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New Delhi:
Existence of two decades-and-a-half in the life of an organization
with impressionable impact on the society is no mean achievement.
Such is the case of the Institute of Objective Studies, (IOS),
India’s first think tank to assess and analyze various issues in
the Islamic perspectives, which has completed 25 years of its
meaningful and eventful existence. As such it has planned to have
year-long 2011-2012 celebrations of the Silver Jubilee Year.
According to Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam, chairman IOS, during the
Silver Jubilee Year celebrations a number of international
conferences and seminars in different parts of the country will be
organized. The primary motive of these activities is to identify
the human resources capable of looking issues in a true and
correct national, humane and Islamic perspective, he pointed out.
Dr. Manzoor said the silver jubilee celebrations will be
inaugurated with a three-day international conference on “Towards
Knowledge, Development and Peace – Outlining Roadmaps for the
Future” on April 15 at India Islamic Cultural Centre here in New
Delhi. A number of renowned scholars from within the country and
abroad besides prominent government officials and ministers of
India shall be participating in the conference. The conference
would conclude on April 17.
He informed that the international conference would be followed by
13 other conferences at Hyderabad, Kashmir, Bhubaneswar, Patna,
Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Calicut, Aligarh, Pune and a closing
conference at New Delhi. The celebrations would also culminate
here at a three-day function on April 14-16 next year under the
theme “Minority Identities and Rights: Challenges and Prospects in
an Unfolding Global Scenario”.
Dr. Manzoor said that it is indeed a great achievement in the life
of an organization to complete two-and-half decade successfully.
Over the years the IOS has carved out a niche for itself as a
leading think tank in socio-economic and political issues of the
marginalized sections and minorities especially Muslims of India.
It has brought out several pioneering researches and studies
focusing Indian Muslims. The credit to study objectively, not in
an emotive way, various issues related to the development of the
Muslims and other minorities in particular and nation in general
goes to the think tank, he added.
The IOS would honour 200 personalities making excellent
contribution in different fields at its functions to be held here
and in state capitals
under various themes. There would also be held an exhibition to
portray the journey of IOS and art, calligraphy, paintings, books
and manuscripts during the celebrations, besides release of a
documentary film and essay competition for college and Madarsa
students, he said.
It may be mentioned here that the IOS was established on April 13,
1986 in New Delhi. The Institute has its headquarter in New Delhi
along with its six chapters at Aligarh, Chennai, Calicut,
Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Patna.
The Institute has acquired marked credibility in few select areas
namely achieving steady progress in bringing together a galaxy of
social scientists, policy planners and social workers. The brain
storming efforts have resulted into creating an intellectual
movement all over the country among scholars, community leaders
and social activists. Secondly, the IOS could create a synergy to
focus on the problems of weaker sections of society, the
marginalised and suffering from deprivation. It has tried to
foster healthy inter-community linkages among various sections of
society. Studies in areas of Dalits, OBCs etc. are conducted even
through collaboration with other NGOs working in concerned areas.
Thirdly, it has struggled hard to save and augment secular,
democratic and constitutional values of Indian legal,
civilisational and cultural base line. It has tirelessly worked in
all odds at all levels in past years.
The achievements, programmes and performance have caused a
substantial rise in expectancy level of all concerned. It enjoys
legal status and permission to conduct its affairs in terms of
exemption in income tax to donors, permission under FCRA etc. It
also enjoys recognition from the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
of the UN. The IOS is in consultative status (Roster) with the
ECOSOC.
The Institute has become a trendsetter in the fields of conceptual
and investigative research on the Quranic approach to human
problems and the problems of Muslims in India. Various survey
projects focused on the problems of Muslims are fulfilling a long
felt need for statistical information and analysis in different
areas.
The governing structure of the IOS, as per the Memorandum of
Association, consists of two democratically elected bodies namely
the General Assembly of 60 members and Governing Council of 11
elected office bearers and members. The research and academic
activities are conducted through 23 academic committees in their
specialised areas.
It has so far undertaken 250 research projects and 300 major
publications, and organized 1050 conferences, seminars, symposia
and workshops as well as awarded 934 scholarships. It also brings
out two bi-annual academic journals namely 1. The Journal of
Objective Studies & 2. The Journal of Religion and Law Review. The
other publications include: (ii) Quarterly Journal (Urdu):
Mutaleaat; (iii) Quarterly IOS Bulletin: Human Rights Today; (iv)
Monthly IOS Newsletter in English and (v) Quarterly IOS Newsletter
in Urdu: Khabarnama.
(pervezbari@eth.net)
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