Muslim group names scholarship after Modi

It will be given to 10 poor students from the community.

An Aligarh-based Muslim group has decided to institute a scholarship in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Forum for Muslim Studies and Analysis will award the Narendra Modi scholarship to economically backward Muslim students who are in the 12th standard or doing graduation. To begin with, it will be given to 10 students.

Modi’s biographer

The organisation’s director Jasim Mohammad is credited with writing the Prime Minister’s first Urdu biography, Narendrabhai Modi — Farsh Se Arsh Tak (Narendrabhai Modi – From the ground to the sky). The first of the proposed five volumes was launched by Mr. Modi on March 5.

A volume in Hindi that he compiled and edited, titled Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi Ki Mann Ki Baat, is expected to be published shortly.

Earlier, Dr. Jasim was seen to be close to the UPA government and, as part of the organisation Millat Bedari Muhim, had even campaigned for “secular forces” along with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt in the 2014 general elections.

Explaining why he named the scholarship after Mr. Modi, Dr. Jasim says, “He is taking the country on the path of development.” He also believes that Mr. Modi is genuinely concerned about the problems the minority community faces.

“I instituted the scholarship to help empower students from the minority community. Once empowered, these students will make our country proud,” he says. “Ten scholarships of Rs. 5000 each will be given this year from August 2016. From the next year, both the number of scholarships and the amount will be increased.”