Community

On the occasion of Great Martyrs' Day and International Mother Language Day, the Bangladesh Community Qatar (BCQ) held a discussion and cultural event recently. BCQ president engineer Anwar Hossain Akon presided over the meeting which had Bangladesh ambassador Md Jashim Uddin as the chief guest. Embassy's defence attache Brigadier General Md Sajjad Hossain, minister Dr Mohamed Mustafizur Rahman, counsellors Mobashera Kaderi and Md Mahbur Rahman, first secretaries Md Mahdi Hasan and Tanmoy Islam were the special guests. The event was moderated by Noor Mohamed. Borhan Sharif, Omar Farooq Chowdhury, Faridul Haque, Nurul Alam, Kapil Uddin, Shafiqul Islam Talukder, Ismail Miah, Muklesur Rahman, Muslim Uddin, Kazi Hassan, Mahbubur Rahman Chowdhury, Abul Hasan Azad, Ahmed Malek, and others were among those who spoke. Several documentaries and images relating to the language movement were screened. Poems about the agitation were read aloud. The ambassador shared a brief history of how the Bengali nation's language campaign sparked the liberation war and subsequent independence. He highlighted the value of speaking one's own language. Akon urged people to come out to defend the Bangla language's beauty and integrity. On November 17, 1999, Unesco declared International Mother Language Day on the initiative of Bangladesh. With the approval of UN resolution 56/262 in 2002, it was formally recognised by the United Nations General Assembly. The International Mother Language Day is part of a larger initiative launched by the United Nations General Assembly on May 16, 2007, to "promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world," as stated in UN Resolution 61/266. International Mother Language day is now commemorated all around the world to promote linguistic and cultural diversity.    

Focus Ladies youth group organised a 'Me Before You' session as part of the mental health campaign 'Don't Lose Hope' led by Focus International. Life coach and founder of Aspire2Inspire Dr Femida Ali, the chief guest, stated that women should be leaders in the socio-cultural and educational spheres. It is imperative that women, who are the mainstay of moulding a generation, should empower themselves, Ali said. A woman who plays a major role in family life should always be educated, Ali added.    

Maharashtra Professional Forum Qatar (MPF-Qatar), as part of its bi-weekly meeting, organised a 'Know-NLP' session for professionals in Qatar and India. The event was hosted by MPF-Qatar in collaboration with the NLP Academy-In (India) and NLP Masterminds Doha (Qatar). It was conducted by coach and master trainer Karthik R - founder of the NLP Academy-In. The master of ceremonies was Avinash Deshpande – acting CEO, MBK Consulting, who is also a Richard-Bandler-certified NLP master coach and the general secretary for MPF-Qatar. “It was an amazingly interactive session and opened up my mind to the power of NLP in professional and personal life” said MPF-Qatar president Anand Nadgir. “NLP is a way of life with instant outcomes through simple techniques,” added Deshpande. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a psychological approach that involves analysing strategies used by successful individuals and applying them to reach a personal goal. The event was aired live on MPF’s social media handles. MPF-Qatar is an associated organisation of the Indian Business Professionals Council (IBPC). The IBPC is an apex body operating under the aegis of Indian embassy in Qatar, and is registered as a professional body with the Qatar Financial Center. "The main objective of MPF-Qatar is to support working professionals, entrepreneurs and SME businesses through networking and to come together to share employment opportunities in Qatar, Maharashtra, India and globally," said Nadgir. "We also support our members to grow their professional careers through personal growth sessions like these," Nadgir added.

In its efforts to intensify corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and to inspire others to help and save lives especially during the Covid-19 pandemic and different natural calamities, the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants Doha LLC (G) (PICPA Doha) initiated a campaign and partnered with various organisations and individuals. The campaign, which involved PICPA Cebu, PICPA Bohol, PPO-Q for Leyte, BayaniJuan for Palawan, Pristine Besinga for Surigao, Katherine Villamater for Negros, and other PICPA Doha members, serves as the organisation’s bridge towards delivering its assistance to all Filipino families who were greatly affected by super typhoon Rai (locally known as “Odette”). The relief drive helped and assisted thousands of beneficiaries across the affected areas with food, water, medicine, and shelter. The typhoon Rai was the 15th storm to hit the Philippines in 2021 and was the world’s second deadliest natural hazard in the same year with 408 fatalities after the earthquake in Haiti (with 2,248 fatalities) in August 2021, as per ranking by global reinsurer Munich.

Leaders of various Filipino community groups in Qatar representing political parties and candidates running in the Philippines’ national and local elections on May 9, have signed a ‘Clean Elections Covenant’ during a meeting held recently. The covenant, which was described as an “unprecedented milestone,” aims to ensure safe and fair campaigning and conduct of elections in Qatar, which is home to more than 200,000 Filipino migrant workers, of which, some 46,000 are registered overseas absentee voters (OAV). The signing ceremony was organised by the Middle East-based Reformed OFW Initiative (ROI) movement. Philippine House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda delivered a recorded video message during the event. The group emphasised the need to refrain from negative campaigning, and the safe conduct of activities amongst Filipino community members under existing laws in Qatar. It also called to support the Philippine embassy, Doha during the month-long voting process from April 10. In her speech, Legarda underscored the importance of a clean, honest, accurate, and meaningful campaign season, as well as for fair elections for OFWs in the Middle East. She thanked them for their dedication, sacrifices, and contribution to the Philippine economy. Legarda also inspired the attendees on the milestones of the recent enactment of Republic Act 11641, which establishes the Department of Migrant Workers to include other relevant laws enhancing the welfare of OFWs and the expansion of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). The veteran lawmaker and noted environmentalist also emphasised the importance of “determining the highest ideals of both campaigners and voters in choosing the right candidates in a post-pandemic era and to ensure clean elections by avoiding campaign and election waste.” The signatories during the signing ceremony represented the following presidential candidates: Manila mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno of the Aksyon Demokratiko Party, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, and incumbent vice president Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo aligned with the Liberal Party. Also present were signatories from the ruling administration party PDP Laban representing vice presidential candidate, Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte, and senatorial candidates Robin Padila and Astra Pimentel. Representatives from active party list candidates AKO OFW, Magdalo, and Migrante were also in attendance. Dale Allado, the only ROI lead convenor who remains non-partisan, read the seven-point covenant, while other convenors, Mary Jill Lluz, reminded all attendees to always adhere to health and safety protocols. Joseph Timothy Rivera encouraged all supporters present to be mindful of the embassy’s election schedule. The Clean Elections Covenant will be handed over soon to Philippine embassy, Doha officials sitting as the Commission on Election’s (Comelec) Special Board of Election Inspectors.

Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), Qatar has celebrated all the national cultural festivals of the indigenous community. They were Maghya Sakrati (Minam Sar Lhes), Chasok Tangnam, Balihang Tangnam, Tamu Lhosar, Sakela Undhauli, Manjushree Samvat 2858, Sonam Lhochhar, Maghi Jitia Parva, Rapava Shyadar Pidar, Yele Sambat 5082, Phugal Parimdi, Mha Puja, Pooja, Gallup Lhosar, Siruva Pavun, Naya Khuwa, LL. On the occasion of Lhosar, good wishes were exchanged and all the national festivals of the indigenous community were celebrated in unison at Al Dosari Zoo and Game Reserve at Sheehaniya. Leaders and representatives of the Nepali community in Qatar attended the programme. They appreciated the community welfare activities carried out by NRNA Qatar over the years. They referred to the rescue and relief activities run by NRNA Qatar for the needy members of Nepali community after the onset of Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking at the event, Nepal embassy charge d'affaires Lakshuman Khanal conveyed congratulations to all sections of the Nepali community on their festive occasions. He stated that Nepal is a beautiful combination of various groups and ethnicities. There are 125 ethnic groups and 129 languages in the country, he shared, and said all lived in peace and harmony. Referring to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Khanal encouraged members of the Nepali community to collaborate with NRNA Qatar for contributing to community-related engagements and exhibitions during the event. NRNA Qatar president Mohamed Muktda Musalman thanked the sister organisations of the Janajati Federation for their co-operation and co-ordination, and expressed his commitment to celebrate various festivals jointly in the coming years as well. The event was graced by International Co-ordinating Committee (ICC) secretary R K Sharma, honorary council members Bimal Subedi and Bill Gurung, ICC members, National Co-ordinating Committee (NCC) advisers, all sister organisations of the Janajati Federation. The programme was conducted by NCC general secretary Padam Giri.

Bazme Sadaf Doha chapter organised a get-together at the residence of chief adviser Shakeb Ahsan. Bazme Sadaf International (BSI) chairman Shahabuddin Ahmad inaugurated the event and BSI chief patron Hassan Abdul Kareem Chougle presided. Sophia Bukhari was the chief guest, and Prof Syed Jawaid Zaidi and Farida Nisar Ansari, the guests of honour. Bazme Sadaf Doha chapter president Dr Nadeem Jilani Danish welcomed the guests and compered the programme. He gave a brief outline of activities organised last year despite the Covid-19 pandemic challenges. Besides seminars, online and offline poetry symposiums, he mentioned that Bazme Sadaf Urdu Classes started in the memory of the late Sabih Bukhari, who was the chief patron. These classes have been running every week since April 2021 and aims to teach Urdu to English-medium children. An experienced teacher from England is the supervisor. Ahmad recalled how BSI had been at the forefront of aiding people during the pandemic surge in India. He noted that despite Covid-19 seriously hampering events, BSI went on to open new branches in different countries and formed an international women's wing. He cited the first Khaleej Urdu Conference organised by Bazme Sadaf Kuwait Chapter among the many achievements. He also announced that the BSI awards ceremony, which has not been held for the last two years, would be held soon in India. During the programme, the third book of Farida Nisar Ansari, titled 'Hum Qadam', which is her latest collection of Urdu short stories, was also released. The ensuing poetry symposium featured Wasiul Haq Wasi, Farida Nisar Ansari, Dr Nadeem Jilani Danish and Ahmad Ahfaq who recited their ghazals and poems. Chougle paid tribute to his predecessor, the late Bukhari and lauded the initiative of Bazme Sadaf Urdu classes. Sophia Bukhari commended Bazme Sadaf Doha for organising the event and said she would continue the patronage of the organisation which was so dear to her late husband. Prof Javed Zaidi, president BSI educational activities and Farida Nisar Ansari also spoke. Shakeb Ahsan proposed a vote of thanks.

Bangiya Parishad Qatar (BPQ) recently organised a annual sport event for its community members. Various event for all age groups were conducted. BPQ president Biswajit Banerji thanked all participants.    

A total of 173 people donated blood at a campaign organised by Qatar Indian Social Forum (QISF) on February 11 as part of India's Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and also as a part of Qatar National Sport Day, in association with Hamad Medical Corporation. Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal, the chief guest, inaugurated the event held at the Hamad Blood Donation Centre in Doha and requested all Indian community members to come forward to donate blood. Indian Cultural Centre president P N Baburajan, Indian Sports Centre president Dr Mohan Thomas, SKMWA president Abdul Majeed, QISF president Ayyub Ullal, general secretary Syed Komachi, vice president Salam Kunnamal, secretaries Usman, Usama Ahammed and other officials were present. Awareness sessions were conducted by Dr Amit Varma, specialist in Family Medicine and Diabetes, Rawdat Al-Khail Health Centre; Dr Mohamed Rahmatullah Shafeeq, head of Infection Control Department, HMC and Dr Brian Daniel Okumu, family consultant, Al Wajba Health Centre. QISF state secretary Mohamed Fahad welcomed the guests and block general secretary Atique Madakeri proposed a vote of thanks.    

Central Indian Association Qatar, a forum of Indian expatriates, celebrated Qatar National Sport Day 2022 at Cric Qatar Grounds. Track and field events were held for all age groups while adhering to the Covid-19 protocol. Families enjoyed the day and learnt about the importance of incorporating sports in their daily routine. Community leaders Vinod Nair, Kamla Thakur and Gadde Srinivas were the chief guests. Forum president Jai Prakash Singh, vice president Rakesh Goel and general secretary Syed Rafi were present.Various games were organised under the supervision of Priya Johnson.    

Indian expatriate forum Andhra Kala Vedika hosted Qatar National Sport Day celebrations on February 8 at Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) premises. Captain Mohan Atla, defence attaché from the embassy of India and co-ordinating officer of the Indian Sports Centre (ISC) joined the celebrations. Traditional games were among the highlights. ISC president Dr Mohan Thomas, ICC president P N Baburajan, general secretary Krishna Kumar, advisory council chairman K S Prasad, Indian Community Benevolent Forum vice president Vinod Nair, community leaders including Mahesh Gowda, Deepak Shetty, and Ln Mustafa were present. Andhra Kala Vedika president Venkappa Bhagavatula said the event got an overwhelming response from the entire Telugu community.    

DPS-Modern Indian School (MIS) concluded its annual festival, Rendezvous 2021-22, with the online result declaration ceremony recently. The occasion was graced by chief guest Dr Bimalendu B Nath, director of MIE-SPPU Institute of Higher Education, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Doha Qatar campus, Yasir Nainar, vice-president, DPS-MIS, and members of the executive committee. Addressing the gathering, Dr Nath commended the efforts of the institution in developing 21st century competencies among the learners and noted that its tremendous progress is a testimony of its vibrant academic ecosystem. Nainar congratulated all team members and complimented the students on their achievements in all fields. Fourteen competitions for the middle school and 19 competitions for the senior school were organised using Zoom or Microsoft Teams platform. Lily House emerged as the winner in the Middle School followed by Rose, Lotus and Tulip houses in the second, third and fourth positions, respectively. Tulip House topped the medal tally in the Senior School followed by Lily, Lotus and Rose houses. Principal Asna Nafees, in her address, appreciated the efforts of the entire team in the successful completion of an event of such magnitude.    

The Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) organised a musical event, 'A Tribute to Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar' on February 11. Popular songs in different languages by the legendary Indian singer were presented to recall her contribution to Indian cinema. Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal, his wife Dr Alpana Mittal, ICC co-ordinating officer Xavier Dhanraj and community leaders were present. Songs in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil were presented by Palvi Bapat, Preeti Naath, Yogesh Deoghare, Maithili Shenoy, Soumya Jose, Vinod Nair, Shivapriya Suresh, Swati Dhavala, Aarya Patwardhan, Anisha Rajesh, Mathura, Sara, Athulya, and Subhashish Chakravarti. The emotion-filled evening with fond memories of Lata Mangeshkar's journey starting from the pre-independence era was anchored by Gayatri Modak. ICC managing committee member Kamla Thakur welcomed the gathering. The event was co-ordinated by cultural secretary Shweta Koshti.    

Zafar Iqbal, Dr Saidi Sironji to be presented trophy, cash prizes later this year Eminent Pakistani and Indian writers/poets Zafar Iqbal and Dr Saifi Sironji have joined the list of elite literary figures honoured by Qatar's Majlis-e-Frogh-e-Urdu Adab. The two have been named this year's winners of the prestigious Urdu award instituted by the literary organisation in 1996. The award will be presented to the winners at a function in October or November this year, if circumstances allow and subject to approval of the Ministry of Culture. The award carries a cash prize of Rs150,000 and an award trophy for each winner. It is given every year to a fiction writer and/ or research scholar and/ or critic, one each from Pakistan and India, for their significant contribution towards the promotion of Urdu language and literature. Mohamed Atiq, chairman of the Majlis, said the award winners were unanimously chosen by two independent juries, comprising reputed Urdu scholars in New Delhi and Lahore, earlier this month. The Indian jury comprised Padma Bhushan winner and former chairman of the Sahitya Academy, India, and an outstanding critic, researcher and intellectual, Prof Dr Gopi Chand Narang as chairman, with Prof Shafey Kidwai, Sheen Kaaf Nizam, Dr Abdul Naseeb Khan and Mehar Mansoor as members. The Pakistani panel was headed by renowned scholar, critic, researcher and poet, Sitara e Imtiaz, Prof Dr Khurshid Rizvi with Prof Fateh Mohamed Malik, Prof Dr Tehsin Firaqi and Prof Dr Zahid Munir Amir as members. Renowned writer, poet, attorney and journalist, Zafar Iqbal was born on September 27, 1930, to an Arain family in Bhawalnagar, Punjab, where his maternal grandparents lived. He passed his matric examination from MB High School in Okara, Punjab, and later passed his Intermediate and BA examinations from the famous Government College, Lahore. His teachers at Government College, Lahore, included prominent personalities like Soofi Tabassum, K K Aziz, Qayyum Nazar and Mirza Maqbool Badkhshani. He passed his LLB examination from the Punjab Law College, Lahore and then became a lawyer by profession. He did his law practice in Okara for 40 years and has been living in Lahore now for many years. Zafar Iqbal has been a poet for about 75 years as well as a writer for half a century. He started his career as a journalist with writing in the weekly Dhanak in 1974. Five volumes of his collections of poetry, titled as Ab Tak have been published and the sixth volume is under print. The first volume of his critical and research articles comprising 512 pages, titled La Tanqeed has been published. The second volume, comprising the same number of pages, is under print. Six volumes of his columns written in reputed newspapers of Pakistan, have been printed. Prominent among these is Khisht e Zaafran and Dal Daliya. He has been writing columns regularly for well known daily newspapers — Jang, Nawai Waqt, Mashreq, Pakistan and Khabrain. He has been writing his daily column under the title of Dal Dalya in daily Duniya for the last few years. Zafar Iqbal's poetry is mainly in the ghazal genre. The diction of his ghazal, entirely different from traditional Urdu poetry, distinguishes him from the rest. In contrast to classical poets, Zafar's poetry portrays love as scientific and physical rather than supernatural. Dr Tabassum Kashmiri called him ‘Literature's renegade of the 20th Century’. Former Punjab chief minister Hanif Ramey, who was also a writer and a well-known critic, called him a poet of a new tone and new concepts. Many literary personalities have called him a ‘living legend.’ Zafar Iqbal has a son named Aftab Iqbal who is a newspaper columnist and a reputed TV anchor in Pakistan. Zafar Iqbal has received the Pride of Performance Award in 1999 and Hilal-e-Pakistan Award in 2014 from the president of Pakistan. Dr Saifi Sironji was born in a village, Mahua Kheda, Sironj, district Vidisha (Madhya Pradesh) on April 28, 1952. He started his career as a Bidi labourer. He did his MA and PhD from Barkatullah University, Bhopal. For the last 50 years, he has been tirelessly dedicated to the cause of development, advancement and refinement of the national cultural and literary scene. He is an active literary journalist. Besides being a poet, critic, novelist and humourist, he writes short stories and travelogues. He launched the quarterly Intisab Aalami in 1982 from Sironj. It is the longest-surviving Urdu journal of Madhya Pradesh that has turned the state into a vibrant centre for Urdu journalism and publications. It has also published 25 special volumes in the last 40 years. Apart from it, Saifi has also been publishing the monthly Aalami Zaban for the last six years from Intisab Publications, He has participated in different national and international mushairas, Urdu conferences, radio and TV programmes, intellectual and cultural activities. Moreover, 53 books on research, criticism, short stories, novels and travelogues, eight poetry collections, and nine books on Shakhsiyat aur Fun of Dr Saifi have been published. His prominent books include Yeh to sachcha qissa hai, Sironj se London tak, Urdu afsana taraqqi pasand tehreek ke baad, Nai ghazal nae imkanaat, Ikkeesveen sadi, Urdu novel, Urdu nazm ka irtiqai safar, and Ek behar sau ghazlein. A scholar has done a PhD on literary services of Intisab Aalami from Indore University (MP). Two MPhils have been done on the Adabi Khidma'at of Dr Saifi, one from Rajasthan University (Jaipur) and the other from Vikram University (Ujjain). His prose and poetry have also been included in the Indo-Pak curriculum, mainly in the syllabus of the MP Board and Peshawar University. His selected writings have been translated into English, Hindi, Gujrati, Malayalam and other Indian languages.    

Chaliyar Doha Women's Wing has announced the results of competitions for Indian students in Qatar, organised on the occasion of the 73rd Indian Republic Day celebrations at a function held at the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) Mumbai Hall. The online competition items were fancy dress for children aged five and eight years on the theme of 'Indian National Leaders' and English speech for children aged nine to 12 years on the subject of 'Republic and Democracy'. The winners of both categories were selected from more than 500 entries. Lauratta Linto (Noble International School) won the first prize in fancy dress, while Ainain Puthukulangara (Al Fitrah Islamic Pre-School) and Faizan Harris (Bhavan's Public School) won the second and third prizes, respectively. Aiden Joseph Jojo (Noble International School) won the first prize in the English speech competition, with Alesha Thania (Noble International School) and Arpita Prashant (MES Indian School) bagging the second and third prizes, respectively. Oasis Engineering Qatar representative Prasannan C K, Charlotte Baking Solution MD Azeez Purayil, Chaliyar Doha chief adviser V C Mashhood and social worker Kareem Elamaram distributed prizes to the winners. Chaliyar Doha Women's Wing president Muneera Basheer presided over the function, while general secretary Shahana Ilyas welcomed the gathering. ICC president P N Babu Rajan inaugurated the event. Vice-president Muhsina Zameel announced the winners. Chaliyar Doha president Zameel Abdul Vahid Chaliyam, general secretary C T Siddique, treasurer Jabir Bepur and Siddeeque Vazhakkad spoke on the occasion. Women's Wing office-bearers Shaleena Rajesh and Sheethal, Chaliyar Doha office-bearers Ratheesh Kakkov, Mohamed Layis Kuniyil, Raghunath Feroke, Adv Jauhar, Sabik Edavanna, Niyas Moorkanad and Abdul Azeez Cheruvannoor, executive members Sunil Kunnan, Sajas Chaliyam and Nasser Alnas Vadakkummuri led the programme.    

The Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) Photography Club conducted the ICC Photographer of the Year 2020 award ceremony at the ICC Ashoka Hall to felicitate the awardees. Dr Deepak Mittal, ambassador of India to Qatar, graced the occasion as the chief guest. ICC Photography Club members along with dignitaries from various associations and Indian community leaders attended the function. The welcome address was delivered by club president Haseeb C M. The vice-president of the club, Vishnu Gopal, presented the proposed activities of the club for the current year. Membership card distribution was also initiated at the event. 2022 being the FIFA World Cup year, Dr Mittal in his address suggested the club to promote sports photography. He also proposed that 2023 being the golden jubilee year for India-Qatar diplomatic ties, exhibitions featuring photographers from Qatar and India be organised. P N Babu Rajan, ICC president, also addressed the event and extended support. Ranoosh Ali was named the ICC Photographer of the Year 2020. Winners in different categories are as follows: Exploring Qatar – Shabeerali Madalan; Qatar Expressions - Shaji M Chandran; Qatar Events – Raymond Cheenath; and Back to Nature - Nifiba Suneer. Indo-Qatar, a series of photographs by Shaji Hussain K, and from the Iconic Structures series of Ranoosh Ali were awarded a plaque and certificate by the ambassador. The gathering ended with a vote of thanks by general secretary Thajuddin Chirakuzhi.    

* Pak Shamaa School recently held a sports week for its students. "Pak Shamaa School is persistently engaged in progressing the aptitude of students in spite of the Covid-19 circumstances. For a long time, sports has been viewed as a way to stay healthy and in shape, but its importance goes beyond that. As a matter of fact, playing sports teaches life lessons like discipline, responsibility, self-confidence, accountability and teamwork," the school said in a statement. "Sports increases blood flow to the brain and helps the body build more connections between nerves, leading to increased concentration, enhanced memory, stimulated creativity and better-developed problem-solving skills. In short, playing sports helps your brain grow and makes it work better," the statement noted. For the benefit of students, Pak Shamaa School arranged a long sports week under the supervision of Sana Showky, Aneela, Nazia and Farhat. Students took part in running race, skipping games, cone games and physical exercise while complying with all Covid-19 measures. School principal Nabila Kaukab stressed that students should take active part in outdoor physical activities to stay physically and mentally healthy.    

DPS-Modern Indian School (MIS) concluded its annual festival, Rendezvous 2021-22, with the online result declaration ceremony recently. The occasion was graced by chief guest Dr Bimalendu B Nath, director of MIE-SPPU Institute of Higher Education, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Doha Qatar campus, Yasir Nainar, vice-president, DPS-MIS, and members of the executive committee. Addressing the gathering, Dr Nath commended the efforts of the institution in developing 21st century competencies among the learners and noted that its tremendous progress is a testimony of its vibrant academic ecosystem. Nainar congratulated all the team members and complimented the students on their achievements in all fields. Fourteen competitions for the middle school and 19 competitions for the senior school were organised using Zoom or Microsoft Teams platform. Lily House emerged as the winner in the Middle School followed by Rose, Lotus and Tulip houses in the second, third and fourth positions, respectively. Tulip House topped the medal tally in the Senior School followed by Lily, Lotus and Rose houses. Principal Asna Nafees, in her address, appreciated the efforts of the entire team in the successful completion of an event of such magnitude.    

DPS-Modern Indian School (MIS) hosted the seventh edition of TEDxYouth@DPSMIS recently. With the inability to host the event physically, it was translated to an online setting and premiered under the theme 'Changing Currents', depicting the unpredictability of life. The event featured five speakers – Mohamed al-Qassabi, an inventor who presented his idea 'Age is just a number'; Avinav Mukherjee, an Indian classical dancer who spoke on the 'Existentialism of Arts'; Neeshad Shafi, an environmentalist and social change advocate who emphasised the importance of 'Climate Action: Time for Arab Youth to Lead'; Dana Habayeb, an entrepreneur who discussed the phenomenon of the Hedonic Treadmill and its utility in everyday life; and Janhvi Maheshwari Kanoria, an innovator who elaborated on her experiences in teaching millions through 'A for Arrow'.    

DPS-Modern Indian School (MIS) student Tejaswi Manoj bagged the first prize in ‘The International Interschool Techno Fest’ organised by Alliance University, Bengaluru, India. It was a global platform for the students of Grades XI and XII to showcase their talent and to familiarise with their roles in tomorrow’s world. The virtual competition was conducted in three rounds and saw the participation of around 1,000 national and international students. In the first two rounds, Tejaswi’s PowerPoint presentations on the topics 'Are electric vehicles an answer to sustainable development' and 'The future of gaming industry in virtual societies' won a lot of acclaim by the panel of judges and were among the top entries. Her performance in the final round led her towards victory and, with the highest points, she bagged the first prize. She was awarded with a cash prize of 100,000 Indian rupees. School principal Asna Nafees congratulated her on her outstanding performance.