Bhatkal: The 34th annual Rabita Educational Excellence Awards ceremony, organised by the Bhatkal Muslim Khaleej Council, comprising 10 Bhatkali Jamaats in the Gulf region and popularly known as Rabita Society, was held at the Islamia Anglo-Urdu High School grounds here, honouring 29 meritorious students from Bhatkal, outside the town and abroad for their outstanding academic achievements.
Of the 29 Gold Medals presented this year, only six went to boys, including two awards for Islamic studies and one for securing the top position in the district in the SSLC examination. The remaining 23 awards were presented to girls for excellence in matriculation, second PUC, degree and other fields of education, highlighting the impressive academic achievements of Bhatkal's female students.
The chief guest, educationist Sameer Ahmed Siddiqui of New Delhi, congratulated the award-winning students and observed that women in the community were increasingly excelling in education.
Siddiqui said that as more girls attain higher levels of education, they and their families increasingly seek life partners who match their educational and personal aspirations.
Referring to Hazrat Khadija (RA), Siddiqui said she chose Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), whom he described as an outstanding personality known for his honesty and exemplary character, as her life partner. He said highly educated girls and their parents today similarly look for young men who are honest, God-fearing, morally upright and capable of winning people's hearts through their character and conduct.
Siddiqui also spoke at length about the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI), saying technological advances were rapidly transforming the employment landscape and could replace human jobs in several sectors.
He said that in the future, young people might not necessarily have to go through conventional job interviews. Instead, AI could assess their qualifications and capabilities, identify suitable candidates and share their profiles with companies, which could then approach them directly with employment opportunities.
He noted that AI was already being widely used in everyday work. Referring to the awards ceremony itself, Siddiqui said some of the students who received Rabita Gold Medals had used AI while preparing their words of gratitude delivered at the event.
Citing Bengaluru as an example, Siddiqui claimed that AI was already affecting a large number of jobs in the city. He urged young people to understand the changing demands of the future and equip themselves with skills that would help them adapt to rapid technological advancements.
Siddiqui also expressed concern that the Muslim community was falling behind in adapting to changing times. He said the community had not made the progress it should have achieved in fields such as science, geography, physics, history and philosophy.
He called upon the younger generation to maintain a strong connection with their faith while pursuing modern education and acquiring knowledge in science and technology. Referring to the contributions of Muslim scholars and personalities throughout India's history, he urged young people to understand and draw inspiration from the intellectual and scientific legacy of their predecessors.
The SM Syed Khalilur Rahman Best Teacher Award was presented to Aysha Marfooah Siddibapa, who has been serving as a teacher at Anjuman for the past 19 years. The Usman Hasan Memorial Best School Award was presented to Anjuman Girls High School, Nawayat Colony. Programme convenor Abdul Salam Damda Abu announced the recipients of both awards.
Rabita General Secretary Atiqur Rahman Muniri delivered the welcome address, introduced the organisation and presented its annual performance report. The programme was compered by Awwab Kola and Hifzur Rahman Nadvi.
Maulavi Abdul Muneem Akrami, Abrar-ul-Haq and Rabita Secretary Yassir Qasimji announced the names of the award recipients in turn. The meritorious students were presented with Gold Medals by the guests and dignitaries at the ceremony.
Rabita Society President Umar Farooq Musbah presided over the event.
Rabita Gold Medal winners and their academic achievements:
