IFF deploys 1,200 volunteers in holy sites to serve Hajj pilgrims from India

Media Release

August 28, 2017

Makkah, Aug 28: India Fraternity Forum (IFF), which is known for its selfless service towards Hajj pilgrims from India in Saudi Arabia, is all set to serve “the guests of Allah”. Marakiz Al Ahya, a local organization under the auspicious of the government of Saudi Arabia involved in various community service activities, is also assisting the IFF.

In a recently held press meet, the office bearers of the two organizations said that they had completed the necessary preparations engaging a contingent of 1200 volunteers for serving the Hajj pilgrims this year.

“They will be Indian expatriates from various states who are fluent in different local languages besides English and Arabic, which would help them to serve the Hajj pilgrims from India. The area of volunteer service will include, pilgrim accommodation in Makkah, Aziziyah, Hajj Mission medical facilities, Mashair Train stations in Arafa and the tent city of Mina including a number of medical dispensaries,” they said.

Volunteers will guide the pilgrims to reach their destinations, help avail medical facilities and wheel chairs when required. They will also advise them with health and safety instructions to perform the Hajj with ease and comfort. Volunteer deployment for the entire operation is facilitated under various teams in Makkah, Arafa, Mina Tents and Mina public places. Apart from this, groups of volunteers will be engaged in various hospitals and medical facilities in Mina.

Volunteers have already started extending their services, since the first group of Hajj pilgrims from India has arrived in the Kingdom and the volunteers have been serving the Indian Hajees in the premises of Masjidul Haram Makkah and Aziziyah. In Madina, the Fraternity Forum volunteers from different Indian states are helping the pilgrims.

Hajj Camps

IFF has arranged Hajj camps inTamilnadu, Karnataka and Kerala for guiding the pilgrims before they leave the country for Hajj. The camps organized were unique and effective with multimedia presentation conveying details to the Hajj pilgrims starting from their home till they return back to their homes. Under different sessions, the camps conveyed the spirit of Hajj, how to perform hajj step by step, health and safety precautions while travelling and performing the rituals of Hajj and during their stay in the holy cities.

Map for Hajj pilgrims

To help the Indian pilgrims, IFF has prepared the map covering the whole area of pilgrim accommodation in Makkah and Aziziyah and the updated map for the tent city of Mina will be released on the 6th of Dhul-Hijja.

Hajj Navigator App

IFF has developed an android based application for locating the tents in Mina and Updated version of this app will be released soon with latest statistics. This app will cover the Aziziyah& Makkah accommodation area and the whole of the tent of city of Mina and will help the Hajis to reach their destinations/ accommodation buildings easily.

The whole volunteer operation will be coordinated by a team with Mohammed Sadiq (Coordinator) Mohammed Ali (Asst. Coordinator), Mudassir (Volunteer Captain), Shahul Hameed (Asst. Captain).

Mohammed Siddiqui (Volunteer Teams Co-ordinator Marakiz Al Ahyaa), Fayazuddin(IFF Regional President), Shamsuddeen KM (Regional Secretary), Mohammed Sadiq (Hajj Coordinator), Omer Husain (IFF Regional Council member) were present in the press meet.

Comments

Masha Allah ....Great work by IFF

masha allah

May allah grant afiyah to all IFF servers. Ameen

Masha Allah Very good. Keep it up IFF.

MashaALLAH

Indeed great Humanitarian Service by IFF

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Mangaluru’s KPT becomes India’s first autonomous govt polytechnic

News Network

January 23,2026

Mangaluru: The Karnataka Government Polytechnic (KPT), Mangaluru, has achieved autonomous status from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), becoming the first government polytechnic in the country to receive such recognition in its 78-year history. The status was granted by AICTE, New Delhi, and subsequently approved by the Karnataka Board of Technical Education in October last year.

Officials said the autonomy was conferred a few months ago. Until recently, AICTE extended autonomous status only to engineering colleges, excluding diploma institutions. However, with a renewed national focus on skill development, several government polytechnics across India have now been granted autonomy.

KPT, the second-largest polytechnic in Karnataka, was established in 1946 with four branches and has since expanded to offer eight diploma programmes, including computer science and polymer technology. The institution is spread across a 19-acre campus.

Ravindra M Keni, the first dean of the institution, told The Times of India that AICTE had proposed autonomous status for polytechnic institutions that are over 25 years old. “Many colleges applied. In the first round, 100 institutions were shortlisted, which was further narrowed down to 15 in the second round. We have already completed one semester after becoming an autonomous institution,” he said. He added that nearly 500 students are admitted annually across eight three-year diploma courses.

Explaining the factors that helped KPT secure autonomy, Keni said the institution has consistently recorded 100 per cent admissions and placements for its graduates. He also noted its strong performance in sports, with the college emerging champions for 12 consecutive years, along with active student participation in NCC and NSS activities.

Autonomous status allows KPT to design industry-oriented curricula, conduct examinations, prepare question papers, and manage academic documentation independently. The institution can also directly collaborate with industries and receive priority funding from AICTE or the Ministry of Education. While academic autonomy has been granted, financial control will continue to rest with the state government.

“There will be separate committees for examinations, question paper setting, boards of studies, and boards of examiners. The institution will now have the freedom to conduct admissions without government notifications and issue its own marks cards,” Keni said, adding that new academic initiatives would be planned after a year of functioning under the autonomous framework.

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