Indian Muslim for Progress and Reform is a “Think Tank cum Resource Centre” formed by more than 1000 prominent Indian Muslims to work for improving the image and perception of the community through outreach, engagement, and community reforms. The organisation draws the membership representation from Muslims from across the country, as well as NRI and OCI Muslims. IMPAR aims to function as the apex national forum for research, advocacy, monitoring and response centre on issues concerning Indian Muslims by engaging with key stakeholders to make a meaningful difference to the society and the nation.

As the apex community organisation, IMPAR is working on policy agenda and advocacy, skilling and entrepreneurships development, youth and women leaderships, social work and community servicesand reforms. In a short period of one year, IMPAR has successfully charted out a new path to navigate the community on the path of progress and reforms. IMPAR today has over 15,000 members, including over 300 globally and units created in 30 districts and 11 States. It has initiated a series of social programs and campaigns, including sanitation drive, documentation drive, and awareness programs to educate and empower the community, besides policy engagement and public advocacy. IMPAR is committed to bring about a positive change in the community and to meaningfully contribute to the social and economic development of the nation.

IMPAR is an organization of 1000 plus eminent persons and experts from various fields fully committed for the progress and reforms of Indian Muslims. IMPAR has the membership representation from across the country, as well as NRI and OCI Muslims. IMPAR is undertaking many activities for socio-economic transformation of Muslim community through field teams at district and state level. IMPAR is currently executing an 11 point Covid Response Action Plan.

The activities of IMPAR are funded by the general donations from our members and well as other well-wishers. IMPAR has also started Zakat portal to manage funds with full transparency for helping the poor and destitute as per the guidance provided by the Islamic Scholars.

IMPAR Donation and Charity Funds:Apart from the outreach and engagement, IMPAR is undertaking many economic activities and livelihood programs for socio-economic upliftment of Muslim community through different projects executed by field teams at district and state level. These teams are supported by a team of dedicated professionals working at the Head Office in Delhi. The activities of IMPAR are funded by the general donations from our members and well as other well-wishers. Some of the ongoing and upcoming projects are as follows.

Health & Sanitation Drive: Keeping oneself and the neighbourhood clean and hygienic is an integral part of Islamic teaching and it also helps improve the community health as create a positive environment. IMPAR field team has been working with the community members in improving the cleanliness in the large Muslim population clusters. This includes clean up as well as awareness drive with the help of volunteers.

Documentation Drive: As we have seen in the recent times how the community has faced huge problems, particularly in Assam, in absence of having proper citizenship documents. This problem may again arise and may be nationwide. Therefore, looking at the critical importance and urgency, IMPAR has launched documentation drive to help members of the community to secure all the 14 critical documents to avail all government facilities and without any problems.

Community Information & Facilitation Centre: IMPAR is also setting up Community Information and Facilitation Centres (CIFC) at district and town levels, to act as single window for Information, Communication, Education and Facilitation on the documentation required for establishing citizenship, accessing government welfare programs, government subsidy for small businesses/ artisans/ farmers, and access to quality educational institutions. Apart from this, CIFC will also other services which are available through e-governance portal.

IMPAR Research & Response Centre: This is being set up to monitor the government policies, administrative actions, judicial interventions, and media reports concerning the issues important to the Muslim community and suggesting an effective response to it from the community leadership, in coordination with partner organisation, under the existing legal and framework.

Madarsa Transformation Project: Madarsa, though teaches a smallsection of students but play an important part in providing access to education for marginalised section of the community. IMPAR’s “Madarsa Transformation Project” is designed to provide targeted interventions in Madarsa to improve the knowledge and soft skills of teachers along with improving the curriculum and learning aids, so the students can pass 8th, 10th, and 12th standard, with sufficient knowledge and can compete with those from other educational institutions.

Emergency Medical Helpline. IMPAR has launched Emergency Medical Helpline which is manned by the healthcare professionals and volunteers to provide guidance to combat the pandemic and other health emergencies. After the pandemic is brought under control, it may still be continued, after reviewing the need.

Zakat is the most effective tool available to the Muslims which can help alleviate the pain and sufferings of the poor, destitute, and needy persons of the society. To the Zakat contributor, it is akin to the purification of the earning and facilitating mutual growth. A judicious and targeted use of Zakat will help a beneficiary grow up to become a benefactor.With this objective in mind and with an overriding concerns of the absence of credible, competent and transparent organisations to wisely use the zakat funds with proper audit, IMPAR has started Zakat portal to managing the fund for helping the poor and destitute in Shariah compliant way and as per the guidance provided by 25-member Global Zakat Advisory Board, which includes prominent persons and Islamic scholars.

IMPAR Zakat Fund will be deployed in accordance with the guidelines laid down by Sharia, under the guidance of IMPAR Global Zakat Advisory Board. The broad areas for utilisation of zakat fund are health and livelihoods of poor, destitute, and needy. In the present time of COVID pandemic, it will also be used to support those who fell into economic problem due to the unfortunate death or incapacitation of earning members of the family. Some of the ongoing and upcoming projects are as follows.

Feeding the Hungry and Destitute: The situation in present time is getting desperate for those at the margins of society as there is widespread loss of employment. IMPAR is reaching out to those in need with the cooked food packets and ration kits to take care of their immediate need.

Emergency Medical Aid: The pandemic has affected a large section of population and a big chunk of it does not have enough financial means to afford even the basic medicines.It will also be utilised to provide medical kits consisting of medicines and guidelines for early stages of CORONA care at home, to the poor and in need of the treatment.

Support Self Employment: Financial support upto Rs 25,000 along with proper Guidance is provided to a needy person to start of upgrade a small business to support their family. This will help today’s Zakat beneficiary become benefactor and contribute Zakat in future.

Helping the Family with Children in Higher Education: Financial support of upto Rs. 15,000 is provided to the needy family which have their children enrolled in higher technical or professional courses. This will help them support the education of their children along with taking care of their basic needs.

As we know our country is passing through the very difficult times. The unprecedented rise in covid cases and deaths has shaken the country and the world. IMPAR as the responsible community organisation called for an emergency meeting of its apex advisory committee and all the State and district units and has come out with an 11 point Corona Crisis Response Action Plan to compliment the efforts of the Government and public health system.

Earlier IMPAR called upon the community institutions and Haj Committees to come forward and offer its facilities to the State Governments for setting up corona care units and also volunteer for the services to the hospitals and affected families. IMPAR has also sent a communication to all the chief ministers offering its services through state and district units and its team of volunteers to join hands and compliment the Government efforts to deal with the crisis situation. IMPAR is mobilising a force of 10,000 volunteers to work closely with district administrations across the contry.

IMPAR Covid Response Strategy broadly comprises of the following action plan:

1. Launching IMPAR Langer at five hospital sites in Delhi – NCR and through its district and state units all over the country
2. Launching IMPAR Covid Awareness and Sanitation Drives nationwide through its State and district units and team of volunteers
3. Forming Panel of Doctors for 24 hour daily consultation support
4. Constituting IMPAR District Covid Response Teams to work in coordination with the district authorities
5. Starting a Helpline number and putting up posters at hospitals for burial and cremation support
6. Issuing IMPAR Home Care Advisory in 15 different languages so that non critical patients take home treatment and not rush to hospitals
7. Issuing Vaccination appeal to the community with video messages and facilitating registration for vaccinations
8. Sending communication to the State Governments and district authorities for IMPAR coordinated community facilities to be offered for covid care centers
9. Establishing IMPAR Central Covid Emergency Response Team
10. Launching IMPAR Livelihood Support Program for the families affected by Covid crisis and those having lost their livelihood. IMPAR will connecting them with various Govt. schemes and private sector support systems as well as through IMPAR zakat funds.
11. Launching Data and Documentation drive for the covid deaths to help them obtain hospital certificates and other documents to avail government compensation and other welfare schemes.

Out of the 11 point Action Plan, the work on first nine points already started.