Hyderabad: Government Advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Sunday said Muslim education progress and 4% reservation had helped drive a generational change in Telangana. He said more Muslim youth had entered medicine, engineering, teaching, law and other professional fields.
Addressing Teachers’ Day celebrations organised by the Iqra Group of Doctors-Hyderabad, Shabbir Ali urged families to build on these gains. He called for greater focus on quality education, student discipline and recognition of teachers and institution-builders.
The programme took place at MESCO Auditorium in Malakpet. Shabbir Ali attended as the chief guest and presented the Iqra Best Teacher Award 2026.
He also praised the contributions of Dr Mateen and the late Dr Fakhruddin. He said communities often failed to adequately recognise people who devoted themselves to education and public service. Therefore, he urged younger generations to continue their work and strengthen educational opportunities.
Muslim education progress linked to learning opportunities
Referring to the name “Iqra”, Shabbir Ali said the first Quranic revelation emphasised reading and learning. However, he said Muslims had fallen behind in education. He recalled visiting hospitals before entering government and searching doctors’ boards for Muslim names. According to him, he often found very few.
Shabbir Ali said that experience strengthened his belief that Muslims required greater access to professional education. He also recalled the campaign for reservation for socially and educationally backward Muslims. He said the proposal initially faced opposition even from sections within the community.
Some people had argued that classification for affirmative action conflicted with equality, he said. However, Shabbir Ali said he documented the socio-economic conditions of 22 Muslim occupational communities to establish their backwardness.
Those communities included people engaged in fishing, barbering, butchery, washing clothes and other traditional occupations. He said he subsequently presented the material before the then Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy government.
Muslim education progress followed reservation campaign
Shabbir Ali recalled visiting a Muslim fishing village near Sriharikota in Nellore district during the exercise. He said families there lived in severe poverty despite spending long hours working at sea. According to him, those conditions demonstrated the need for targeted educational support.
He argued that formal equality alone could not address the disadvantages faced by such communities. Shabbir Ali claimed around 22 lakh students had benefited from access to higher and professional education under the reservation policy. He said the figure covered erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and the two successor States over the years.
Additionally, he referred to a report that showed strong performance by the Telugu States in higher professional education. He said Kerala remained ahead at the foundational level. Shabbir Ali argued that educational disadvantages accumulated across generations could not disappear immediately.
Students from Urdu-medium and government schools had historically competed against those with access to better institutions for decades, he said. Therefore, he maintained that sustained support across a generation was necessary before educational outcomes could receive a fair comparison.
Shabbir Ali also cited the recent recruitment of around 11,000 teachers in Telangana. He said nearly 1,100 Muslim candidates secured selection. According to him, the 4% reservation alone would have accounted for roughly 400 posts.
He argued that the difference showed Muslim candidates had also succeeded on merit and through categories beyond their reserved quota. Furthermore, he cited Muslim candidates’ performance in Group-I and other competitive examinations.
Shabbir Ali referred to girls from economically weaker families in Kamareddy who secured exceptionally high Intermediate marks and State-level ranks. He said such achievements demonstrated what students could accomplish when they received educational opportunities.
Muslim education progress visible in medical field
Shabbir Ali also pointed to the increasing presence of young Muslim women in medicine. He cited Dr Asma Jabeen, a neurosurgeon who, according to him, had secured five gold medals.
He also referred to another highly qualified woman specialist. Shabbir Ali said Gandhi Hospital, Osmania and NIMS had competed to retain such meritorious doctors. Meanwhile, he highlighted the growing academic performance of girls in professional courses.
Referring to medical admissions, he said women substantially outnumbered men among successful candidates. He said similar trends had emerged in engineering and law. However, Shabbir Ali urged families to give greater attention to boys’ education and discipline as well.
He advised young people to avoid unnecessary late-night activity and maintain regular routines. Moreover, he asked students to combine available opportunities with sustained hard work.
Shabbir Ali also urged the community to support neighbours and people belonging to other faiths. He asked people to avoid social divisions and contribute as responsible citizens.
Responding to proposals from the organisers, he supported expanding nursing education and strengthening the library. He also backed exploring courses in hospital management and law. Furthermore, he assured assistance in pursuing viable proposals with the government.
However, Shabbir Ali said the proposals would require detailed plans before they could move forward. He reiterated his support for the educational mission associated with the late Dr Fakhruddin.
Shabbir Ali said the next priority should focus on expanding quality education and professional opportunities. He maintained that Muslim education progress depended on sustained access, hard work and greater educational participation.