes bridging the gap between marginalized communities and government initiatives and ensuring that intended beneficiaries have access to the programs and schemes. Furthermore, she has been actively involved in the "Ek Yudh Nashe ke Virudh" campaign, aiming to protect vulnerable individuals from the perils of substance abuse. One of the most challenging aspects of Reshmeen’s job is the security of her children and family amidst threats and menace, from several ruffled sources, which she has always braved through valiantly.
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18. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Nominee . SHAMIM ABIDI,  Indian Administrative Service 2007.  Joint Secretary and Commissioner, SC & ST Development Corporation in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Home town: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details. 

The Consummate Commissioner
Shammi Abidi, an IAS Officer of the 2007 batch, is presently posted as Joint Secretary and Commissioner, SC & ST Development Corporation in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. She also holds additional charges including MD, SC Finance & Development Corporation, Director of Tribal Research and Training Institute, Commissioner of Waqf survey & Secretary, Skill development with the Chhattisgarh government. Shammi has applied an innovative approach to administration, such as devising the “Pragya” educational concept, under which video lectures were prepared for students in the Maoist-affected district of Kanker, where she was district collector in 2016. As teachers and students were afraid to tread in the open, Shammi used technology to fix the issue, with successful results reflected in the substantial increase in pass percentage of Class 12 students. Her work in rural health and  Clean India initiative is also noteworthy. In 2019, Shammi received the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” award for best community engagement by any district (Raigarh).  Shammi belongs to Lucknow and completed her BA and MA in Economics from Lucknow University. She secured an all-India rank of 16 in 2006 UPSC Civil Services Examination . When her father started to go for higher education for his daughters, some issues were raised among the community. Actually, it is still considered that highly educated Muslim girl may find it difficult to find a good match when it comes to marriage. Fortunately, Shammi’s father was made of different stuff. He never saw any difference between son and daughter and ensure good education for all of his children. Her desire is to become a role model for Muslim girls of India to realize their potential.
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19. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SHEERAT FATIMA Indian Railway Traffic Service. Divisional Operations Manager, Prayagraj. Hometown:  Prayagraj. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Commanding the Railways
Sheerat Fatima is a Civil Servant of 2017 batch, presently serving as Divisional Operations Manager; Prayagraj, in Indian Railway Traffic Services, North Central Railway, Ministry of Railways, Govt. of India. In the span of five years of her service, Seerat has held many key leadership posts in the Ministry of Railways. She has been Assistant Operations Manager in Asansol Division of Eastern Railway, which is known for its coal loading and transportation. As Assistant Divisional Safety officer in Prayagraj Division of North Central Railway, Seerat has augmented railway safety measures, ensuring safe train operations for both passengers and railway property of the Division. As a Divisional Operations Manager, apart from improvement in train schedules in the division, she was instrumental in running special trains as MaghMela specials, Festival specials, holiday specials, catering to the increased demands, being considerate of cultural values of the country. Seerat's father worked as an accountant in a government office and motivated her to join the civil services. She attended St. Mary's Convent School in Ghoorpur, Prayagraj, followed by undergraduate & post graduate studies in Statistics from Allahabad University. Seerat Fatima cracked the 2017 UPSC Civil Services exam in her 4th attempt. She also has experience of working as a primary school teacher for almost three years. Seerat’s is an inspiring story, who despite struggling and facing difficulties at every stage of her journey to entering into India’s top bureaucratic circle, never let the trouble and hardship to overcome her father’s dream. 
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Achieving Academic Excellence ( In alphabetical order)

20 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. ALVINA FAROOQUI, Professor and Head, Department of Bioengineering, Integral University, Lucknow  Hometown: Prayagraj. Click side arrow for profile details. 

The Visionary Biotechnologist
Dr. Alvina Farooqui, Professor of Biotechnology, is presently working as Head, Department of Bioengineering, at Integral University, Lucknow.  Alvina completed her M. Tech as silver medalist and PhD from Integral University where she collaborated with Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Professor Farooqui has 15 years of teaching experience in the field of bioprocess engineering and fermentation biotechnology, and 11 years of research experience in the field of cyanobacterial biotechnology and stress biochemistry. She has worked on two research projects sanctioned by the Council of Science and Technology, Uttar Pradesh, including a report on “development of novel screening systems employing cyanobacteria for toxicity studies of metallic nanoparticles'.  Alvina is also engaged in research in areas such as development of spirulina fortified cookies to alleviate malnutrition, and to accentuate employability of women in rural areas. She is also involved in deciphering the anti-diabetic potential of bioactive compounds from cyanobacteria and in producing bioenergy and biofertilizers. Alvina got an opportunity to not only be the guest of honor and deliver a talk at the International Forum for Women in STEM at Tashkent Institute of Chemical Technology, Tashkent, Uzbekistan but was also one of the organizing secretaries. She was exclusively praised at the international forum for her ability to communicate her knowledge with passion and enthusiasm which led her to address another gathering of women scientists at University of Inha, Tashkent.  Alvina has over 40 research articles in peer reviewed journals, over 10 book chapters, three edited books and five international patents to her credit. She has guided 8 PhDs and over 15 postgraduate dissertations, under her stewardship. 
References/Sources

21 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. ASIYA CHAUDHARY, Professor of Commerce, Aligarh Muslim University. Aligarh. Uttar Pradesh. Hometown: Kanpur. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Excelling in Economics
Dr. Asiya Chaudhary, an eminent educationist, is a Professor at the Department of Commerce, Aligarh Muslim University. In her 20 years of teaching and research career, she has supervised 14 PhDs; and published 36 research papers on marketing, behavioral economics, and women studies in national and international Scopus indexed journals. She has also authored four books, and completed three projects funded by Indian Council of Social Science Research and University Grants Commission. Asiya’s areas of expertise are Direct Taxation, Business Statistics, Business & Managerial Economics, Marketing and Behavioural Economics (Consumer Behaviour). She regularly conducts seminars, training programs and workshops for researchers from academia and the corporate world. She has also delivered lectures, and chaired sessions in India and abroad, including at the Royal University of Bhutan, Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Moka (Mauritius), etc. She was nominated for the UGC consortium exchange program to visit Mauritius. Recently, Asiya signed a MoU between the University of Houston (UH) and Aligarh Muslim University, collaborating internationally for a cause and implemented the SURE (Stimulating Urban Renewal through Entrepreneurship) program in AMU, an educational as well as a networking platform facilitating a value-added partnership between students, industry experts, and potential entrepreneurs from under-resourced communities and diverse backgrounds. Belonging to the city of Kanpur in UP, married just after Class XII, Asiya continued her focus to complete her education and launched her academic career after marriage.
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22. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree.  DOA NAQVI Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Administration, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University, Lucknow, Hometown: Kanpur. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Mastering Business Education
An Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Administration, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University, Lucknow, Dr. Doa Naqvi, has been excelling in the area of Corporate Finance and Business Communication for the past decade. She takes an avid interest in delivering interactive lectures, conducting academic programmes and engaging students of various undergraduate and postgraduate courses. In her role as a community leader, Doa has been mentoring and guiding hundreds of students, especially girls, to pursue higher education and become independent -both socially and financially.  In March 2019, she was the only Indian selected for the U.S. Department of State's Flagship Programme, the prestigious -International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) entitled "Entrepreneurship as an Engine of Prosperity and Stability- Small Business Development”. During her brief stint in the United States, Dr. Doa gained valuable insights related to the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the superpower. During her student life, Doa was the recipient of the coveted Chancellor’s Gold Medal awarded by University of Lucknow, for being the best student in all the faculties in the year 2011. She completed her PhD in management from Lucknow University in 2018. A bright, confident woman, she has consistently engaged in various social activities, be it teaching the underprivileged children dwelling in slums or writing articles on issues such as women empowerment, right to education and environment conservation. Doa received the 'Bhartiya Nari Samman2014' awarded by Drishya Bharti Foundation, “The Pride of Women Award2013” awarded by Avadhnama and Urdu Media Guild,
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23 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. HUMA JAVED SUBSZPOSH,  Professor and former Head of the Department of English, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, Hometown: Gorakhpur.  Click side arrow for profile details. 

Pathfinder for Academic Excellence
Professor Huma Javed Subzposh is a Professor and former Head of the Department of English, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur. A PhD in English, she has about 35 years of experience in teaching and guiding research in her subject. Her areas of interest are Feminism, Postcolonial Literature, British literature and Rewritings of the Classics as a feminist, postcolonial agenda and psychological concerns. Huma has many papers, chapters and books published including “The Disintegrating Psyche” on Caribbean writer Jean Rhys, which has made it to the British Library in London. Ensuing her love for literature & learning, she received one of the highest academic honors, DLitt( Honoris Causa) by the Lucknow University in 2015, for her exemplary contribution. Dr Huma is a mother of three, a daughter and two sons, to whom she has always been an invincible source of strength and inspiration. She strived meticulously with perseverance to choose and pursue her dreams in an era and society when and where girls were contained in homes, curtailing their academic ambitions.  Now she is actively involved in fostering the future of deserving students, including Muslim girl students.
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24 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. HUMA YAQUB, Associate Professor in the Department of English at Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Lucknow, Hometown: Aligarh.  Click side arrow for profile details. 

Excelling in Ecocriticism
Dr Huma Yaqub is an associate professor in the Department of English at Maulana Azad NationalUrdu University, Lucknow. In her 18 years of teaching and research, Huma has focused on ecocriticism, environmental humanities, postcolonial literature, Indian English literature, literary theory, global literatures in English and orientalism.Huma has combined her passion for languages and the environment inher interdisciplinary research efforts. Through her work, she explainshow sustainable development can be achieved by conserving nature andenvironment, and how ecocritical literature has been an important link inestablishing the relationship of the human with the non-human world.Shehas supervised many doctoral scholars, undertaken several research projectsas the principal investigator, notably, “Narratives on Water: An EcocriticalStudy of Select Swiss and Indian Novels” as a Visiting Research Fellowfunded by Swiss National Science Foundation (SnSF) in collaborationwith Prof. Virginia Richter at Department of English, University of Bern,Bern, Switzerland. Being well-learned in English, Hindi, Urdu & Germanlanguages, Huma consistently endeavors to promote and maintain thelegacy of languages with authenticity. She also holds multiple administrativepositions to her credit, availing them to the best of the organizationsserved.Dr. Huma has always set the bar high for herself and attained thedesired expectations by excelling in every area she intervened. She hasmultiple publications including book chapters, research papers in national& international journals reflecting her keenness in weaving environment &ecology with the threads of language & literature.Dr Huma has presentedand been invited to myriad seminars, conferences and symposiums both atnational and international levels, representing the varied and diverse strataof the society, their needs and realities, through her influential works.
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25. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. NISHAT FATIMA, Professor, Department of Library and Information Science, Aligarh Muslim University, First woman Librarian of  Maulana Azad Library, AMU.  Hometown: Aligarh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Librarian on a Digital Mission
Nishat Fatima is a distinguished Professor, Department of Library and Information Science, Aligarh Muslim University, and the first woman Librarian of  Maulana Azad Library, AMU. Nishat holds PhD, Masters and Bachelor degrees in Library and Information Science from AMU. She earned her MPhil from University of Delhi.Nishat has been actively engaged in the development and maintenance of the catalog and digital databases of Maulana Azad Library, a prestigious institution known for its extensive collection of books, manuscripts, and research materials. She conducts regular workshops and training sessions, accentuating literacy skills among library users and efficiently practices interdisciplinary collaborations within various departments ensuring a shared, responsive and research-friendly environment within the library. She has published more than 50 papers in national and international journals, and authored a book Emerging Trends in Information Technology in Modern Libraries.Her much acclaimed contributions are implementation of technology-driven initiatives, such as digitization projects and online library services, strengthening collaboration with other libraries and research institutions, promoting resource sharing and interlibrary loan facilities, enhancing users’ learning experiences, upscaling the threshold of erudition by making updated global information accessible.Nishat assures and affirms the efficaciousness of library operations and services, under her vigilant yet supportive supervision & guidance, playing a pivotal part in academic and research endeavors of innumerable scholars.

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26 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree.  SALEHA RASHEED , Professor and former Head, Department of Persian and Arabic, Allahabad University, Prayagraj. Hometown: Prayagrag. Click side arrow for profile details

An Academic Reviving Culture
Professor Saleha Rasheed was the chairperson of the Dept of Arabic-Persian at the Allahabad University in Prayagraj. She is a distinguished scholar of Persian and a beacon of academic excellence. With a stellar educational background, she obtained her D.Phil in Persian from the University of Allahabad in 1995, demonstrating her commitment to the field of Persian language and literature. Her academic journey began with an M.A. in Persian from the same university in 1978, preceded by a B.A. in 1976, both earned with the highest distinction. She also earned an M.Phil (Persian) from the Delhi University in 1982 with Distinction. She is the author of numerous books, articles and papers in academic periodicals and she features regularly on documentaries on literature. Throughout her academic career, Professor Saleha Rasheed has consistently displayed exceptional dedication and proficiency in Persian and Urdu literature. Her contributions have been celebrated with numerous awards and honors, including the 'Fikr-e-Chaman' award for Persian and Urdu Literary Services from the International Human Rights Association in 2021. She has also been recognized with the 'Amir Khusrau' Award for her significant contributions to Persian and Urdu language and literature by Rising India and Anjuman Rooh-e Adab in 2020. Her commitment to education and literary excellence extends to her service and involvement in various organizations. Professor Saleha Rasheed's impact is evident through her accolades, such as the Talimi Bedari Muslim Women Literary Award and the Academic Excellence Award from the University of Allahabad. Her dedication to promoting education and literary accomplishments is further underscored by her receipt of the Sir Syed National Award for Urdu and Farsi Adab from the Department of Urdu at Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut, as well as the Rotary Vocational Award in 2015. Professor Saleha Rasheed continues her journey of exceptional contributions to literature and education.

27. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SALMA MAHFOOZ, Sanskrit Scholar. First Muslim woman in the world to complete a PhD in Sanskrit in 1969.  Hometown: Bulandshahar. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Shining in Sanskrit
Salma Begum, who was born in Bulandshahar district of Uttar Pradesh, became the first Muslim woman in the world to complete a PhD in Sanskrit in 1969. Her father, Ishtiaque Ahmed and mother, Ehsaan Fatima encouraged her to pursue higher studies in Sanskrit as she had keen interest in the Sanskrit language. After completing high school from the UP Board, she came to Aligarh Muslim University for higher studies in 1961 and opted for Sanskrit. After her marriage, she changed her name to Salma Mahfooz. She completed her BA and MA in Sanskrit and then wrote her PhD thesis in Sanskrit on the “Types of Heroines in Sanskrit Dramas” under the supervision of Dr. Ram Suresh Tripathi.In her PhD thesis, she analyzed several roles a woman portrays in multiple Sanskrit literary forms. She taught Sanskrit at Rani Bhagyawati College in Bijnor and later joined AMU as Lecturer.Under the fellowship of India’s regulatory body for higher education, University Grants Commission, she authored a book ‘A Critical Study of ‘Sirre Akbar vis a-vis-The Upanishads by Dara Shikoh (1615–1659), the eldest son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.She taught the Upanishads, Hindu religious texts, and various other Sanskrit literature components.Salma Mahfooz also studied Hindu scriptures, including The Bhagavad Gita, a 700-verse Sanskrit scripture that is part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, and Kama Sutra, an ancient Indian Sanskrit text on sexuality and eroticism. She was a senior research fellow and research associate at the University Grants Commission and was the chairman of Sanskrit Department of the Aligarh Muslim University from 2001-2003. 
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28. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SEEMA ALAVI. Professor of History. Ashoka University. Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Delving Deep in South Asian History
Seema Alavi  is professor of history at Ashoka University. Dr. Alavi specializes in early modern and modern South Asia, with an interest in the transformation of the region’s legacy from Indo-Persian to one heavily affected by British colonial rule. She has written books on the military, religious and medical cultures of the region from the early modern to modern times. Her most recent book is the Albert Hourani Award (Honorable Mention) winning, Muslim Cosmopolitanism in the age of Empire from Harvard University Press, USA.  She has twice been a Fulbright Scholar and a Smuts Visiting Fellow at Cambridge. She was a visiting scholar at the Harvard-Yenching Institute, Harvard. In 2010 she was at the Radcliffe institute at Harvard as the William Bentinck-Smith Fellow. She wrote Sepoys and the Company: Tradition and Transition in Northern India, 1770–1830 (Oxford University Press, 1995) and co-authored with Muzzafar Alam, A European Experience of the Mughal Orient: The I‘jaz-i Arsalani (Persian Letters 1773–1779) of Antoine-Louis Henri Polier (Oxford University Press, 2001). Her book Eighteenth Century in Indian History in the Oxford Debates series is a popular reader in India and abroad. In 2009 she wrote Islam and Healing: Loss and Recovery of an Indo-Muslim Medical Tradition, 1600–1900 (Palgrave Macmillan, UK 2009). She serves on the editorial board of several national and international journals, including Modern Asian Studies UK, Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History, UK, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, UK and Biblio, New Delhi.
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29. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SUBUHI KHAN, Professor of Mathematics. Aligarh Muslim University. Hometown: Aligarh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Creating Magic with Mathematics
Professor Subuhi Khan is a passionate mathematician. Born in Etah, Uttar Pradesh, Subuhi always loved the “dreaded” subject of maths. Despite initial expectations of pursuing medicine, she followed her true calling and obtained B.Sc. (Hons.) (1985), M.Sc. (1987), M.Phil. (1990) and Ph.D. (1993) in Mathematics from Aligarh Muslim University. She excelled throughout her university years, and was awarded the University Medal and Sir Ziauddin Medal for securing First Rank in B.Sc. and M.Sc. respectively. Subuhi’s academic achievements and contributions are remarkable, with over 100 research papers published in national and international journals. Her research focuses on Applicable Analysis, Special Functions, Lie-Algebraic and Operational Techniques, Fractional Calculus, Analytic and Geometric Properties of Special Functions, Applications of Special Functions in Approximation Theory. Subuhi is the first Indian woman mathematician to receive the Research Fellowship of the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Environment and had the privilege of working with Prof. (Dr.) Giuseppe Dattoli (Physicist), Research Director, ENEA-Frascati Research Center, Rome. She is also the recipient of the Senior Research Fellowship, CSIR, India (1990-92), Mathematics Research Fellowship, ICTP, Italy (2002), Best Research Paper Presentation Prize (2001) of the Indian Mathematical Society, Best Research Paper Presentation Prize (2004) of the Bharata Ganita Parisad and Best Research Publication Prize (2003) of the Society for Special Functions and their Applications. She has received Honor of Recognition (2014) for Achievements and Contributions as a Successful Professional by the International Society of Muslim Women in Science (ISMWS). She has visited various institutions of Italy, Hong Kong, Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and presented her research work in about 55 conferences. Subuhi has supervised numerous Ph.D. and M.Phil. students and postdoctoral fellows, striving to educate and empower women particularly in the field of higher education in mathematics, which is generally not considered a women's subject, thereby challenging the societal narrative. 
References/Sources

30. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. TASNEEM FATMA,  Bioscientist. Former Professor and Head of Department of Biosciences. Jamia Millia Islamia. Delhi. Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Mastering Biosciences
Professor Tasneem Fatma is an accomplished bioscientist and academician. Originally from Lucknow, she was schooled at Taaleemgah Niswan and Yashodha Rastogi Girls Inter College. After BSc from, Navyug Kanya Vidyalaya, she did MSc and PhD from Lucknow University. Fatma joined Kanpur University as lecturer in 1982, then moved to Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University), New Delhi, in 1986, where she went on to becoming professor, head of department of bio-sciences, and pro-vice chancellor of the university in 2021. Now retired. Prof. Fatma continues to serve JMI in the capacity of ombudsperson at the biosciences department. During her academic career, Prof. Fatma completed many significant research projects such as discovering/inventing insulin like protein, bioplastics, anticancer substances, medically important silver, gold, selenium, titanium and zinc nanoparticles from cyanobacteria, new water pollution monitoring technique based on cytoplasmic streaming velocity of characean algae. She undertook important research projects for Defence Research and Development Organisation, Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine, University Grants Commission, Department of Science and Technology, Indian Council of Medical Research, Ranbaxy, India and International Foundation for Science (Sweden). Her more than 150 research articles and chapters have been published in multiple international and national journals and books. She has represented at several international and national scientific seminars and conferences. Prof. Fatma received government funding to spend a year in the United States and six months in Germany and Italy as a Visiting Scholar. For her commendable contributions, she has won several awards and accolades like ‘Fellowship of The Year Award-2019’  given by National Environmental Science Academy (NESA), ‘International Research Peace Award, 2019’ given by International Journal for Research under Literal Access, ‘Prof. Y.S.R.K. Sarma Memorial Award (Algology) 2018’ given by Society for Plant Research, ‘DFG Fellowship Tenable at Rostock University, Rostock, Germany’ by Indian National Science Academy in 1997, ‘DBT-National Associateship 1991-1992 (Component part) Tenable at Texas A & M University’ by Department of Biotechnology in 1991-92.References/Sources https://www.jmi.ac.in/tfatima
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Professionals in STEM /Medicine (In alphabetical order)

31. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. MARYAM SARWAT, Pharmaceutical Biotechnologist, Professor Amity University Hometown: Click side arrow for profile details. 

The Passionate Biotechnologist
Dr Maryam Sarwat is an academician, passionate scientist, herbal drug researcher and PhD guide. A professor at Amity University, Noida, Maryam has 23 years of outstanding experience in pharmaceutical biotechnology. Maryam completed her PhD from Jamia Hamdard, Delhi, and postdoctoral research from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), an autonomous, intergovernmental organisation, with biotech labs in Italy, India, and South Africa. She started her career as a programme associate at Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in 2001, and worked on various research positions at ICMR, Jamia Hamdard and ICGEB for a decade before joining Amity University where she has taught BPharm, MPharm and PhD students.Maryam’s research work has involved collaborations with University of Texas and University of Illinois in the US, Ege University in Turkey, ITMO University in Russia, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah and King Saud University, Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.She has published 90 papers in international journals, authored seven books with international publishers Elsevier-UK, Springer Nature Germany, and Taylor and Francis, and presented her research work at conferences at Prague, Germany, and France.Maryam has filed three patents on herbal drugs and their use to cure human diseases like liver cancer, obesity and neurodegeneration.She had successfully completed four research projects with Department of Biotechnology of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, Science and Engineering Research Board and AYUSH as Principal investigator. Maryam was given the Scientist of the Year Award for 2015 by National Environment Science Academy, and was nominated for Dr. C. R. Krishnamurthy Young Scientist Award in 2008.
References/Sources

32. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SAIRA MEHNAZ,  Professor  & Head of Department of Community Medicine, Aligarh Muslim University. Hometown: Aligarh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Advocating Good Health for All
Dr Saira Mehnaz is a leading public health academician. A professor at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), she was appointed chairperson of the Department of Community Medicine in April 2022.The daughter of an army man and a teacher, Saira went to Our Lady of Fatima school in Aligarh, before enrolling in AMU for her senior secondary education, and later, MBBS and MD in community medicine. In 2022, she did an Advanced Course in Medical Education from NHL Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Prof. Mehnaz has over 20 years of academic and research experience, with focus on urbanization and migration, and their impact on public health. Her research paper documenting catastrophic spending on health by migrant slum population won her the Vijaynarayan National Award for the Best Research Paper in 2016. Another research paper, titled Comparing existing practices and barriers to utilization of maternal health services in two urban slums, won her the Pyarelal Mohan National Award for the Best Research Paper in 2011. She has won at least two other national awards for documenting research on maternal health care in slums. Dr Mehnaz has made a mark internationally too. She won the Best Presentation Award for her paper Building local partnerships to impact access to health and civic amenities in vulnerable populations: A community interventional study at the International Conference on Public Health in Bangkok in 2018, and was awarded full scholarship to attend the Women Deliver Conference 2013, in Malaysia, being among the 180 winners from 5,000 applicants. As Country Representative at the International Association on Public Health, Dr Mehnaz collaborates globally for the cause of community health. Saira is currently pursuing Fellowship from ASU-MENA Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER®) Regional Institute, Cairo, Egypt.
 References/Sources

33. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Nominee. SAMAN ADIL, Ophthalmologist, Cataract Surgeon, Gurgaon . Hometown: Aligarh . Click side arrow for profile details. 

Excellence in Eyecare 
Dr. Saman Adil is a distinguished Ophthalmologist and Surgeon with an impressive career spanning over three decades, amassing 30 years of invaluable experience in the field. Her extensive expertise lies in the intricacies of the Anterior segment of Ophthalmology, where she has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of eye disorders in this critical area. Her dedication to delivering exceptional eye care is prominently showcased in her role as the head of the Cataract service at the renowned Shroff Eye Centre, situated in Gurgaon. Beyond her clinical duties, Dr. Saman is a tireless advocate for advancing Ophthalmology’s frontiers. Her pursuit of excellence and knowledge expansion is evident through her position as a visiting scholar at the distinguished New York Eye & Ear Infirmary, where she continually engages with the latest advancements and cuttingedge techniques in Ophthalmology. Moreover, her commitment to making a global impact is exemplified by her past role as an Associate Surgeon with the DC-10 Orbis Flying Hospital. This remarkable experience allowed her to contribute her skills and knowledge to communities in need, emphasizing her dedication to bringing vision care to underserved populations worldwide. Dr. Saman’s illustrious career, marked by her extensive experience of having performed close to 20,000 surgeries and her unwavering commitment to patient care, solidifies her status as a preeminent figure in the ever-evolving world of Ophthalmology. Her work makes her a true luminary in the field.
References/Sources

34. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Nominee. SANA NAQVI,  Superintending Geologist, Geological Survey of India. Ministry of Mines, Lucknow. Hometown: Raebarelli. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Scaling the Mountains
Sana Naqvi is a Superintending Geologist with the Geological Survey of India, Ministry of Mines. Sana received her early education from Raebareli, where she belongs, and attained her BSc. Hons (Geology) in 2007, and MSc. (Applied Geology) in 2009, from Aligarh Muslim University. Sana was also selected for the Junior Research Fellowship in the examination conducted by  CSIR, with All India Rank of 17. In that very year, she got selected in the Union Public Service Commission's All India Geologists exam, (Class-1, Group A Gazetted) in her first attempt, at the age of 24.She joined Geological Survey of India as a Geologist in 2010, and was promoted to the post of Senior Geologist in the year 2015. In June 2023, she was promoted to the post of Superintending Geologist. During her initial six years of tenure, she was posted in Rajasthan, wherein she carried out geochemical mapping in parts of Bundi, Kota, and Tonk districts of Rajasthan, as a part of National Geochemical Mapping Programme (NGCM). During her tenure in GSI Lucknow (2017-present), she carried out Gold Exploration (G4) in parts of Sonbhadra district. She has worked extensively in projects of environmental geology in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. She was engaged in a two-year project to assess “spatial distribution and subsurface lithological control of arsenic in groundwater in parts of Ghaghara river basin, Basti district”. To trace the source and release mechanism of arsenic in the upstream, she was assigned "geo-environmental appraisal of arsenic contamination in the ground spring water in the Sarda/Kali River Basin, Uttarakhand". Sana is currently associated with the study of "status and causes of Uranium and other Heavy metal contamination in ground water of Kanpur Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh". Apart from the field work, she has been actively engaged in compilation and editing of three major publications including Publication of Stratigraphic Lexicon on Lesser and Outer Himalayan Sequences of North-West Himalaya, and A Manual of Geology of India. (IVth Edition) - Special Pub. 77, Vol 1: Precambrian Geology of India, Part V: Extra Peninsular Region.Being a field geoscientist, she has worked in protected forests, reserved forests and badlands in Rajasthan to the rugged terrain and border areas of Uttarakhand around Dharchula and Pithoragarh.She believes that women have the strength and mettle to scale every mountain, both literally and figuratively. 

35. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SEEMA HAKIM,  Professor & ex-Head of the Department, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University. Hometown: Varanasi. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Gynaeocologist with a Vision
Professor. Seema Hakim is a distinguished medical professional with a remarkable journey that began in Varanasi in 1960. Her leadership qualities were evident from her early school days, where she consistently led the school assembly. She lost her father at a young age and was raised by her courageous mother, who instilled in her the values of determination and perseverance.Seema's academic excellence shone through, earning her a national merit scholarship. To pursue her dream of becoming a doctor, she cleared her premedical tests at King George's Medical University and the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (IMS BHU). She went on to complete her MBBS and MD in Obstetrics & Gynaecology from IMS BHU, achieving outstanding results. After marriage, Seema joined Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University (JNMC, AMU), where she continues to serve as a Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Throughout her 40-year career, she has actively contributed to the teaching, learning, and overall development of the department.As Chairperson of the department, Seema’s visionary leadership led to the establishment of an IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) Unit, and the approval and implementation of two significant projects: the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Wing and the IVF Building, both sanctioned by the Government of India.As Quiz Coordinator of the Federation of Obstetrics & Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) for over 13 years, Prof Hakim has conducted national and state-level quizzes for postgraduate students in various conferences.She has also served as the Nodal Officer of the Regional Resource & Training Centre at JNMC since 2017, earning recognition as Faculty Champions 2020 by the Indian Health Action Trust (IHAT) and the National Health Mission (NHM).Seema has made significant contributions to academic literature, with 101 publications in national and international journals of repute. Her contribution to the field of medicine has been acknowledged with numerous awards, including the FOGSI Achiever Award for outstanding dedication to Obstetrics & Gynaecology and women's health in December 2022, the Dr. Raj Baweja Appreciation Award at the 33rd Annual Conference of UPCOG in March 2022, and the Indo Pacific–Distinguished Professor Award in Obstetrics & Gynaecology by IMRF Institute of Higher Education & Research in 2021.
References/Sources
  • https://linkedin.com/in/seema-hakim-8536101b9

36. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SHAZIA VEQAR SIDDIQUI,  Clinical Psychotherapist Lucknow. Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Dedicated to Healthy Minds
Dr. Shazia Veqar Siddiqui is a leading expert in the field of clinical psychology and behavioral sciences. She is a consultant psychotherapist at Healthy Minds Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Centre in Lucknow. Shazia did her MPhil in medical and social psychology, and PhD in clinical psychology at the prestigious Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP), Ranchi. Additionally, she studied advanced clinical hypnotherapy at California Hypnosis Institute, USA  She was consultant psychologist, psychotherapist, assistant professor and head of department of clinical psychology at CIP. She is now a visiting (honorary) faculty at Amity University, Lucknow. Shazia’s research work has been published and/or cited in reputed national and international journals. Shazia is actively involved with several professional organizations, including Rehabilitation Council of India, Indian  Association of Clinical Psychology, and Indian Psychiatric Society. Her dedication to improving mental health extends beyond her professional responsibilities. She ardently engages with the public through newspaper articles, television and radio programs, and public interaction initiatives to raise awareness about mental health and well-being. She is part of the organizing team which has conceptualized the weekly “Thursday Musings” webinar, which is the longest running mental health education webinar in the country, and it has completed 148 episodes and nearly 70,000 attendance logins. Shazia’s empathetic approach, vast knowledge, and unparalleled dedication to mental health have made her a trusted professional in the field of psychology & mental health.
References/Sources

37. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SITWAT KHAN, Philanthropist Gyanecologist. Lucknow. Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details. 

The Philanthropic Gynaecologist
Dr Sitwat Khan is an acclaimed gynaecologist based in Lucknow. She did her MBBS and MD in obstetrics and gynaecology from Aligarh Muslim University, securing a first rank in her postgraduation and earning a gold medal.Sitwat then moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she practiced at two tertiary care hospitals for 20 years. She had a brief stint in the USA before moving to Dubai, UAE, where she worked for almost seven years at well-known hospitals. After spending almost three decades overseas, Sitwat returned to India and opened her private clinic. In 2023, she was awarded the Rani Bai Laxmi Award by the Mayor of Lucknow for her services in the field of medicine. Dr. Khan is above all a humanitarian. She has adopted a village Amethi, where she offers free consultations and performs deliveries. She also holds free medical camps at other places, and helps the poor avail medicines at low rates. Sitwat was one of the few doctors who continued to run their private clinics  during the COVID pandemic, and operated upon COVID positive patients. Sitwat makes proactive attempts to spread awareness among women regarding their health. For two years, she was a regular guest on ETV Urdu for the programme Aap ki Saheli, in which she talked about women’s health issues.
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38. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. TABASSUM JAMAL, Chairperson of Zaheer Science Foundation, Former Chief Scientist Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research. Delhi. Hometown: Saharanpur. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Policy Making In Science and Technology Dr Tabassum Jamal has worked with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR), formerly known as CSIR-NISTAD, for over 30 years. With her focus on science, technology and innovation policy, she has undertaken various sponsored research projects and provided inputs in design and development of state science and technology plans, public provisioning of skill development and entrepreneurship, and capacity building in the SME sector. Dr Jamal was given additional responsibility to head the Business Development Group of the institution on account of her management and leadership skills. She has also been a faculty with Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research of CSIR. She has been published widely in reputed journals, besides books/ reports and policy bulletins.Born in Saharanpur in a service-class family, her mother was a senior teacher with a government school and her father was with the ITC, Saharanpur. Dr Jamal attended Islamia Industrial Girls College, Saharanpur. She did her PhD in International Economics (Trade in Technology) in 1988 at Aligarh Muslim University. She started her career with CSIR as Junior Research Fellow in 1983, and went on to attain the position of Chief Scientist with the institution. She is a proud mother of two daughters and has a supportive life-partner, who is a consultant in the energy sector. Currently, Dr Jamal is Chairperson of Zaheer Science Foundation, a Delhi-based non-profit think tank that promotes scientific temperament for nation-building. Science Diplomacy to propagate S&T collaborations with developing nations for inclusive development is a focus research area of the institution.
References/Sources

Leading with Legal Acumen  [In alphabetical order)

39. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. ANAM RAIS KHAN,  Civil Judge & Metropolitan Magistrate. Delhi Judicial Services. Delhi.  Alumna: AMU, Aligarh. Hometown: Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

The Judge who wears the Hijab
Anam Rais Khan, 31, is a Judge of 2019 batch of Delhi Judicial Services and is presently posted as Metropolitan Magistrate, New Delhi District, Rouse Avenue Court Complex, Delhi. Born in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh to a Professor of English Literature, and an officer of Indian Railways, Anam was always fascinated by words and public speaking. As a young girl, she was inclined to break the stereotypes appended to women, being married at the young age of 21, she didn't let her matrimonial obligations impede her success. In fact Anam dedicates her success to her spouse Mr. Adil Khan, Software Engineer, who always stood by her and supported her to achieve her dreams. She earned two gold medals in B. A. LL. B(Hons.) from the Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh and went on to pursue Masters in Competition Law from the National Law University, Delhi. She also qualified UGC-NET got certification in teaching from Australia. Appointment as the first ever female to serve as the Secretary of the Law Society, AMU gave wings to her desire to break more ceilings and in 2019 she became the first Hijab wearing Judge at the DJS. While preparing for Judicial Services, during her stay in Australia with her husband, she worked as an Immigration Law Consultant at Aussizz group, Sydney. She has been holding special designated court for cases pertaining to Negotiable Instruments Act in Delhi since almost two years now. She is a mother to a 2.5 year old toddler and is an inspiration for her daughter and women of the minorities at large!
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40. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. ASIFA RANA, Additional Principal Judge, Uttar Pradesh Judiciary. Agra. Hometown: Click side arrow for profile details. 

A  Friendly Lawyer
Asifa Rana is senior judicial officer of the Uttar Pradesh Judiciary. She is presently serving as the Additional Principal Judge, Agra. Prior to her posting at Agra, she was ADJ at Kanpur and has served at various positions since 2006. Asifa attended many schools in transit between places, owing to her father’s postings as a Government of India employee. Initially a science student, Asifa's fascination with law made her pursue the profession of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of Aligarh Muslim University - the institution to which her senior secondary school was affiliated. She joined the Department of Law, AMU as a B.A.LL.B.(Hons) student in 1999 and later in 2006 secured first position in Masters in Law at AMU. She was awarded the University Gold Medal. In her maiden attempt, Asifa qualified the prestigious Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (J) in 2006 and joined as a Civil Judge (Junior Division), Azamgarh. It was a rare feat as she didn’t even enroll in any coaching institute. She has served as Magistrate, Judge of Civil Courts in Azamgarh, Allahabad,  Etawah, Bareilly, and Aligarh. As a dedicated officer, Asifa is widely recognized for her litigant-friendly approach and disposal of disputes in due time.
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41. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. ASIFA ALAMI, Advocate . Hometown: Amroha Click side arrow for profile details.  

Legal Luminary Bridging Communities
Asifa Alami stands as a remarkable woman practicing Advocate, making significant contributions in various facets of society. With a strong educational background, she holds a MA and LLB from the prestigious IGD in Bombay. As an advocate in Amroha, her legal expertise has been widely recognized, and she is a respected Member of the District Bar Association. Beyond her legal profession, Asifa Alami has extended her reach and influence by actively participating in various organizations dedicated to the welfare and betterment of society. She holds the distinguished position of Vice President in the All India Minority Advocate Association in Allahabad, and she serves as a Mediator for the District Legal Service Authority in Amroha. Her commitment to the community is further demonstrated through her involvement with the Rotary Club, where she has held the roles of both President and Secretary, earning numerous awards for her dedication and service. Asifa Alami is deeply committed to promoting national integration, peaceful coexistence, family welfare, labor rights, and children's protection which is reflected in her volunteering for various civil society organisations and other bodies. She also plays a crucial role in various educational institutions and NGOs, serving on their governing councils. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed, as she has received a multitude of accolades, including the Best Advocate Award from the Minority Advocate Association in Allahabad, the Best Anchor Award from the District Vikas Parishad in Amroha, and the Hindu Muslim Ekta Award from Mahila Sanskriti Amroha. Asifa Alami's unwavering dedication and numerous accomplishments make her a true inspiration and a driving force for positive change in her community and beyond.

42. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. ASHMA IZZAT,  Human Rights Lawyer. Lucknow Hometown: Ghazipur. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Passionate Proponent  of Human Rights 
Ashma Izzat is an human rights lawyer based out of Lucknow. She has dedicated her life to promoting social justice, equality, and the protection of marginalized communities. Born in Sikandarpur, a small town in the district of Ballia, Ashima grew up in Ghazipur, and studied law at Kanpur University. Being raised in a multicultural neighborhood, Ashma witnessed firsthand instances of injustice faced by marginalized groups. Her upbringing instilled in her a deep sense of empathy and fueled in her the passion to defend human rights.Asthma  completed her masters in Constitutional and Administrative Law from Ram Swaroop Memorial University, Lucknow. Her academic training has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of human rights law, policies, and advocacy strategies. She continually updates her knowledge through attending workshops, conferences, and engaging in research to remain at the forefront of human rights issues.Ashma Izzat began her career as a Human Rights lawyer through grassroots initiatives, collaborating with local organizations to tackle domestic human rights violations. She has actively campaigned against discrimination, systemic racism, and violence targeting minority groups. Her effective advocacy contributed to the introduction and implementation of policies addressing police brutality and promoting fairness within the criminal justice system.Additionally, Ashma has actively fought for the civil liberties for individuals through her practice in District and Sessions Court, Lucknow. She has been involved in the Umar Gautam case and gained much traction during the CAA NRC protest as she managed to get bail for 17 Muslims protesters. She is known for pro bono work for under trial prisoners, refugees and other victims of human rights violations.
References/Sources

43 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. NAHEED ARA MOONIS,  former Judge of the High Court at Prayagraj. Hometown: Prayagraj. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Judge with Landmark Judgements
Justice Naheed Ara Moonis is a former judge of the High Court at Allahabad. Justice Naheed was a revered member of the Bench for her distinguished understanding of law and calm demeanor. She graduated in Law from Allahabad University in 1983 and enrolled as an advocate on August 18, 1986. Initially, she practiced in civil and criminal matters at Allahabad High Court, and in 1991, was appointed Special Counsel. In 1997, she was appointed as Additional Government Advocate, and later in 2004, was assigned the designation of Addl. Govt. Advocate by UP government, a designation she served until her elevation as Additional Judge, High Court of Allahabad on April 13, 2009. She took oath as permanent Judge on 24 December, 2010 and served till 7 December 2021 (superannuation). Justice Moonis was appointed a member of a panel to hear complaints concerning sexual harassment at the Allahabad High Court. Her contribution as member of the Disposal Review Committee at Allahabad High Court was widely appreciated. Justice Naheed has authored many landmark judgments relating to commercial and criminal matters, including a strongly-worded order passed in October 2021 when a seven-judge bench, of which she was member, criticised the manner in which the officers of the state are progressing on issues related to functioning of courts in UP. 
References/Sources

44. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. TUBA NASEER,  Lead Manager, Law Advisory Services for Ernst & Young. Hometown: Meerut. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Leading Legal Falcon
Tuba Naseer is currently working as Lead Manager, Law Advisory Services for Ernst & Young. She previously worked as Manager, Law Services for Thomson Reuters and as Team Lead with UnitedLex. As a legal professional with 14 years of experience, Tuba has made a mark in the industry with her exceptional skills and multidisciplinary approach. She has received international certification including PMP® , PMI-ACP® and Certification in E-Discovery Specialistion from ACEDS (Association of E-Discovery Specialists).Born in Meerut, she attended Sophia's Girls School and graduated in Commerce from the Chaudhary Charan Singh University (CCSU), Meerut. Her passion for corporate law and Intellectual Property Rights made her foray into law and she went on to obtain LLB and LLM from CCSU, Meerut. She also holds a diploma in patent laws from The National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), Hyderabad and has completed Accelerated General Management Program from Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA).At a recent international conference in Dubai, she was honored with the “Leading Legal Falcon” Award for her contribution to the legal field.  Her current employer,  has in recognition of her services, awarded her the Highest Performing Team (February 2022) Award, SPOT Award (May 2021), GDS User Award(2021 & 2022), Excellence in Team Management (March 2021). In 2016, she revamped the Internal Process at Thomson Reuters and was given the Innovation Award.
References/Sources

Creative Contributors to the Arts [In Alphabetical order ] 

45. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. ABID ZAIDI,  Artist. Creating awareness through philosophical drawings. Hometown: Bareilly. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Sculpting Society on Clay & Canvas
Abid Zaidi is a visual artist using different mediums like pen, charcoal, ink and oil to depict her artwork. Abid completed her Masters in History & Economics, Diploma in Clay Modeling (Sculpture Art) & PhD in History of Arts from MJP Rohilkhand University, Bareilly.  She has a fondness for lines, taking utmost care of them in making her artifacts. Ms. Zaidi is a concept-based artist, with her creations glued to a core concept, especially marginalized or endangered earthlings, as mirrored by her noteworthy works on falcons, vultures, camels, transgenders, human figures and portraits. Her solo exhibition titled “Identity Art Marathon” at Arpana Art Gallery had sketches on birds and human forms. Some of her works showcase vultures, which are disappearing from Indian skies, falcons and camel-woman forms. Her prolific creations had been exhibited at several exhibitions on diverse platforms, like, Annual Exhibitions (Drawing), Annual Exhibitions (Portrait), All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society, New Delhi, All India Exhibitions of Arts, Amritsar, Group Exhibitions, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, Group show at International Literary & Art festival, Meerut and Exhibition of India Contemporary Artists at Art Russia, at Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Abid had been honored with several awards and accolades for her artistic contribution, particularly to creating awareness through philosophical drawings. She is the recipient of the Highly Commended Certificate, All India Exhibitions of Art, 2012, Amritsar; Certificate of Merit awarded in All India Women artists Contemporary Exhibitions, Chandigarh. 
References/Sources

46. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. ATIKA FAROOQUI. Anchor, Poet, Creative Director, former TV Journalist, Mumbai. Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details. 

The Queen of Words
Atika Farooqui is a celebrity speaker, talk show host, published poet, songwriter, a former TV journalist, and a trained actor with two decades of experience in Films, TV and theatre. Hailing from Lucknow, Atika is known for her lyrical poetry, oratory skills and high-spirited, enthralling conversations with top Bollywood celebrities. Currently, she is the face of Colors Cineplex’s promotional campaigns, as well as host of  the premiere prime-time weekend cinema show, showing on CNN News18. Atika is a trending name in literary circles, having shared spaces with legends like Javed Akhtar and Gulzar and has garnered their benign appreciation. She has performed and spoken on prestigious national platforms like Rekhta, Ficci Frames, and Exchange4Media and has walked the red carpet for IIFA and Filmfare in Spain and New York. Atika has produced over 5,000 detailed shows with top Bollywood actors and directors. Her heartwarming Urdu poems on life, women and communal harmony have been featured on leading TV channels and websites like NDTV, CNBCTV18, Quint, Colors, Hindustan Times, and Times of India. She is also known for her captivating voice and has done voice-overs for several ad films and projects, including on-air promos for Colors Cineplex.  Her videos, celebrity chats and shows have had viewership of over 100 million times alone on social media.      Atika has been a TV media person for over a decade and has  launched 6 channels which are India’s prestigious news channels like Star News, IBN7, E24/News24,Bhaskar News, News Nation, and now Colors’ movie channel – Rishtey Cineplex. She has been a leading anchor and the face of all the above channels, and having launched, anchored and produced many path-breaking daily and weekly shows like SaasBahuaurSaazish in 2005, she has held multiple profiles in her career. 
References/Sources               

47 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. BADAR JAHAN. Artist, Chairperson of the Department of Fine Arts at Aligarh Muslim University Hometown: Click side arrow for profile details. 

Artist-cum-Academician
Badar Jahan is Chairperson of the Department of Fine Arts at Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. Her academic career at AMU spans 27 years, and as Professor, she specializes in teaching creative painting and contemporary Indian art practices.As an artist, Badar Jahan has held shows in London, New York and Chicago, and is the recipient of the prestigious State Award from Lalit Kala Akademi (in 1998-99). The Akademi has recognised her as ‘Contemporary Artist of Uttar Pradesh’ and invited her for Artist Camps and State Exchange Exhibitions at Jaipur, Mumbai and Allahabad.  In 2013, she was felicitated by the Governor of Goa, Minister of Art and Culture, Director & Secretary, Art and Culture, Govt. of Goa in an Artist Camp organized by the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa.She has exhibited her artworks in solo and duo shows, participated in regional, state and other exhibitions throughout the country specially in Mumbai, Orissa, Jaipur, Allahabad, Lucknow and Aligarh.Professor Badar Jahan received the “Prathma” Women Achievers Award 2018 for her contribution in the field of art and culture from Amar Ujala, on the occasion of Women’s Day. As the Coordinator of the prestigious Moinuddin Ahmad Art Gallery of AMU, her contribution in reviving and developing this art gallery has been widely acknowledged. She has been instrumental in organizing many national and international exhibitions, residencies, workshops and lectures at the art Gallery, which was inaugurated in 2013. She has authored the book Abstraction in Indian Painting: post-independence era. The book has been selected for the collection of Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK and in 38 libraries worldwide. References/Sources

48 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree.  MEERA RIZVI, Engineer turned TV Content Producer turned Dastango. Delhi.  Hometown: Prayagraj. Click side arrow for profile details. 

From Engineer to Storyteller
Meera Rizvi is a dastango, content editor and writer. She graduated as a chemical engineer from Aligarh Muslim University in 1990, and went on to land a coveted job at Engineers India Ltd. which she quit for a brief stint at the Indian Institute of Technology, Powai. She soon realized that being buried in a laboratory was not what she wanted to do in her life. She had stories to tell, and she was determined to tell them one way or another. Since then, Meera has worked as a freelancer for both fiction and non-fiction programming, including news. Her work includes stints as content head for shows like Kaun Banega Crorepati and Aap ki Kachehri, and writer for the American children’s show Sesame Street. She set foot on stage as a dastango for the first time in 2017, and has since then performed several shows with both traditional and non-traditional dastaans. She is currently writing for a web series.Meera’s father was born to a jagirdar family in Bisauna, a small village near Allahabad. Her mother belonged to Kaimganj, Farrukhabad. Her father’s family was traditionally employed with the police or army, but he decided to tread a different path and joined Jamia Millia Islamia as a lecturer. 
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49 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. NISHAT PARVEZ. Visual Artist.   Hometown: Kanpur, Click side arrow for profile details. 

Appreciating Nature in Art Dr. Nishat Parvez is an acclaimed artist and an accomplished educator residing in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.  She has been an art aficionado throughout her life, committing her passion and profession to the cosmos of creativity. She received her doctorate from Kanpur University in Drawing and painting and has lectured and taught for more than three decades in Dayanand Girls college kanpur and in Sheiling House School Kanpur.  Her paintings are inspired by her passion for nature and wildlife. Her advocacy for conservation of nature and preservation of wildlife is evident in her artworks. She works with oil paints and techniques such as dry brush blending, stumbling and glazing. Her art works exhibit the harmony of light, colors, textures and patterns in an attempt to portray the enigma of the environment. Nishat has exhibited her artworks at several national and international exhibitions for the last 31 years and has received plaudits in UAE, USA, Australia and Africa. She did her solo exhibition “Conservare” at Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, and presented her work at the Indian High Commission, London, participating in “Contemporary Artist from India & Other Countries” organized by “The Art Rays.” Dr. Nishat won the much coveted Gold Medal in “Agnipath” at the All India Art Competition & Exhibition, New Delhi. Nishat is also a recipient of the Ratan e Hind 2023 Annual International Online Award for Excellence in Arts,  in the category of Wild Life from Aura Planet, New Delhi.  Nishat has also participated in international Art forums such as the recent Qatar International Art Festival 2023. 
References/Sources

50. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree.   NUSRAT F. JAFRI. Cinematographer & Writer. Mumbai. Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Calling the Shots Nusrat F Jafri is a Mumbai-based cinematographer and writer. Born and brought up in Lucknow, Nusrat did her schooling from La Martiniere Girls College, where she developed an interest in art and storytelling. The keenness to learn cinematography was reinforced during her Masters in Mass Communication at the Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi. She then moved to Mumbai to pursue a career in the movie industry. She has paved her path to an independent film career with utmost grit & grace.  With just a few women cinematographers before her in the film industry, the journey had been arduous, but rewarding nonetheless. She believes in promoting other women on her film sets and ensures a place for another female assistant on her team. Nusrat is the Cinematographer for the feature film Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz produced by Saregma. She shot Season One of Amazon Prime’s web show, Chacha Vidhayak Hain Humare. She has also shot Shlok Sharma’s multi-award winning short film Sujata and did the additional cinematography for Hansal Mehta’s National Award winning feature film Shahid. She has shot many television commercials and documentaries, including Krishnendu Bose’s award-winning documentary Delhi Work In Progress, and most recently, Vijayeta Singh’s She Builds. Her latest short film, Pilibhit, had a wonderful run at international film festivals.Nusrat was nominated under the Best Cinematography category at the 4th edition of the Critics Choice Awards & the IFTDA (Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association) Award for Pilibhit. She is also a prolific writer and is presently working on her non-fiction book to be published in April 2024 by Penguin India.
References/Sources

51 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. NYLA ANJUM MASOOD,  Costume designer, Actor and Activist. Hometown: Kanpur.  Click side arrow for profile details. 

Designing Dreams in Reel & Real Life
Nyla Masood is a costume designer, actor and activist. Born in Kanpur, she received her education from different cities and was in the second batch at National Institute of Fashion Technology in 1987. After marriage, she moved to Mumbai, and has lived there ever since. Nyla is an illustrious costume designer whose career spans award-winning films like Stanley ka Dabba (2011), Umrika (2015), Tu Hai Mera Sunday (2016), Waterbaby (2016), Saina (2021) and several others. At the age of 59, Nyla ventured into the world of acting and made her debut as the protagonist of The Lift Boy (2019). She has since been seen in many commercials, films, short films, web series, including Shakuntala Devi (2020), Saina (2021), Decoupled (2021), Delhi Crime S2 (2022), The Broken Table (2023), Ghoomar, Made in Heaven S2, Aarya S3, and multiple other projects in the pipeline. It is noteworthy that ‘The Broken Table’ is the official selection for short films for the Oscars this year. She is the co-founder of Dhai Akshar Educational Trust, an after-school NGO where underprivileged children are provided safe, stimulating and empowering learning environments, creating happy hours, preserving and cherishing their childhood, inundating them in multiple curricular & co-curricular activities. The students and staff are also actively involved in beach cleaning and community development in Versova, and were felicitated for their contributions to the Beat Plastic Pollution Campaign by UN Environment and the Government of India in 2018. In 2017, the center received the Fever FM Voice of Change award and in 2018, Nyla was awarded the Radio Nasha Voice of Change award at the Beti FLO Gr8 Awards. At leisure, Nyla likes to dance, dabble with some doodling, and spend time with her loved ones, family, pets, and plants.
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52. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree.  NOOR ALASSABA. Artist, Portraitist.  Hometown: Meerut. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Portrait of a Passionate Artist
Noor Alassaba, an acclaimed artist and portraitist is the recipient of the highest civilian award of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Yash Bharati (2016-2017), for her illustrious contribution in the arena of Art.Noor hails from the city of Meerut and has received her education from Meerut & Kanpur. She earned her MA (Drawing & Painting) from CCS University, Meerut and Intermediate Drawing Grade Examination (IGD, BOMBAY). She also did her MA (Sociology)  and B.Ed from Kanpur University, Kanpur. Noor specializes in portrait painting and has painted the portraits of many distinguished personalities and celebrities. She has created several stupendous artworks for calendars of many eminent corporate houses of India under the stellar stewardship of her father in law and internationally recognised artist, the Late H. R. Raja, famous for his religious and freedom fighter’s calendars designing at Raja Art studio established in 1960.  She has exhibited her masterpieces at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi, National Art exhibitions held at Meerut and several other places of art appreciation & praise. Noor has displayed her artworks internationally too, in London book fair & Frankfurt book fair, Germany.She runs her own drawing and painting school under the name, “Art Expressions” and provides free art materials and education to girls from underprivileged strata of the society. For the upcoming generations, Noor curates and designs books on subjects of drawing and painting from Nursery to Class XII for various publication houses of India.
References/Sources

53. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree.  SABA MUMTAZ  Indian television writer, director and producer. Mumbai. Hometown:  Azamgarh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

The Prolific Penwoman
Saba Mumtaz is an award-winning Indian television writer, director and producer.  A prolific writer, her repertoire of works include several successful TV shows such as Haqeeqat, Dharti Ka Veer Yodha Prithviraj Chauhan, , Parrivaar, Dharam Veer, Mohe Rang De, Mere Ghar Aayi Ek Nanhi Pari, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai , Shakuntala, Chand Chupa Badal Mein , Dil Se Di Dua... Saubhagyavati Bhava, Navya..Naye Dhadkan Naye Sawaal, Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, Sasural Simar Ka, Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke, Ek Boond Ishq, Saraswatichandra, Hum Hain Naa, Meri sasu maa, Razia Sultan, and Yeh Moh Moh Ke Dhaagey, Mariam Khan - Reporting Live, Mollki. Saba earned her degree in mass communication at the elite  AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi. She got her first break in script writing with the TV series Haqeeqat  on Sahara One in 2001, which was based on real-life incidents. This was followed by Dharti Ka Veer Yodha, Prithviraj Chauhan(2006–2009) and then there was no break to her series of works, one after another. Saba also ventured into the field of production and as a producer, her noteworthy  works includes Ek Boond Ishq, Yeh Moh Moh Ke Dhaagey, and Meri sasu maa. She has also written, produced and directed the feature film Disha for Films Division. All her work entails a tale for betterment of people, place, possessions and perspectives.
References/Sources

54. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SHAGUFTA KHANUM, Visual Artist, Lucknow. Hometown: Click side arrow for profile details. 

Creating Rhythm on Canvas
Shagufta Khanam is a visual artist, and freelances at Lalit Kala Akademi, Lucknow. As a child, her most cherished toys were paints, palettes and brushes. In pursuit of her passion for painting, she did a Masters of Fine Arts and a PhD (Painting), from Aligarh Muslim University.Shagufta works with oil, water and mixed media. Her paintings are vivid depictions of the Indian woman, portraying her sufferings and successes, wins and woes, tears and cheers, pains and gains. Through her masterpieces, Shagufta presents the lived realities of Indian women. She has done numerous exhibitions at several places across the country including in Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, Odisha, West Bengal and Punjab.She displayed her prized art pieces in the solo exhibition “Rhythm” at Lalit Kala Akademi, Lucknow. The theme of Shagufta’s canvases is rhythm, which she interprets as the fulcrum of existence of various creations in this universe, be it the throbbing heart, or the intricacies of human connections and relationships. In tying the exhibition’s theme with her specific interest in the lives of Indian women, her paintings portrayed the rhythm of balance a woman establishes while playing different roles and fulfilling a myriad of responsibilities. Shagufta was honored with the "Ratan-e-Hind" award in abstract category at All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society, New Delhi, Prafulla Dahanukar City Award & 30th Pragati Chitra International Golden Award presented by Konaseema Chitrakala Parishad, Amalapuram, for her contribution to the world of arts.
References/Sources

55 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree.   ZEHRA JAFRI, Calligrapher. Hometown: Bahraich. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Reviving the Art of Calligraphy
Zehra Jafri is a young Arabic calligrapher from Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh. She has taken up the responsibility of appreciating and reviving the vintage practice of Arabic calligraphy., which has near vanished from Uttar Pradesh; I am trying to revive it,” she says. Arabic calligraphy, the art of handwriting the Arabic script in a fluid manner, is closely tied to the Islamic faith, and holds immense significance in the Muslim world, as Arabic calligraphy adores mosques, mausoleums and Muslim homes. Besides being an artist herself, Zehra runs a school by the name of 'Imam Ali Madrasa' where students are imparted regular as well as religious education. She makes it a point to teach her students calligraphy, holding a farsighted ideology of enabling them to be professional artists who can make sustain their lives with their art.Despite her young age, Zehra has a clear understanding of the fact that unless an art or a hobby becomes economically viable, it cannot survive. So, she is striving to monetize her artwork, enhancing its sustainability and raising her business venture too.
 References/Sources

Taking Entrepreneurship Forward  [ in alphabetical order] 

56 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. AISHA AMEEN. Digital Marketeer. Founder, DigiAisha Enterprises. Lucknow.  Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details.

Riding High in her Burqa
Aisha Ameen, India's first Burqa Rider, has embarked on new roads of digital marketing entrepreneurship, with her startup named "DigiAisha Enterprises" where she specializes in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click, Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, Google Analytics, and WordPress Website Development. She is also a freelance journalist with News Portal, revolutionizing the world not only with the speed of her wheels but also with the might of her pen. Aisha received her primary schooling from International Indian School, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, followed by the family’s move to India. Then she completed her undergraduate course in Journalism And Mass Communication (BA) from Babu Banarasi Das University, Lucknow. She has also completed Digital Marketing Advanced Certification Course from Digiperform. Aisha is an avid bike rider and hit the roads on bike in 2015, adorning “Burqa” the attire which gave her sense of security, belonging & confidence just after completion of her school years.  Her motive behind this is just to spread awareness that a Girl in Muslim community can do anything she aspires even if she wear the burqa.
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57. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree.  HINA TALIB, Entrepreneur. Owner LPG Distribution Agency. Kursi, Barabanki. Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Strengthening Access to LPG to Rural WomenHina Talib, is an entrepreneur, running a Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) LPG Distributorship in Kursi, Barabanki. Hina born in Lucknow, though my parental home is in Chhibramau, Kannauj. She did my schooling from La Martiniere Girls College,Lucknow. During schooldays the Gandhi corner at her school used to organise, literacy camps for the underprivileged children, where she actively participated. Hina did her graduation (Geography) and Post-Graduation (Masters in Social work) from Aligarh Muslim University and also served in the position of Senior Hall at AMU. While pursuing Masters in Social Work, Hina interned with Rajiv Gandhi Foundation in Delhi, where her area of work was, child literacy, in Yamuna Pushta Slums, in 2000. In 2004, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. had invited applications under open women category for LPG distributorship, for which Hina was selected. Being the first working woman in the family, she  was happy to get the emotional and financial support of her in-laws. This field has been male dominated and her area of operation is rural, covering approximately 90 villages . In an effort to bring the rural women from conventional fuel to clean and safe cooking LPG, has been quite a challenge. Continuous perseverance and dedication worked and after 19 years, today Hina has  thirty thousand happy women household, to her consumer list. She regularly conducts safety clinics, in her  area to educate rural women about the safety rules to manage the LPG cylinders in their kitchens in order to avoid any mishaps. Predominately being a rural distributor her work and management policies have been recognised and acknowledged by the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.(BPCL) from time to time. 

58. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree.  IRAM  RAZA, Director-Digital Marketing Operations | Maulana Azad University, Jodhpur. Founder: AMU Women's Alumni Foundation. Hometown: Aligarh. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Fostering Global Networks
Iram Raza, who hails from Saharanpur is currently serving as the Director of Digital Marketing Operations at Maulana Azad University in Jodhpur. She completed her high school education at St. Thomas English Medium School in Meerut. Iram is a seasoned professional with 12 years of expertise in Digital Marketing, Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Iram blends a solid foundation in communication with a wealth of experience in brand building, Social Media management, SEO, and content marketing. A significant achievement in her portfolio is the creation of the inaugural AMU Women Alumni Group, which has grown to over 15,000 members globally, showcasing her commitment to community and network development. Iram’s commitment to fostering global networks and her innovative, data-driven approach make her a distinguished leader in the field of digital marketing. She has been conferred with 4th Edition of Dr. Sarojini Naidu International Awards (2020) and Kool Kanya Hustler award in 2019 and has done certificate course in SEO and Digital Marketing Channels including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 
References/Sources

59. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. NAMRA ALAM. Makeup Artist, Founder of Beeyouty Street. Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details. 

 Beauty with Brains
Namra Alam, a Lucknow-based makeup artist, is the founder of Beeyouty Street, an enterprise that retails beauty products and offers make-up services.Namra attended City Montessori School, Lucknow, and completed a BA in English Literature from Avadh Girls’ Degree College, Lucknow. She worked as an educator at Child Care Inter College in the city, and then at Ibn Seena English High School in Sharjah, UAE.Though a school teacher, Namra was always interested in beauty products and the art of make-up.  She decided to walk a new path in her career, and became a self-taught makeup artist. Within a short time, by the dint of her hard work and talent, Namra became a rising star of the beauty world, her skillfulness and knowledge of the subject gaining her a lot of admirers. The Instagram account of Beeyouty Street, which she established in 2021, has about 10,000 followers. Namra is also invited to conduct makeup and grooming workshops in popular wellness and beauty centers like VLCC Healthcare Ltd. She has also curated some courses for her clients to bust beauty myths and dissipate the right information. References/Sources

60. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. LUBNA ANSARI. Founder/Owner Camp Riverwild nature retreat. Nainital. Hometown:  Barabanki. Click side arrow for profile details.

The Nature Enthusiast
Lubna Ansari, a seeker of nature, has developed an exquisite eco-friendly retreat, a nature lover’s abode, Camp Riverwild, nestled in the heart of lush green jungles together with her beloved husband. Camp Riverwild is an environmentally sustainable haven of her hopes which empowers her heart. It is an exceptional jungle retreat, a boutique property, being  home to only six luxurious log-hut suites, all overlooking the Kosi riverbed with abundant wildlife. Lubna made sure that all of the cottages were created using natural and recycled materials, with composting toilets and rainwater harvesting facilities. Pursuing her wanderlust, she pursued Bachelors in Psychology. But her cup wasn’t full until she crafted this sanctum of her passion, harboring and cultivating the “Love of and for Earth and its Environment.” Lubna is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions of national and International repute, notably being featured in Outlook Traveller magazine (April 2014), Times Travel magazine (July 2014), National Geographic Traveler (Aug, 2015). She was honored with the “Award for the best eco-friendly camp in Corbett Tiger Reserve by TCHRA, followed by a Certificate of Excellence by Tripadvisor. Fueling her joy of spreading smiles, Lubna is also working on Skill development & Training of Women Self-help group (SHG) of Chukam village, Nainital.
References/Sources

61. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SABEEN AHSAN Psychologist. Talk Show host.  Hometown: Bareilly. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Influencing Minds and Hearts
Dr. Sabeen Ahsan, is a psychologist, motivational speaker, social health influencer, philanthropist and entrepreneur. Sabeen serves as the President of Being Alive Foundation, Vice president of Vedaan group, National President in Psychological Well-being of Women Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (WICCI). She holds a honorary position as a Visiting Psychologist in Indian Military Infantry Regimental Training Centres. In addition to all her luminary contributions, she is also brightening lives by her fundraiser talk show, "Har Dil Har Zubaan with Sabeen." She got actively engaged in erasing the indelible grays from the lives of inmates by working on Rotary: Inner Wheel Club projects in collaboration with the government. Dr Sabeen is a noted and successful clinical psychologist. She is ardently involved in a myriad of social welfare programs especially impacting the education and health sector. While she was born in a well-known business family, her parents supported her yearning for higher education & she pursued her degree courses from Aligarh Muslim University, followed by Amity University Noida with dinical experience from Apollo Hospital, Delhi, culminating in the PhD Doctorate program from California University, USA. Her compassionate demeanour and empathetic attitude complimented her education since early days with her active participation in rural education and women Upliftment programmes. Now she benefits numerous women, supporting their self-reliance by equipping them with employment and skill development. In 2023 Dr Sabeen was awarded the prestigious UP MSME AtmaNirbhar Award by the Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. 
References/Sources

62 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SAMINA KHAN. Founder Owner, Elegance Boutique, Aligarh. Hometown: Rampur. Click side arrow for profile details.

Preserving timeless traditions
Samina Khan, hailing from the town of Rampur, has woven a captivating tapestry of dreams in the heart of Aligarh. She laid the foundation of her boutique, initially known as "Elegance", which was a pioneering venture in Aligarh at the time. Within these walls, she breathed life into resham embroidery, zari work, and zardozi, infusing each thread with her passion and creativity. One of Samina's notable achievements is her expertise in crafting authentic Indian bridal ensembles, particularly ghararas, which has earned her a stellar reputation. Her unwavering commitment to creating bespoke bridal outfits sets her apart in the industry. She recently rebranded her boutique as The Indian Couture and ventured into the digital realm to serve customers across India. She stands as a beacon of hope for the skilled artisans, many of whom are women, that form her close-knit team of over 40. Their hands, like hers, weave magic into every piece, and Samina's meticulous designs ensure that their talents endure, providing for their families. Her story began within the walls of her home, and with the unwavering support of her husband, she transformed it into a boutique and workshop. 
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63. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. TARANA JAMAL. Owner and Principal, Lead Convent School. Shahjahanpur. Hometown: Shahjahanpur. Click side arrow for profile details.

‘The Visionary Educationist
Tarana Jamal is an enterprising owner & accredited principal of Lead Convent school, located in the district of Shahjahanpur,. Tarana was a stellar student throughout her academic life and held erudition as an indispensable ingredient of her growth. Following her dream of being an educationist,  she completed a Masters in Arts and Bachelors of Education from Allahabad University. With support from her husband, her dream was brought to a fruition as she  founded “Lead Covent” in 2003 with 10 students and 4 classes (Pre-Nursery, Nursery, K.G and Class I) with a view to give better education and healthy environment to the children at very nominal cost. Today, it has grown into a middle school with approximately 700 students in a spacious and well ventilated building. Tarana has won numerous honours and accolades for her much rewarding contribution to the society by several regional and national organizations, including Bharat Vikas Parishad, Rani Laxmibai Mahila wing, and Navadevi Samman by Nagarnigam. The school also holds multiple credits to its name for much encouraging and outstanding participation and performance in varied curricular and extracurricular activities and campaigns. 
References/Sources

64. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. ZOYA IMRAN KHAN. Designer, Founder, Magical Fusion, Lucknow. Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details.

Creating Enchantment with Fabric and Resin
Zoya Imran Khan is the founder of Magical Fusion, a Lucknow-based studio that offers high-end clothing, affordable fabrics, designer wear, home decor services, resin artwork, and personalized gift hampers. Zoya has received her Master’s in Economics from Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow, alongside Bachelors in education and Diploma in Fashion Designing. She began her career with the marketing department of a magazine publication company, and then held an administrative position with IDBI bank. She also has a teaching experience of eight years. After professional experience across different sectors, Zoya decided to venture into entrepreneurship by experimenting with resin art. She creates decorative resin art pieces like customized resin work name plates, wooden lamps, and clocks, among other decorative items. She also provides a wide range of interior decor services to elevate the visual appeal of her customers’ living spaces. Magical Fusion, set up in 2022, has become a name to reckon with for home décor and art enthusiasts in a short time.. It is a brand that translates the charisma of creativity and the invention of fusion into captivating and customized products. Her venture is the culmination of her interests & inspirations, which she garnered since her childhood years, growing up in the mesmerizing awe of designs, decorativeness and fashion. At Magical Fusion, she believes that every gift is a magical expression of love and care, weaving together personalized gift hampers, encompassing a vast range of options available in clothing, handcrafted items, and fragrances with handwritten notes connecting hearts. References/Sources

Making an Impact through Media  

65. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. BUSHRA KHANUM. Independent Journalist & Producer. Delhi. Hometown: Bulandshahr. Click side arrow for profile details.

An independent Voice in Digital Journalism
Bushra Khanum is an independent journalist based in Delhi. Besides running her own YouTube channel, she moderates a daily live political debate on DB Live, an extensively watched online channel. Born in Aligarh and raised in Khurja, Bulandshahar, Bushra went to school in Khurja, and did her Bachelors in Social Works (BSW) from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Previously, she worked for various TV channels, media production houses and digital platforms such as Zee Salam, Network 18, Doordarshan, Big Synergy and ETV Urdu, where she anchored and produced popular prime time shows. Bushra has also worked as a reporter on the ground, covering stories in several states..  On her show Aap Ki Baat on Zee Salaam, Bushra countered the negative agenda against minorities, and highlighted their contribution in nation-building. After the critically acclaimed show was discontinued by the channel, Bushra quit her job and forayed into independent and digital journalism. She is also a contributing editor for online portal The Hindustan Gazette. With her vast experience in journalism and involvement in social initiatives, including promotion of Urdu language, she is regularly invited as a speaker at various workshops, seminars and related events. 
References/Sources

66. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. FAREEHA IFTIKHAR. Special  Correspondent, Hindustan times. Delhi. Hometown: Saharanpur. Click side arrow for profile details.

Writing Powerful Stories about Education
Fareeha Iftikhar is a special correspondent with India’s leading daily newspaper Hindustan Times. Her area of reporting is education, where she has covered issues related to infrastructural inadequacies, skill development at the school and higher education system, and problems of access to schools and colleges for economically weaker groups, transgender communities, manual scavengers and minorities. Fareeha hails from Ambehta (Peer), a small town in Saharanpur district. After attending school in Saharanpur, she joined Delhi University in 2011 for higher education. She later joined the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, for a postgraduate diploma in journalism. She has been working as a full-time journalist since 2015. Before joining Hindustan Times in 2018, she worked as a reporter with DNA newspaper. In her eight years of experience, Fareeha has written meaningful stories beyond the realm of education that includes farmers’ protest, COVID 19 pandemic and CAA NRC agitation .
References/Sources

67. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. FATIMA KHAN. Journalist. Principal Correspondent with Quint. Delhi. Hometown: Bulandshahr. Click side arrow for profile details.

Fighting Hate with her Pen
Fatima Khan is a versatile journalist reporting on politics, hate crimes and social justice. Currently working as Principal Correspondent with The Quint, Fatima previously worked with The Print. She is a recipient of two prestigious awards: the Laadli Media Award, supported by the UN Population Fund, in 2020 for gender-sensitive reporting on the rape and murder of a young woman in Unnao; and the International Press Institute Award in 2022 for her coverage of the Covid pandemic. Born in Saudi Arabia to doctor parents, Fatima moved back to Delhi-NCR with her family when she was five. Her father is from Bulandshahr and mother from Varanasi. Fatima completed a BA in English from Motilal Nehru College, Delhi University in 2017, and was a Young India Fellow in the postgraduate Liberal Studies at Ashoka University, Sonipat, Haryana. She started her journalism career by writing on gender issues, and eventually moved on to reporting on national politics. She covered the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in 2019, the 2020 Delhi riots, and the 2021 Covid wave— for which she spent 45 days on the road in order to bring stories of infrastructural collapse. In 2022, Fatima reported on a series called “Everyday communalism in Uttar Pradesh” for which she documented incidents of hate that arose from petty issues. Her hard-hitting reportage has made her a frequent target of online trolling. In 2021, she was included in a list of Muslim women who were ‘auctioned online’ in an Islamophobic and mysoginistic crime. But none of that deters her from carrying forward her brave journalism. References/Sources

68. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. GHAZALA AHMAD. Multimedia Journalist. Chief Correspondent, Maktoob Media. Delhi . Hometown: Aligarh . Click side arrow for profile details.

Giving Voice to Burning Issues
Ghazala Ahmad is a multimedia journalist, with a powerful repertoire of work covering issues such as human rights, communal violence, gender and education. Her work has been featured in independent news media such as Brut India, The Wire, The Quint, Article-14, The New Indian Express, The Cognate and The Clarion. Currently, she is a Chief Correspondent with Maktoob Media, a news platform dedicated to covering and telling stories of under-represented communities. Her documentaries focus on targeted sectarian violence. Hailing from the city of Aligarh, Ghazala grew up in an environment where she was never stopped from asking uncomfortable questions and her valor was supported by her mother, Nahid Fatima, a teacher by profession, and father, Rais Ahmad, a retired accountant. 
She completed a Bachelor’s in Social Work and a Masters in Mass Communication from Aligarh Muslim University. At the beginning of her career, she encountered discrimination as she was rejected for the job of an anchor for wearing a hijab about which she spoke in an interview with TRT World. This only emboldened her resolve and she stands out today as a hijab wearing journalist.
References/Sources

69. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SABA NAQVI. Independent Political Journalist. Delhi. Hometown: Raebareli. Click side arrow for profile details.

Expertly Breaking down Political News
Saba Naqvi is among the most well-known and recognizable voices in political journalism. The former editor of Outlook magazine, Naqvi belongs to Mustafabad village, Unchahar district, Rae Bareli. She spent her childhood in Delhi, where her father, renowned journalist Saeed Naqvi, was based, and spent every summer in Lucknow and Mustafabad.  An alumnus of St Stephen’s College, Delhi, Naqvi writes columns in leading national dailies and analyzes elections on television. She also teaches at OP Jindal University’s School of Journalism and Communication, Sonipat, Haryana. Naqvi has written four books: In Good Faith, published in 2012, chronicles a two-year-long journey across India in search of syncretic traditions and pluralist communities. The Marathi edition of the book was a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2022. Capital Conquest, published in 2015, is about the emergence of the Aam Aadmi Party. Her third book, Shades of Saffron: From Vajpayee to Modi, published in June 2018, chronicles the journey of the BJP that Naqvi covered for two decades. It’s a first-hand account with the author as the primary source of news and information and profiles the leading figures in the BJP’s ascent to power. Her fourth book, Politics of Jugaad: The Coalition Handbook, published in 2019, examines the history of coalition governments in the country.  Naqvi has been a Reuters fellow at Oxford University and a Jefferson fellow at East West Centre in Hawaii. She was also selected for the Asia Leadership Fellow Award given by the Japan Foundation at Tokyo and the US State Department’s fellowship for leading professionals from across the world.
References/Sources

70. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SEEMA MUSTAFA. Political Journalist &. Author. Delhi Hometown: Lucknow/Barabanki. Click side arrow for profile details.

A lifetime of Political Journalism
Seema Mustafa is a formidable name in the world of political journalism. Her career as a reporter began in Lucknow in 1978, where she joined The Pioneer for a salary of “Rs 50 a month”. She moved to Delhi a year later and joined the Patriot, a newspaper started by freedom fighters Aruna Asaf Ali and Edatatata Naryayan. Her illustrious career, spanning 45 years, includes stints at The Indian Express, Telegraph, India Today, Economic Times, The Asian Age, and NewsX TV channel, where she was National Affairs Editor. While at The Asian Age, where Seema was political editor, she received the Prem Bhatia Award for Excellence in Political Reporting and Analysis in 1999 for her coverage of the Kargil war. She has reported on communal violence in UP, caste violence in UP and Bihar, conflicts in Assam and Kashmir, and insurgency in Punjab, where she interviewed Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Internationally, she reported on wars in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria. In 2014, she started The Citizen, an independent news portal, and in 2020, was elected president of Editors Guild of India. Seema has also authored the biography of former Prime Minister VP Singh, The Lonely Prophet: V.P. Singh, a Political Biography, and recently wrote her memoir, Azadi's Daughter: Journey of a Liberal Muslim. Seema was born to a family with strong political roots. While her father was an army man, her mother was the niece of Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, freedom fighter from Barabanki, UP. Seema has, however, carved an identity of her own, in the world of political journalism.
References/Sources

Change Makers in Social Development   [ In alphabetical order] 

71. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. AISYA FAROOQUI Principal. Government Primary School. Asti Nagar. Fatehpur, National Teachers Awardee 2023 for promoting girls education. Hometown: Fatehpur . Click side arrow for profile details.

Making an Impact on the Ground
Asiya Farooqui is the shining star of the field of education. She was selected for the National Teacher Awards 2023 for her efforts in promoting girls’ education. Her work resulted in increasing girls’ enrolment at primary school level from 15.1% in 2016-17 to 46.7% in 2021-22. She has also instrumentalized innovative teaching methods with the help of information and communication technology, thereby elevating and enhancing the teaching learning processes and experiences.  Asiya is the principal of Primary School, Asti Nagar, Fatehpur district and is  a single teacher running the school all by herself without even any shiksha mitra to help her. She had prepared a team of volunteers whom she sponsors from her personal funds. With a 12 years teaching experience she was transferred to this school in 2016 with only seven students enrolled. Now, with Asiya’s compassion and motivation, the school has 250 students. She also bagged the state award for best teacher in U.P. in 2019 and is also the proud recipient of Mission Shakti award. But this triumph is earned after undergoing numerous trials as earlier, the school was in the grip of goons and was utilized for liquor consumption by unruly elements. With the help of police and community, she was able to protect this property delegated for a pious mission of spreading the light of knowledge.
References/Sources

72. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. MARIA ALAM  Human Rights Advocate. Hometown: Aligarh  . Click side arrow for profile details.

A Passionate Advocate for Human Rights
Maria Alam, a pioneering social worker and passionate advocate for human rights. Maria has always raised her voice against the oppression of the weak, especially the women victims of domestic violence and abuse, and has relentlessly strived for women empowerment. She started her work in the medical facility of the Aligarh Muslim University hospital, aiding acid attack survivors. Her compassion knew no bounds; she extended her efforts to Aligarh jail, organizing camps and creating opportunities for inmates. During the treatment camps, she realised it is necessary to listen to the sobs from behind the tall walls of the aligarh jail too, feel their pain, and share their regrets. She was the first to start earning opportunities for the jail inmates. Recognizing their need for independence, she established a workshop, empowering them with skills, dignity and employment. She grew the workshop, creating handicrafts articles and putting them on sale. Maria is also a devoted member of Rihai Manch, challenging fake encounters and custodial deaths despite facing government opposition. Her advocacy led to her house arrest. Additionally, she is a District president for Samajwadi Party in Farrukhabad, where she works tirelessly and independently on human rights projects to make a difference in the lives of people.
References/Sources

73. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. NAYELA AHMAD. Special Educator, Children with Special Needs. Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details.

Supporting Children with Diverse Needs
Dr. Nayela Ahmad, an ardent social activist,  special educator and early interventionist for children with language and communication disorders, is serving and supporting children and their families in northern India, notably, UP, Bihar, Kashmir & Delhi. Dr. Nayela originally didn’t choose this path but it became her destiny after her son’s diagnosis, when she experienced the shortage of proficient professionals in the rehabilitation sector in her part of the world.  Dr. Nayela was a practicing dentist, serving in the STNM district hospital, Sikkim, following her BDS degree. Badging top positions throughout her academic course, she received a gold medal in her dentistry program too. But life had a changed plan in store for her, which she took head on and pursued her DHLS (Diploma in Hearing, Language and Speech), followed by B.Ed in special education. She holds an MA in Early Intervention in Deaf Education from Fontbonne University, St. Louis, USA and a Basic Certification in DIR Floortime from International DIR ICDL Institute, USA.  She intends and strives to serve and support children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), ADHD(Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and DHH (Deaf or Hard of Hearing) and their families, keeping in mind their unique needs and helping reach their potential best. In addition to various national organizations, she is also associated with the US-based not-for-profit organization, Listening Together, working for professional development & parental empowerment of DHH children.
References/Sources

74 . RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. FARYAL FATIMA. Social Activist. Founder and President of women’s biker group ‘Flying Riders’, Lucknow. Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details.

Activist on Wheels
Faryal Fatima has a diverse portfolio that is united to serve the sole cause of women's self-reliance and empowerment. Former ‘Look of the Year’ and ‘Miss Uttar Pradesh’, awardee, Faryal has organized numerous fashion shows and also acted as  jury for various beauty pageants and talent competitions including those for children. Faryal is the Founder and President of women’s biker group ‘Flying Riders’, that aims at breaking the gender bias, and barriers, and opening new portals for the women to kick-start their journey of self confidence and self-reliance.  She has also been consistently and actively involved in organizing and participating in various women biker rallies and events for charitable and social causes across the nation, specially in the state of  Uttar Pradesh. Some of her significant campaigns include Road Safety Awareness campaign, No Tobacco Campaign, Environmental Awareness Campaign, Launching women's helpline, which were endorsed and flagged off by various dignitaries including the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayor of Lucknow and various other cabinet ministers and Bollywood celebrities. She is also engaged in serving and supporting old age homes, orphanages and slums, holding distribution drives of food and other necessities for the underprivileged.
 References/Sources

75. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SHAISTA AKHTAR. Secretary of Mohd Sayeed Memorial Welfare Society, Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details.

Breaking the chain of poverty
Shaista Akhtar, Secretary of Mohd Sayeed Memorial Welfare Society, is a voracious social worker, serving selflessly to uplift the marginalized and underprivileged sections of society. The organisation, under the supervision and guidance of Shaista, aims to uplift rural communities, enabling them to attain a comparable standard of living as urban areas through education, healthcare, and socio-economic empowerment.Through her NGO, which operates as a supplement to the endeavors of governmental agencies, Shaista is striving to shatter the shackles of poverty and inequality by giving disadvantaged individuals access to education and healthcare, thereby creating positive and lasting changes in the their lives and communities. Shaista is running multiple programmes like promoting health and education, notably, her handicapped welfare programme, education & literacy programme, women & child welfare programme, old age welfare programme, catering to the holistic well-being of concerned individuals and their caregivers. Shaista had been recognized and honored for her impassioned contribution to the social sector with utmost dedication. She was given the “ Samaj Ratan Award” on Uttar Pradesh Day and National Girl Child Day for her exemplary work in the field of women empowerment and development.
 References/Sources

76. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SADAF JAFAR Politician & Social Activist. Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details.

Activist in the theater of Politics
Sadaf Jafar is a teacher, politician, activist and writer. Born in  Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Jafar comes from a family of social reformers and activists. A teacher with a career spanning almost two decades, Sadaf taught History, Civics and English at various prominent schools in Lucknow. Following her heart and the inherited inclination towards serving people, Sadaf started to engage in social activism. She is an outspoken critic of unfair government policies such as the Citizenship Amendment Act and has protested for victims of mob lynchings and sexual assaults, and the rights of women and the LGBTQIA+ community. She founded her not-for-profit organisation called ‘Kalrav’ which works for the betterment of the education and lifestyles of children in government schools. Sadaf joined the Indian National Congress in 2017, and was appointed spokesperson for the party. She represents her party on television shows and print media throughout Uttar Pradesh. Sadaf also went on to campaign for elections in the states of Assam and Bihar. She herself contested during the UP Assembly elections from the Lucknow (Central) constituency. Campaigning for the same was an eye-opening experience for her.  During the pandemic, Sadaf worked in various areas distributing rations and medicines. She has also strived towards making menstrual hygiene accessible to women from all backgrounds. Sadaf has been doing theater since 2016 and considers it her most cherished hobby along with being a medium for social change. She has also acted in various movies and TV shows, including Mira Nair’s A Suitable Boy. A domestic violence survivor, Sadaf is a single mother to two teenagers.
 References/Sources

77. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SABIHA MUMTAZ . Advocate for Girls Education. Principal of Government Girls Inter College, Basti Hometown: Azamgarh. Click side arrow for profile details.

Championing Girls’ Education Dr Sabiha Mumtaz, an ardent advocate and proponent of girl’s education and empowerment, is leading by example, fulfilling her responsibilities as principal of Government Girls Inter College, Basti. Dr Sabiha hails from Azamgarh, a town known, among other valuable aspects, for the Shibli National College, one of the pioneers in girls’ education in India. She received her early education in Azamgarh and moved to Basti after marriage, where she completed her MA, B.Ed and PhD with flying colors. She cracked the coveted Union Public Service Commission examination, and was placed in Siddharthnagar, followed by her employment in Basti.   Sabiha understands the significance of girls’ education in the growth and development story of the nation and is striving to support girls from her college and community to make great strides towards their goals. In addition, she also helps underprivileged students realize their dream of gaining education by arranging for their fees, uniforms, books and related academic resources along with providing them the tutorial support free of cost. Sabiha has also played a pivotal part in the “Mission Shakti”, flagship programme of the Uttar Pradesh government, in her district with an aim to promote safety, respect and self-reliance for women. 
 


78. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. TAHIRA HASAN, Social Activist All India Progressive Women’s Association. Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details.

Speaking for the Marginalised
Tahira Hasan is a prominent women’s rights activist.Born in Pratapgarh, Tahira attended Saint Francis school in her hometown, and then did a BSc, an MSc (in Organic Chemistry) and a BEd from Aligarh Muslim University in 1985. Tahira has lived in different parts of Uttar Pradesh, owing to her husband’s transferable job, and wherever she lived, she raised her voice for the weak and the marginalized. In Gorakhpur, she worked on tuberculosis awareness campaigns among rickshaw pullers; in Azamgarh and Mau, she advocated for humane working conditions and better wages for sari weavers, many of them women; in Lucknow, where she has been based since 1999, she has worked for the rights of chikan and zardozi artisans.  Tahira joined the All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) in 2001, and was its national Vice President till 2016. During her tenure at AIPWA, she traveled to various districts of UP in order to interview women regarding domestic violence for surveys, the reports of which were submitted to the government for the enactment of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. In order to understand law better, Tahira did a postgraduate diploma in human rights from Human Rights Institute in New Delhi in 2004. She gave inputs for recommendations in the Justice Verma Committee report of 2013. The committee was set up after the 2012 Nirbaya rape case in order to review criminal law for possible amendments and suggest measures for faster trials and harsher penalties for offences related to violence against women. Tahira continues to advocate for the rights of minorities, Dalits and women at various seminars in universities, on the streets, and in TV studios.
 References/Sources

79. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. UZMA QAMAR. Physiotherapist & Educationist. Bareilly. Hometown: Bareilly. Click side arrow for profile details.

Enabling the Differently-abled
Dr. Uzma Qamar is an adept physiotherapist, distinguished developmental therapist, eminent educationist as well as a considerate psychological counselor, having 18 years of wide-ranging experience of working on different aspects of disabilities. She also serves as President of the Uttar Pradesh Psychological Wellbeing Council (WICCI) and runs educational awareness programmes for youth in Uttar Pradesh . Uzma is associated in varying capacities with Action for Ability Development and Inclusion, Aarth Astha, Delhi Council of Child Welfare, some branches of Delhi Public School and Bachpan group. She is currently working as Academic Director in a European chain of schools, and has trained over a 1,000+ government teachers in Uttar Pradesh. Her NGO  Human Chain Welfare Organization is working for empowerment of women, and children with special needs. Her online, free-of-cost parents-support programme “Hame Udne Do” is specially designed to support parents of children with special needs Dr Qamar is associated with a rehabilitation center, U.P Health and Child Rehabilitation Centre  in Bareilly as its founder member. She has actively  conducted sessions in NIMH New Delhi, National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development, New Delhi, and NavShikhar channel of Rehabilitation Council of India A single mother of a 10-year-old son, Uzma has completed her schooling from Bareilly and done Physiotherapy from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical college, A.M.U Aligarh and Specialization in Childhood Disabilities from Delhi University. She earned two gold medals during her B.Ed, and is a dual degree holder in psychology and education.  Uzma is an Editor of an international e-magazine of Disability (Voice4ability) & POSCO committee member in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Air Force Bareilly . 
References/Sources

80. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. YASMEEN MANSURI. Acid Attack Survivor, Nursing Officer at AIIMS Delhi. Hometown: Shamli . Click side arrow for profile details.

From Acid Attack survivor to AIIMS Nurse
Yasmeen Mansuree, an acid attack survivor, is serving as a nursing officer at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. Yasmeen was attacked with acid by unidentified assailants at night in Shamli, her village in UP, in 2004, when she was only 16. Despite losing her left eye and suffering 57 percent burn injuries, the life-altering event couldn’t scar her dreams and she continued her studies with undeterred grit. She completed her education, alongside fighting the stigma attached to acid attack survivors, and achieved her dream of financial independence and social recognition, by securing a dignified employment at AIIMS. After clearing her Class XII exam, she did a BA from Delhi University’s Gargi College. But before completing the first year, she got selected in the nursing course offered by Jamia Hamdard and moved to DU’s Distance Education programme in order to complete her graduation. She took up her first job in Jamia Hamdard as a nurse, working there for two years. Then, she succeeded in clearing the nursing examination for vacancies in Delhi government hospitals. Yasmeen won the legal battle for employment of disability-afflicted personnel at government-affiliated institutions, declaring a triumph for all the PwDs opening new portals of hope for them, helping them lead a self-reliant life with a positive self-concept,  integrity and dignity.
 References/Sources

Impassioned Authors and Poets [ In alphabetical order] 

81 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. AISHA AYUB Urdu Poet, Founder & General secretary of Mukhaatib foundation and CEO of The Quoteship, Lucknow, Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Regaling in Urdu Verse
Aisha Ayub is Founder & General secretary of Mukhaatib foundation and CEO of The Quoteship, a digital marketing company.  She is also the Founder of a social impact community for women called HER (Huddle, Empower, Rise). Born in Mumbai, and raised in Mumbai and UAE, Aisha resides in Lucknow. She has gained international recognition for her ghazals. She has received several prestigious awards for her literary work, like the “Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar” by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh.  Among the new generation of Urdu poets, her poetry has attained a distinguished place. She has been associated with various literary and social organizations for many years, extolling the elegance of Urdu with utmost grace and panache. She took her childhood love for Urdu language and poetry to the next level, when she founded “Mukhaatib”, a foundation for promotion and expansion of Urdu literature and language, transcending barriers and borders. Mukhaatib, a Lucknow-based NGO, conducts workshops and events on the national level for people seeking to preserve and promote Urdu. Mukhaatib was the first of its kind NGO to conduct an all-woman mushaira in the country, in 2017. Being one of the top female poets of the country, Aisha has facilitated the means of expression with  warm, enriching emotions  by beautifully incorporating her life experiences in an enchanting poetic ensemble. In her free verse and blank verse poetry, the protestant tone of her feminine emotions are also beautifully inscribed. Ms. Aisha is also heading the UP chapter  for Social Media, Indian Cinema Council, Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WICCI ). Aisha recently received the "Uttar Pradesh Women Leaders Award' by State Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Uttar Pradesh. 
References/Sources

82 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. BARAN FAROOQUI, Educationist, Author award winning Translator. Hometown: Prayagraj. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Genius with a Literary Legacy
As an educationist, translator and author, Baran Farooqi is a distinctive presence in the world of Indian literature. In 2022, she won the JCB Prize for Literature for her translation of Khalid Jawed’s Ne’mat Khana (2014) as The Paradise of Food. She has also translated select poems of Faiz Ahmed Faiz from Urdu to English in her bestselling book The Colours of My Heart (2017). She has been invited to speak at the Jaipur Literature Festival and her articles on gender, translation and language have regularly appeared in The Punch Magazine, Journal of Commonwealth Literature, and Antyajaa: Indian Journal of Women and Social Change.With her father Shamsur Rahman Farooqi being an acclaimed Urdu writer-poet-critic, Baran Farooqi has had the rare honour of growing up in a familial space brimming with literary creativity and linguistic discernment. Her professional journey began from her hometown Allahabad to New Delhi, where she dedicated 25 years of her life for the academic and administrative progress of Jamia Millia Islamia. After taking voluntary retirement in May 2022, Baran Farooqi shifted base in Allahabad, where she is zealously working towards the establishment of a foundation which aims to preserve for posterity the writings and books of her father, while also strengthening the working of the Kidwai Memorial Girls’ Inter College and School, set up in memory of her dear mother.
References/Sources

83 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SABA MAHMOOD BASHIR Author, Poet, Translator. Delhi Hometown: Prayagraj. Click side arrow for profile details. 

At the Crossroads of Cinema and Literature
Dr Saba Mahmood Bashir is an academician, author, poet and English to Hindi/Urdu translator. She is serving as an Assistant Professor, Department of English, and is also the Central Public Information Officer (Exams) and Associate Editor, Women’s Link at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Hailing from Prayagraj, Saba earned her Bachelors and Masters in English from Allahabad University, followed by her Doctorate in English Literature from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. She also holds a Diploma in French. Saba’s writing career started while she was still studying, as she would regularly publish in a local daily, Northern India Patrika. Her first book was a collection of poems, Memory Past (Writers’ Workshop, 2006). Her doctoral thesis on the poetry of Gulzar was published by HarperCollins as I Swallowed the Moon: The Poetry of Gulzar (2013). She has also translated Gulzar’s screenplays of Premchand’s Godaan and Nirmala and Other Stories (Roli Books, 2016) along with other pieces of fiction by Premchand and Manto. Her recent books are Aandhi: Insights Into the Film (HarperCollins) and Women of Prey (Speaking Tiger), a translation of selected stories by Manto. Saba has also been the recipient of the Reuel International Award for the best book on cinema for Aandhi: Insights Into the Film.  The forthcoming books of Dr Bashir are a biography of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan for young adults (Kitaab Publishers) and a translation of the short stories of Razia Sajjad Zaheer (Zubaan Publishing House) scheduled for 2024. In addition to this, she has written multiple chapters in several books of literary significance, book reviews & articles in journals, translated and subtitled the documentary film Shabd Saarthi Arvind Kumar released in many international film festivals, with her vivacious representation in numerous seminars, conferences, panels and lectures on national and international platforms. 
References/Sources

84  RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SEEMIN ALI. Poet. Assistant Editor, Sahitya Academy, New Delhi. Hometown: Agra . Click side arrow for profile details. 

Prolific Poet
Dr Seemin Ali is an English-language scholar, with her works published in national and international journals. Born and raised in Agra, Seemin did her PhD in English Literature from Delhi University. She is currently working as Assistant Editor at Indian Literature, Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, and is Poetry Editor for Muse India. She is the editor for Opinion pieces (Cultural) as well as co-editor (Book Reviews and Translations) for the literary journal Parcham. Semeen has authored four books of poetry - three of them published by Writers Workshop, Kolkata: Broken Barriers, Rose and Ashes, and Transitions, and one by Poets Printery, South Africa – Origins. Rose and Ashes was nominated for the Young Writers Award at the Hyderabad Literary Festival 2011 and received the Jury Commendation Award.  Her poems have also been featured in acclaimed journals and have been translated into Greek for the book Aspects of Contemporary Indian Poetry , translated and edited by poet Yannis Livadas (Bibliotheque Editions, Greece, 2021). Her short story and a translation are a part of the anthology The Silence that Speaks, published by Oxford University Press (2021). She has edited an anthology of English poetry written by women poets from New Delhi called Dilli (Poets Printery, South Africa, 2014), and co-edited with poet Nabina Das a book on pre-globalization poetry, 40 under 40: An Anthology of Post Globalisation Poetry.Semeen is also on the Council Board for the Literary Arts Council, Women's Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 

References/Sources

85 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SAMI RAFIQ. Translator, Author, Poet and Novelist. Professor of English,  Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. Hometown: Lucknow . Click side arrow for profile details. 

Bridging the Gap with Words
Sami Rafiq is a Professor of English at Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. She is also a translator, author, poet and novelist who celebrates human values and cherishes deep rooted love for the earth. She has delved into the  issues pertaining to Muslim girls, health, food, climate change, science fiction, spiritual ecology and Sufism in her writings. Her passion for writing is focused on opening the mind and heart and to touch upon new horizons. Her first poem was published in Patrika, a newspaper published from Lucknow when she was just 13 years old. She considers herself to be fortunate enough to have her poem selected by Kamala Das and published in The Illustrated Weekly. She has traveled to various countries around the world, discovering ways to promote women’s writings in Urdu and translations from Urdu, following her academic interests. Sami has published more than 200 articles, stories and poems in national newspapers and magazines and also several books including translations. She has also published children’s stories in English and Urdu newspapers. She is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Cloverleaf (Journal of Education in Evolvement and All Encompassing Spirituality). Sami’s collection of poems Woman in the Trees:Poems on Climate and Nature was published in 2022. Her translation of Farozaan by Moin Ahsan Jazbi was published in April 2023.
References/Sources

86 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SHAHNAZ ZAIDI . Author, Principal Unity College. Lucknow. Hometown: Barabanki . Click side arrow for profile details. 

 Lifelong Educator and Storyteller
Shahnaz Zaidi is an academician, author and ardent advocate for all those who are little heard of, equipping them with the power of her pen, being the echo of their voice.Originally from Barabanki, Shahnaz was raised in Lucknow.  She attended the elite Loreto Convent school, and did her BA and MA in English Literature from Lucknow University.Shahnaz has been a lifelong educator, having worked as a teacher at Loreto Convent and Indian International School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She was also headmistress at Unity College, Lucknow. Later, she worked as an education consultant, course compiler and trainer at institutions of higher learning.Shahnaz is also a published author. Her books, although fiction, talk about the real struggles of people with mental health issues, physical challenges and child abuse history. Her book Baby’s Breath is about Pari, who is diagnosed with autism, and how she is able to create a niche for herself in the world. Her upcoming book " Foxglove  is about a young man with congenital kyphosis (hunch since birth). She is also writing her third novel Middlemist Red, the story of a young boy who loves to be in the comfort of his city, Lucknow.
References/Sources

87 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SAMEENA SHAIKH Children's Book Author. Hometown: Lucknow . Click side arrow for profile details. 

Rekindling the Joy of Reading
Sameena Shaikh is an entrepreneur, children's book author, educationist, consultant, trainer and currently student of law at Amity University, Lucknow. Sameena’s ascent to fame with her book The Adventures of Donna the Dolphin’ Vol 1- The Challenge, which uses all three learning styles - auditory, visual, kinesthetics, addressing and augmenting the efficacious multisensory learning approach for children. Her vision and mission through the book is to revive and revitalize the habit of book reading amongst children, reinforcing language skills, pervading the virtuous principles of life along with the pleasure of reading.  Sameena helped achieve her dream by opening her own publishing house, creating the concept, story and publishing the book using recycled paper. She has conducted book reading sessions in several schools for thousands of children in her effort to spread the joy of reading. Her book is the first of its kind where the dolphins jump and sharks attack at your fingertips, making its perusal an enchanting, endearing learning experience for its readers. Sameena’s interactive book was recognised & nominated on several platforms , including, Innovative Print of the Year - Print Week India Awards, Mumbai, Best cover - National Awards for Excellence in Printing, Chennai & Hindustan Times Write Choice Award 2017. It became the first children's book at the Lucknow Literature Carnival, 2015 and the book also procured a proud entry in the India Book of Records, 2018. Sameena was also honored with the prestigious 1000 Women of Asia Awards at Womannovator Global Summit, 2021. Sameena’s most cherished achievement is the expression of appreciation for her book by the young readers, with ignited minds, kindling their love for language & literacy. 
References/Sources

88 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. TARA IQBAL. Urdu Poetess. Hometown: Raebareli . Click side arrow for profile details. 

Shining in Shayari
Tara Iqbal, a government teacher in the Raebareli district of UP, is a prolific Urdu poetess, warming hearts & touching souls with her gratifying words and mellifluous voice. Tara earned her masters in Hindi & Urdu, claiming her mastery in both the languages which were close to her home and heart. She intends to accentuate and amplify the language of the land in an enchanting manner, weaving words into magical poems, shayari, ghazals and nazms. She has participated around the globe in numerous mushairas. Tara has been honored with the “Saraswati Samman” for her distinguished prose or poetry literary works along with several other noteworthy awards and recognitions. Two of her upcoming publications as a collection of  urdu asha’ar (sheri-majmua) will be out soon. She is also registered on Rekhta as an accredited literarian for her illustrious work. 
References/Sources

89 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. TARANA HUSAIN KHAN. Writer, Food Historian. Hometown: Rampur. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Writing  Culinary Legacy
Dr Tarana Husain Khan is a prolific writer and food historian. Her writings have been published in prominent media outlets and in the anthologies Desi Delicacies (Pan Macmillan, India) and Dastarkhwan: Food Writing from South Asia and Diaspora ( Beacon Books, UK). Hailing from Rampur, UP,  her research article “Narrating Rampur Cuisine” was published in Global Food History Journal (April 2023). Tarana is the author of Degh to Dastarkhwan: Qissas and Recipes from Rampur (Penguin Random House India). She has co-edited and contributed to an upcoming anthology of food writings, Forgotten Foods: Memories and Recipes from Muslim South Asia, which is under publication with Pan Macmillan. She has also curated and contributed to a highly popular series ‘Forgotten Foods’ in Scroll.in. Her bestselling historical fiction The Begum and the Dastan won the prestigious Kalinga Literary Award for fiction, was shortlisted for Women Writer’s Award by ‘She The People. Tarana entered into the arena of writing in her forties as a late bloomer, and blossomed to her best, illuminating the literary world with her illustrious work. She never thought of becoming an author but was always in awe of words since early childhood, nourishing her love for books, reading and writing. Her family always considered her an engaging storyteller and encouraged her to utilize her talent in a professional manner. Tarana is working on a Research Fellowship at the University of Sheffield for an Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded project.  Her book 'Forgotten Food: Culinary Memory, Local Heritage and Lost Agricultural Varieties in India’,  has also recently been published. 
References/Sources

90 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree.  ZEBA FAROOQUI, Award winning Urdu Author. Firozabad. Hometown: Prayagraj. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Building a Career After a Gap 
Zeba Farooqui is a 2019 UP Urdu Academy award winning author for her book Barre Sagheer ki Taqseem ka Alamiya.  Zeba completed her BA from Purvanchal University in Jaunpur in 1991 and got married during her post graduation MA in History from Allahabad University in 1994. After a gap of 15 years Zeba resumed her studies and did her MA in Urdu in 2009 and then her PhD in Urdu from Aligarh Muslim University in 2015. Her PhD reseacth was on - Taqseem-e-hind ke mauzu par Urdu aur angrezi novelo ka taqabli mutaala (A comparative study of Urdu and English novels based on partition of India). She reignited her career and joined as Assistant Professor at Mahatma Gandhi Girls Degree College Firozabad in 2020 through UP Higher Education Service Commission. Zeba's published works in Urdu include, Shad Shekhupuri shakhs aur shayar; Barre Sagheer ki Taqseem ka Alamiya and Tajziyati Tanqeed. Her story is inspirational of completing her studies and building her career despite a gap of over 15 years. 
Sources/References

Shining in Sports  [ in alphabetical order ]

91 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. AREEBA KHAN Champion Skeet Shotgun Shooter. Hometown: Aligarh . Click side arrow for profile details. 

Hitting The Target
 Areeba Khan, 21, is India’ second-ranked shooter, and belongs to Aligarh. Inspired by her father Khalid Khan, who was a national-level shooter, and brother Umer Khan who has been part of the Indian shooting team, Areeba started competing in state events at the age of 13. She made her debut in the UP State championship in 2013, and won three gold medals in skeet shotgun events. The following year, she won three gold medals in the UP State championship and a gold medal in the junior skeet event in the North Zone Shooting Championship. In 2015, she won junior skeet events at other national competitions.In 2017, she made it to her first international competition in Suhl, Germany. Later that year, she won a gold medal in the International Shotgun Cup held in Orimattila, Finland.At the 2022 International Shotgun Shooting Federation World Championship, Areeba took home the silver medal in the individual women's junior skeet event. She also competed for India's junior women's skeet squad in 2021, which won a gold medal. In 2019, she was ranked number one shooter of India in the women’s category and in 2021, she held the second position in the same ranking. Areeba, a Bachelors of Fine Arts student at Aligarh Muslim University,  is training to clear the national trials in order to be among the top three scorers that will make the national team that represents India at international championships. Her dream is to compete in the Paris Olympics in 2024. "Once I will successfully come through trials and be part of the national team, my goal will be to focus on earning a first or second position in World Championship. That will help me qualify for the Olympics. I am training rigorously for it," she said in an interview. 
References/Sources

92 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. MUMTAZ KHAN. Hocket Star. Hometown: Lucknow . Click side arrow for profile details. 

Netting Her Goals
Mumtaz Khan, 19, is a rising hockey star, with many medals and laurels to her credit. Born in Lucknow to parents who work as vegetable vendors, Mumtaz has been passionate about hockey since childhood. She would play at her local school, and later started training under coach Neelam Siddiqui at KD Singh Babu Stadium in Lucknow for professional training .Mumtaz has been a part of many successful campaigns for India at the youth level. She was a part of the Indian team that won the bronze medal at the Girls U18 Asia Cup in 2016, the silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games Qualifier (Women) at Bangkok, Thailand in April 2018, the silver medal at the U23 6-Nations Invitational Tournament (Women) at Antwerp, Belgium 2018, and the silver medal at the 3rd Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 (Women) at Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2018.  She was also a part of the Indian winning team at 4-Nations Tournament (U21 Junior Women) at Dublin, Ireland in 2019. Mumtaz represented the Indian Women’s Hockey team in the FIH (International Hockey Federation) Hockey 5s Lausanne 2022, where she netted five goals in four games. She also won the FIH Rising Star of the Year 2021-22 award in the women's category, becoming the third Indian woman to receive this prestigious honor. She was a star performer for India in the 2022 women's junior hockey World Cup in South Africa, where she emerged as the top scorer for her team, hitting a hat-trick against Malaysia in the quarter-finals. She is also the winner of Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2022. She scored six goals as India won Junior Women Hockey Asia Cup 2023. Mumtaz Khan is a shining example of hard work, dedication and passion for hockey. She is an inspiration for many young girls who aspire to play for India. 
References/Sources

93 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. MUSKAN KHAN. Basketball Champion. Lucknow. Hometown: Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Balancing the Ball & Pen
Muskan Khan is a basketball player from Lucknow. She started playing in 2014, when as a Class VIII student in Central Academy School, Lucknow, she captained the school’s basketball team. In an inter-school tournament that saw schools from other parts of the country participating, Muskan’s team won the bronze medal. The next year, at an inter-school national competition in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, Muskan’s team was the second runner-up. In 2016, they won the gold medal. Muskan, however, had to stop playing basketball in 2017, as her parents – her father is a government servant and her mother a homemaker – wanted her to focus on education. So, while she complied with her parents’ wishes, she did not give up basketball entirely. She decided to become a basketball coach at her school, training young girls in playing the sport. In 2019, she enrolled for a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education at Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow, where she also worked as a training instructor for various sports. In the meantime, she worked as a part-time sales associate at Decathlon Sports India. After a two-year hiatus in sporting events due to the COVID pandemic, Muskan represented her college at an inter-college basketball competition at Jaipuria School of Management, winning a gold medal. Currently, working as a sales associate with Adidas, Muskan plans to pursue a degree in sports management so that she can fulfill her parents’ wishes and her passion for sports. 
References/Sources

94 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. SABEERA HARIS . Trap Shooter, AMU, Aligarh. Hometown: Bulandshahr . Click side arrow for profile details. 

On Target
Sabeera Haris is only 16 and is already a name to reckon with in the world of trap shooting. Sabeera belongs to Siana, a town in Bulandshahar district, and lives in Aligarh, where she trains at the Aligarh shotgun shooting range under coach Ryaan Rizvi. Her passion for shooting comes from her family: her father Haris-ul-Islam is a national-level skeet shooting athlete, her sister Arifa Haris is .22 rifle shooter, and her uncle Tahir ul Islam is a senior trap shooting athlete. Sabeera started shooting in 2018, winning a silver medal at a national championship event in Patiala the same year. Within three years, she made it to the national junior women’s team. In 2021, she made her international debut at the Junior World Cup (shotgun) championship in Kazakhastan. Since then, she has represented India at world championship events in Changwon (South Korea), Osijek (Croatia), Larnaca (Cyprus) and Suhl (Germany). In 2022, Sabeera won a silver medal at the ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) trap team women junior cup in Suhl. Her current ISSF world ranking in the trap women’s sport is 65.
References/Sources
  • ISSF - International Shooting Sport Federation - issf-sports.org

95 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. RAZIA ZAIDI. Hockey Icon. Lucknow Hometown: Bijnor. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Keeping The Goal
Razia Zaidi is a hockey icon. In 1978 itself, she made it to the UP state’s team as a goalkeeper, and represented the state in national championships. She played for UP in 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1982. In 1980, she was selected to be on standby for the Indian national team at Moscow Olympics. The same year, she represented the Indian national team as goalkeeper in the India-USSR Test Series. In 1982, Razia, representing India, won a gold medal at the Asian Games in New Delhi. In 1983, she played for the World Cup in Malaysia as part of the Indian national team. Until her retirement in 1992, Razia played for India as a goalkeeper. She was the captain of the national team between 1987 and 1989. In 1988, she received the Best GoalKeeper of the Tournament award at the 3-Nations International Tournament in Moscow and the Best GoalKeeper of the Tournament award at the Presidential Cup in Warsaw, Poland. Razia also played for the Indian Railways team for 13 years. She joined Northern Railways as junior clerk in 1982, and retired as Chief Office Superintendent (Electrical) in 2022. After her retirement, the UP government hired her, along with other retired international-level players from the state, to be a coach or mentor at any one of the state government institutions. Razia, who returned after pilgrimage from Iraq, will soon be inducted for the role, keeping alive her passion for hockey.
References/Sources

Strides in Business  Sector  [ in alphabetical order]

96. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. FARHA NAAZ. Director of Lab Academia Research and Publishing Centre, Mumbai. Hometown: TBD.  Click side arrow for profile details.

Promoting Creative Talent
Farha Naz is the Director of Lab Academia Research and Publishing Centre, a positioning and branding firm that has six different wings. Lab Academia is an acclaimed and highly experienced educational and publication firm. Ms. Naz is also known for her motivational anthologies such as Hope Reborn, Perspectives of Hope, How to Overcome Failure, and Youth as Nation Builders. She has initiated and organized a number of social-cultural, literary, and artistic events in different cities of India, providing educational support and platforms to budding creative talents. Hues of Bliss (houseofbliss.in) is a national-level annual gala event to celebrate Indian Art and Culture, Lit-Up (an annual Literary Festival), and I, The Change (Social Awareness and Welfare Program) are a few benchmarks of her work. Naz has also published several fiction and nonfiction books. Earlier, she served as the editorial member of several esteemed publications. She has also worked in the Indian Institute of Information Technology – Allahabad (IIIT-A), Kumbh Mela – 2019, SMF, and SCERT. She is also associated with All India Radio (as Radio Presenter). An international publication, The Story Mint has awarded Naz for her article on Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi. Ms. Farha Naz is known by her Sufi pen name “Ishq Niyazi '' belonging to the Niazi Sufi Silsila.
References/Sources

97 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. LUBNA USMAN. Chief Operating Officer  at lnfrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited , Mumbai. Hometown: Prayagraj. Click side arrow for profile details. 

The Money Manager
Lubna Usman is Chief Operating Officer(COO) at lnfrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS), India’s largest infrastructure growth and finance company. Lubna grew up in Prayagraj (Allahabad) and attended the renowned St. Mary’s Convent school, Allahabad. She earned her higher degrees in business management from Mumbai where she presently resides. A staunch believer and practitioner of leading by example, Lubna is a senior management professional with over 20 years of experience in providing strategic leadership, project finance, restructuring and treasury management across banking and non-banking finance companies.  She is a visionary and a stalwart leader, successfully managing high-performance teams with her enriching experience. She is actively and consistently engaged in implementing and executing business drivers and strategic business vision pan India. Lubna Usman is currently associated with three companies in key positions: Nominee Director –IIML Nominee Director – ISTSL (India SME Technology Services Limited) and Chairperson, Sexual Harassment Committee of the IL&FS Group. In addition to her expertise in the investment banking and finance sector, she is also invested in social upliftment and welfare initiatives, with emphasis on delivering health and education to children belonging to disadvantaged groups.
References/Sources

98 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree.  NAZISH RIZVI, SMC Lead / Educator, Estee Lauder Group of Companies, New Delhi. Hometown: Meerut. Click side arrow for profile details. 

A  Passionate People's Person 
Nazish Rizvi joined Estée Lauder Group of Companies based out of Delhi in 2017. Nazish has an incredible journey with the Estée Lauder group of Companies where she started from scratch with different retailers and  gained expertise in skincare, makeup, hair care and perfumes. In her tenure with the group, she got various promotions that allowed her to put forward her skills and knowledge that really turned out as remarkable milestones not just for her but also for the overall growth of the team and the company. Her love and passion to connect and interact more with people led her hobby turn out as a dream job. Nazish now leads as Educator for Estee Lauder. 
A product on Meerut Public School for Girls, Ms. Rizvi completed her graduation in (B.Sc. ) in Hospitality Management from Amity University in the year 2011-2014.She started her career with Duty Free at IGI International Airport Delhi.She has also  worked for a Trading Company as Sales & Marketing Coordinator in Dubai.  Not just in her career but also in her academics she has set various examples to inspire people to make impossible as possible in all aspects. During her Graduation she received various scholarships throughout  the course of her degree and has been a topper for all three years. Also she is a Gold medalist at Amity University for the batch 2011-2014.  Nazish continues to aim is to achieve greater heights.
References/Sources

99. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. QUDSIYA AHMED. Head of Publishing (Academic) at Cambridge University Press, Delhi. Hometown:  Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details. 

The Publishing Expert
Qudsiya Ahmed is the Head of Publishing (Academic) at Cambridge University Press, Delhi. Qudsiya earned a B.Tech in Electronics & Telecommunication from Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow, followed by a post graduation in journalism from Times Centre for Media Studies. Yearning for better understanding of the society, social institutions, and social relationships, she also completed a Masters degree in Sociology from Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi. Her diverse learning experience played a pivotal part in broadening her horizon of understanding academic writing. Qudsiya started her career as a copy editor with The Times of India. She then moved to the book publishing industry, working as an editorial assistant with SAGE Publications, and then as Associate Acquisitions Editor (Humanities and Social Sciences) with Pearson Education. She joined Cambridge University Press as Senior Commissioning Editor in 2012, and within eight years, by the dint of hard work and talent, became the Head of Publishing (Academic) at the organization. In her present role, Qudsiya is responsible for the Indian publishing programme in the academic subjects of social sciences, science and technology. She also commissions and acquires academic monographs and course books in politics, sociology, history, economics and management. Her books offer cutting-edge research and updated information on the political, cultural and sociological landscape of South Asia, with a strong focus on subjects that unravel the diversities of the subcontinent through interdisciplinary approaches. The published list, curated after thorough research and intense study is useful for academic researchers, post graduate students and practitioners.
References/Sources
  • LinkedIn: Qudsiya Ahmed

99. RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. QUDSIYA AHMED. Head of Publishing (Academic) at Cambridge University Press, Delhi. Hometown:  Lucknow. Click side arrow for profile details. 

The Publishing Expert
Qudsiya Ahmed is the Head of Publishing (Academic) at Cambridge University Press, Delhi. Qudsiya earned a B.Tech in Electronics & Telecommunication from Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow, followed by a post graduation in journalism from Times Centre for Media Studies. Yearning for better understanding of the society, social institutions, and social relationships, she also completed a Masters degree in Sociology from Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi. Her diverse learning experience played a pivotal part in broadening her horizon of understanding academic writing. Qudsiya started her career as a copy editor with The Times of India. She then moved to the book publishing industry, working as an editorial assistant with SAGE Publications, and then as Associate Acquisitions Editor (Humanities and Social Sciences) with Pearson Education. She joined Cambridge University Press as Senior Commissioning Editor in 2012, and within eight years, by the dint of hard work and talent, became the Head of Publishing (Academic) at the organization. In her present role, Qudsiya is responsible for the Indian publishing programme in the academic subjects of social sciences, science and technology. She also commissions and acquires academic monographs and course books in politics, sociology, history, economics and management. Her books offer cutting-edge research and updated information on the political, cultural and sociological landscape of South Asia, with a strong focus on subjects that unravel the diversities of the subcontinent through interdisciplinary approaches. The published list, curated after thorough research and intense study is useful for academic researchers, post graduate students and practitioners.
References/Sources
  • LinkedIn: Qudsiya Ahmed

99 RBTC 100 Uttar Pradesh Honoree. WASIA UROOJ KHAN. Owner, Gempack Ent. Hometown:  Kanpur. Click side arrow for profile details. 

Leaving a Footprint in Shoe Packaging
A 30-year long career with 28 years of motherhood, Wasia Urooj Khan has made huge sacrifices while still maintaining her ambition to be that businesswoman who would go on to break all the glass ceilings and conventional stereotypes of an Indian woman and mother. Having the heart of a lion, Urooj jumped between professions like a kangaroo out on a walk, be it the role of a teacher early in her career or designing ladies’ hand bags. Her teaching stint lasted two years where she taught at Wendy’s and then Virendra Swaroop, before the innate businesswoman inside her rose again to satisfy her mental itch for working with numbers and elaborate her practical designing experience by designing handbags at a Juhi leather goods factory. She was never afraid of  trying anything new and finally settled with the inception of a packaging company that she started in 2002. She started operations in a rented hall which over the years shifted to her first goal of having her own premises and factory. Gempack Ent. now supplies cartons and boxes to the countries’ top shoe exporters. They initially started with a total of 20 employees and have now got a strength of 70-80 with original production lines tripled and the size of factory ever increasing. She recently expanded into the hospitality industry in 2020 with the opening of a banquet hall and rooms, under the name ‘Gemini Resorts’. Urooj has received her B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) & M.A. (Master’s in political science) from Kanpur University. She also earned her Diploma in Computer Software and Data Processing from ICS, New Delhi & Post Diploma in Business Administration from Institute of Productivity and Management, Meerut, U.P. Urooj has always balanced her personal and professional life with the utmost diligence and proved this to herself by taking up the responsibility of preparing her kids for the merit list exams, at Seth Anandram Jaipuria  School in the mid 2000s and then by making sure they got in at the premier schools of India in Dehradun. Having a professional life, she never waivered in her support for her kids and husband and diligently performed her duties as a mother and a wife maintaining and fostering her social milieu.A hearty philanthropist, supporting hundreds of kids and families with their education and such, a recipient of Kingston Inter College’s C.O.A for her inspiring contribution to the field of management and an active social worker, distributing face masks or food during times of need, Ms. Wasia Urooj Khan has been an epitome of excellence ensuing perseverance with persistence.
References/Sources

Rising Beyond The Ceiling

TEAM UTTAR PRADESH


Coordinator: Sabiha Ahmad, Lucknow

Team Members :       Faiza Abbasi, Aligarh,                                                Farzana Shahab, Lucknow     Irena Akbar, Lucknow                                                 Samreen Ahmed, Aligarh     Nayela Ahmad, Delhi

 Launched on - 10 November 2023
Rising Beyond The Ceiling is supported by SAFAR Foundation. SAFAR stands for Supporting Action For Advancement & Rights.
The photographs and text on this website has been provided by individual women honorees through interviews, emails, text as well as taken from the references and sources which are provided with the profiles. The excerpts may be freely distributed and shared provided the source #RisingBeyondTheCeiling is referenced and/or hash tagged.   
While the editors have made every effort to provide accurate information at the time of publication, neither the editors or the RBTC assume any responsibilities for errors or changes that occur after publication or assume any responsibility for third party websites or their content. 
For more information contact risingbeyondtheceiling@gmail.com

"While the focus of Rising Beyond The Ceiling is on journeys travelled by Muslim women achievers, the stories will inspire all women and girls in India, and around the world, at every stage of their lives, in all areas of endeavor and open a door to new ambitions..........”  - Farah K. Usmani 
A passionate champion of woman, DR. FARAH K. USMANI  is the Founder of Rising Beyond The Ceiling, a global initiative to shine a spotlight on the achievements of Muslim women of India and contribute towards changing their stereotypical narrative.  Dr. Usmani is an International Health and Development expert based in New York. She has experience of twenty-five years working with the United Nations International Civil Service in several countries across all regions of the world and has provided policy, planning, programming, and technical leadership with a focus on women and girls. Farah has also worked with the public sector and non-governmental donor programs in India and is the  Global Vice President of SAFAR Foundation, India.  
Farah has broken several gender stereotypes in her professional and personal life. She is the first woman from her home state of Uttar Pradesh, and the first Muslim woman from India, to work with the United Nations International Civil Service at Director level in New York. She is the first women to top the All-India Medical Entrance Examination of Aligarh Muslim University, where she completed her medical studies. Dr. Usmani has received several awards and recognitions as well as merit fellowships from the World Bank and British Council.  Besides service recognition awards from the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, she is also the recipient of the 2021 Mahatma Award for Social Impact for contribution to women, girls, and minorities.   Dr. Usmani has an M.D. in Obstetrics and Gynecology from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, India and a Master’s in Health Policy Planning and Financing given jointly by the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London.