Zeb Akhtar/Ranchi

Most people of mohalla survived on daily wages and small-scale work. Education was no priority for the people who were struggling to arrange two square meals. Education was like a flickering lamp; visible for a moment, then lost in the shadows of poverty.

For years, the area remained socially, economically, and educationally backward.

The Quraish Academy is a living testament to the vision of Dr Shahnawaz Quraishi, who grew up in a slum but visualised a bright future for the children of the area. The Quraishi Academy seeks to produce doctors, engineers, teachers, software developers, etc.

Dr Shahnawaz Quraishi transformed that dim light into a blazing torch of education. He decided to impart education to every child. Through sheer determination, he made it happen.

Shahnawaz Quraishi with Girl students of his school 

Whether through journalism or social service, Dr Quraishi changed not just the image of his locality but also the mindset of its people.

In 1993, while working with the National Literacy Mission, Dr Quraishi established a night school in his neighbourhood. After long days of labour, elderly men and women would gather after evening prayers, notebooks and pens in hand.

The sight of wrinkled fingers tracing letters under the dim glow of a kerosene lamp became a symbol of hope and awakening. The classes were free as locals arranged kerosene for the lamps that lit the classroom.

Shahnawaz Quraishi and others with cricketer M S Dhoni

Under the banner of Basti Vikas Manch (Slum Development Forum), this movement soon spread to other underprivileged areas of Ranchi, igniting a wave of literacy.

Quraishi Academy was launched in 1982 from a two-room structure built on a piece of land adjoining the local mosque. Social worker Hussain Kasim Kachchi played a key role in its foundation. Two decades later, when the school began to decline, Dr Shahnawaz stepped in as secretary and transformed it from a middle school to a high school.

He visited the homes of dropout girls and convinced their parents that education would secure their daughters’ futures. Slowly, the girls returned to classrooms, and the school regained its vibrancy.

Shahnawaz Quraishi with students attending summer camp

Every Saturday, he began organising inspirational sessions for students — featuring notable personalities like cricketer Saba Karim, comedian Ehsan Quraishi, journalist Vijay Pathak, and educationist Dr Javed Ahmad.

The impact was evident — the school started recording a consistent 100% pass rate. With help from MP Subodh Kant Sahay, the school gave itself an auditorium. Dr Javed Kuddus helped set up a science laboratory, and the Rotary Club of Ranchi South constructed six toilets.

Over time, Quraish Academy earned accolades such as the Jharkhand Ratna award. Today, more than a thousand students — mostly girls — are pursuing education there.

Ironically, as a child, Shahnawaz had to drop out of school. His name was struck off the rolls of St. Paul’s School because his family could not pay a fee of just ₹27.

Shahnawaz Quraishi with meritorious students

A year later, with help from his mother, Aamna Khatoon, he resumed his studies at Quraish Academy.

When he was in the fourth grade, the local panchayat asked him to impart tuition to younger children. He would be paid ₹35 per month for the assignment.  What began as a small act of responsibility soon became the foundation of his lifelong mission.

Recognising his leadership qualities and potential, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) secretaries Wu-Han-Chu David and Shivprasad Ravi appointed him as the in-charge of the Islam Nagar Centre.

He later served five years as president of the University YMCA. Through seminars, debates, youth camps, and conferences, he emerged as a leading voice for education and social awareness. Through the Jharkhand Youth Association, he helped secure scholarships for over 120 female students.

Shahnawaz Quraishi receiving an award from the Ranchi Police

Financial hardship and a passion for writing drew Dr Quraishi into journalism in 1997. While still pursuing his intermediate studies, he began writing for Vananchal Prahari and later joined Prabhat Khabar, where he worked for nearly 12 years as a senior sub-editor.

His articles on Islamic topics during Ramadan were widely appreciated. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his reports — “Stars Still Shine in the Darkness of Hindpiri” and “How Will the Poor Celebrate Eid?” — captured the stark realities of marginalised lives and earned him recognition for compassionate journalism.

In 2010, Dr Quraishi left journalism and joined the Department of Education, focusing on textbook development for government schools in Jharkhand. As a group leader at JCERT, he authored nine social science textbooks for classes 6 to 8, which are still in use across the state. He also contributed to World Bank-funded projects like Tejaswini and Sampoorna. His name features on the editorial board of Harsh Johar Samvad, an education-focused publication.

After earning a PhD on the history of sports in Jharkhand, he published Women’s Hockey in Jharkhand, inaugurated by FIH President Tayyab Ikram. Its foreword was by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, and the preface by Padma Shri Balbir Dutt. His next book, Sufism and Hindu-Muslim Unity in India, is in the pipeline and is expected to be released.

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Dr Shahnawaz Quraishi has been honoured by the Government of Jharkhand, the Department of School Education and Literacy, Rotary Club of Ranchi South, Muslim Professionals Association, Sadbhavana Manch, and Dainik Jagran–iNext, among others.