Students Islamic Organisation of India
The Students Islamic Organisation of India is the students' wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. It was formed in 1982. According to its constitution, its aims are presenting Da’wah before students and youth and promoting virtues and moral values in educational institutions.
It has been described as a moderate Muslim students union, and is said to take part in social service and relief activities. It is reported to organise activities for the Muslim youths in order to engage them in peaceful religious activities, and to avoid communal activity and sentiment. It was mentioned as one of the best examples of youth inter-faith dialogue initiatives in a UNESCO global survey report.
Overview
The Students Islamic Organisation of India is an ideological organisation working in the country since its inception on 19 October 1982 for social progress and the development of students’ fraternity. Its headquarters is in Delhi, and it has spread to most states. Students of many religions, castes, creeds and places are now part of the organisation and working proactively for its cause.SIO works to spread education and awareness among students. The organisation promotes better academic and moral atmosphere in educational institutions. Its mission is "to prepare the students and youths for the reconstruction of the society in the light of Divine Guidance".
Activism
Student Elections
During University of Hyderabad Students Union Elections 2017-18 all the democratic forces in the campus had united to form a grand alliance named Alliance for Social Justice against the ABVP-OBCF alliance. The alliance consists of Ambedkar Students Association led front which includes SIO and MSF and Students Federation of India along with its former allies DSU, TSF, TVV as well as BSF.In Aligarh Muslim University Students Union Election 2018-19, Ferdous Ahmed Barbhuiya made it to Cabinet Membership, by bagging 4th position. He also has the credit of being the only North Eastern who became the Zonal Secretary of SIO, Aligarh.
Protests
An SIO march protesting the "mysterious reforms" being carried out by the administration of the University of Calicut turned violent on June 13. In the past, violence also ensued after students picketed at the gates of Nirmala Higher Secondary School. The SIO activists were protesting against the school authorities' forbidding Muslim students in the school to wear hijab.SIO protested in Badaun, Western Uttar Pradesh, on February 8, 2017, to find the missing student Najeeb Ahamed. Protests were conducted in Delhi as well.
14 Aligarh Muslim University students were charged with sedition after clash with BJP activists. Various student bodies including SIO expressed solidarity with Aligarh Muslim University and called for the revocation of sedition cases against 14 students of AMU in a joint press conference held on February 15, 2019.
On 23rd October 2019, SIO along with other student bodies condemned the attack by "hired goons" on Jamia Millia Islamia students, who were protesting against the university administration for allowing Israeli event in the campus and demanded swift redressal extending support to the protesting students.
The Nanded Police, in a joint operation with the Mumbai Crime Branch, detained a SIO leader in Maharashtra for allegedly giving a provocative speech during an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest at Nanded on February 1, 2020.
Hijab
SIO defends Muslim women's right to wear hijab.Exhibition
"Think. Act. Save." was a three-day exhibition, organized by the Hyderabad chapter of the SIO of India at the Exhibition Grounds in Nampally to create environmental awareness.Education
Centre for Educational Research & Training (CERT)
CERT was established in February 2017 as a resource & guidance centre for students & researchers, supported by the Department of Education SIO of India. CERT is committed to promote & conduct research programmes in the field of Education. CERT engages in the academic realm with innovative approaches to re-frame educational policies. It maintains a wide network of students and research scholars, who are creatively contributing in knowledge production and intellectual capital.Petition Over Suspension of NET 2017 Exam
SIO had filed a petition in the Supreme Court asking CBSE to take back its decision to suspend the tests. It also wanted the government to conduct one more session in 2017 for students who are crossing the age limit. SIO said that suspension will further accentuate shortage of qualified teachers in degree colleges.Nationwide Campaign Against Colonisation of Education
Alleging colonisation of education and curtailing of rights of students from the marginalised community, a SIO announced the launch of a nationwide campaign on 10th August 2018 to raise their demands. It said the campaign "Resist Internal Colonization of Education; Demand the Rights of the Marginalized" would run from August 25 to September 10 2018. The demands raised included execution of a special package for SCs, STs and minorities to ensure adequate representation in higher education; reinstating the UGC and all its powers; repealing the UGC regulation which resulted in PhD and M Phil seat cuts and protecting minority status of the JMI and the AMU.Clash of JNU and AMU Entrance Exams 2019
National President of SIO Labeed Shafi wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar over the clash of Jawaharlal Nehru University and Aligarh Muslim University entrance exam dates. The dates notified by Aligarh Muslim University and Jawaharlal Nehru University were found to be clashing: 27-30 May 2019. A large of students are aspirant to get admission to these two national universities. The clash of dates will affect those who wanted to appear for the entrance test of both the universities said SIO.New Education Policy 2019
The draft of new education policy was released by the MHRD and the time given to the public and civil society participants to submit their suggestions, feedback and comments was less than a month. Continuous following-up by SIO succeeded in extending the date for providing inputs on the draft of NEP. The organisation had also asked the Union Government to translate and release the NEP draft in other non-Hindi state languages as well so as to give the Indian citizens in those states an equal opportunity to take part in the process.SIO released "NEP - 2019: Analysis and Recommendations" report, prepared in collaboration with Centre for Educational Research & Training on July 19, 2019. During the release the organisation said The Draft National Education Policy breaks constitutional structures and values, promotes commercialisation and politicizes educational system by centralising all aspects of it.
Students Manifesto released 2019
SIO of India released a 'Student Manifesto' ahead of the general elections, urged political parties to include the demands in their manifestos. Demands included increase in stipends, Arabic and Islamic studies chairs be opened in all universities, reservation in educational institutions as per the recommendations of the Sachar Committee report, extra attention to children with special needs.The section on education in the manifesto sharply criticizes the central and state governments for their poor implementation of the Right to Education Act, and makes a number of recommendations to improve efficiency and transparency. It also demanded to enact Rohit Act, to ensure legislative protection for students from marginalised communities in higher educational institutions -- and to establish AMU off campus centres in minority concentrated districts.