New Delhi

While media spotlight often shines on celebrities and politicians, the real engine of India’s progress runs on the resolve of countless unsung heroes who, away from limelight, quietly transform society.

From national defense to grassroots education, sports, science, and civil service, these individuals from Uttar Pradesh show how courage, compassion, and conviction can drive extraordinary change. Here are 10 such trailblazers whose stories deserve to be heard:

Captain Sayria Abbasi: A Woman in Uniform on the Frontlines

Hailing from a small city of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, Captain Sayria Abbasi broke every convention to join the Indian Army. A graduate in Genetic Engineering and with plenty of job offers and career opportunities from big companies was not enough for her to pursue in life. The call of service for the motherland was too strong to be sacrificed.

The world noticed her as a soldier deployed at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India-China temporary border, manning an Air Gun. Today, Sariya leads drone-killer teams and operates L-70 anti-aircraft guns on the border. Her journey from an academic achiever to a defender of the nation’s borders is not just about military precision; it's about shattering glass ceilings and reshaping how India imagines women in uniform.

Dr. Faiyaz Ahmad Fyzie: Voice for the Voiceless Pasmanda Community

Dr. Faiyaz Ahmad Fyzie, an AYUSH physician, is more than a healer—he is a public intellectual, columnist, translator, and relentless advocate for the Pasmanda (socially backward) Muslim community. Raised in modest conditions, his rise to national recognition is built on fearless writing and tireless grassroots work.

When even the Prime Minister refers to Pasmanda voices, Fyzie’s years of advocacy resonate. His pen continues to empower those whose struggles were long silenced. His work is a call to conscience—and a roadmap for inclusive discourse.

Mohammad Luqman Ali: Wrestling His Way to Glory and Degree

Wrestler Mohammad Luqman Ali, a student of Social Work at Jamia Millia Islamia, is balancing body and brain. Born in Amroha’s tiny village of Mohraka Patti, his father worked on the railways, and his mother gave him religious grounding. Despite limited resources, Luqman’s grit has earned him recognition in India’s wrestling circles.

From the mat to the classroom, his dual commitment shows that excellence doesn’t require compromise. It requires discipline, heart—and a family’s belief in you.

Rubina Rashid Ali: Reviving Mughal-Era Art with a Modern Mission

In a sun-drenched corner of Aligarh, Rubina Rashid Ali has quietly built a movement. Her work in floral appliqué embroidery, a legacy of Mughal art, now supports dozens of women in Aligarh and Rampur. What was once an undervalued craft monopolized by middlemen has been transformed by Rubina into a vehicle for women’s economic empowerment.

Her home resonates not only with the sound of needles and threads but also with the hum of independence. “Real artists were reduced to laborers,” she says. Today, she ensures their hands are not just working — but also earning.

Babban Mian: A Gaushala Keeper Inspired by His Mother’s Love

At Madhu Sudan Gaushalla in Bulandshahr, Babban Mian tends to cows not out of ritual, but reverence — inspired by his late mother Hamidunnisa Begum. "She loved cows like her own children," he recalls. After she passed away in 2015, Babban vowed to preserve her legacy.

Despite being a Muslim in a Hindu-dominated tradition, he runs a government-recognized shelter rooted in compassion, not controversy. For him, animal welfare is a universal value — not a communal issue. His work quietly redefines what shared culture and interfaith harmony look like.

Khushboo Mirza: From Amroha to the Moon with ISRO

 Khushboo Mirza, scientist at ISRO and part of the Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2 missions, is a stellar example of perseverance. After her father’s death when she was just seven, her mother raised three children alone, running a petrol pump and defying social norms.