While Karnataka girl Nandini KR topped this year’s Civil Services Examination, considered to be one of the toughest in the country, there’s a piece of good news from Jammu and Kashmir too. A record 14 candidates from the terror-hit state have qualified for the elite services.
Nandini KR, who belongs to the OBC category, qualified the examination with Kannada Literature as her optional subject. She has graduated with a BE (Civil Engineering) degree from MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bengaluru. Anmol Sher Singh Bedi, who secured the second rank, has graduated with a BE degree in Computer Science from BITS, Pilani. The other toppers are Gopalkrishna Ronanki, Saumya Pandey, Abhilash Mishra, Kothamasu Dinesh Kumar, Anand Vardhan and Shweta Chauhan.
The achievements of J&K students is no mean feat as the state is reeling under violence and stone-pelting. Bilal Mohiuddin Bhat, hailing from the remote border district of Kupwara, mostly in news for exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops, has topped the list of successful candidates from the state. He has bagged 10th position in the all-India merit list. A vet by profession, he could not qualify prelims in his first three attempts but made history by securing 10th rank in his fourth. Bhat had earlier cracked the provincial Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS) and Indian Forest Services examinations and is currently posted in Lucknow as an IFS officer. “Now, I hope I will get my state cadre,” he told DNA.
Others from J&K who cracked one of the country’s most prestigious examinations include Zaffar Iqbal, rank 39, Bisma Qazi, rank 115, Suhail Qasim Mir, rank 125, Saqib Yousuf, rank 472, Faisal Javed, rank 210, Inabat Khaliq, rank 604, Anayat Ali .
Bisma Qazi (25) from Srinagar said she was heartbroken when she could not qualify for the MBBS. “It was a painful experience. But I decided that I will come back with much bigger goal. Today I have done it,” Bisma told DNA. An electronics and communications engineer, Bisma worked very hard to achieve the feat. “It was my second attempt when I cracked the UPSC. Though I am an engineering student, I chose anthropology as my optional subject and it clicked. I hope I will get IAS. However, I am comfortable with IPS as well if I am given this option,” said Bisma.
Coming from a business family, Bisma is the first member of her clan to become an engineer and civil servant. “We are business family and I am the first generation engineer. I am also the first member of the family who has cracked the civil services”, she said.
Fifty-five kilometres from Srinagar in Bijbhera of Anantnag district, 26-year-old Suhail Qasim Mir, is basking in new glory after he cracked the civil services achieving the 125th rank. Son of a head constable of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Suhail had a dream to join the civil services and he achieved the goal in the second attempt.
“My father is my inspiration. I completed my MBA from Jamia Milia Islamia before enrolling myself for a PhD programme. However, civil service was my first love. So I decided to give it a shot. In my second attempt, I cracked the exam. Though I was a management student I took sociology as my optional and rest is history,” he told DNA.
As many as 1,099 candidates have been recommended for various government services. Besides, there are 220 other candidates in the waiting list.
In all 11.36 lakh candidates had applied for the exam out of which 4.59 lakh candidates actually appeared on August 7 last year for the prelims of which 15,452 candidates qualified for the Mains that was held in December. Of these, 2,961 candidates qualified for the Personality Test conducted in March-May, 2016.
Among the successful 1099 candidates, 846 are men and 253 women, and include 44 physically handicapped candidates (22 orthopedically handicapped, 07 visually challenged and 15 hearing impaired).
The top 25 candidates of which 18 are men and 7 women come from background of engineering; sciences; economics and forestry from premier Institutions such as IITs, NIT, ISM, BITS Pilani, VIT, MSRIT, DCE, DU and Anna University etc.
As many as 180 successful candidates will be appointed in the IAS, 45 in the IFS, 150 in the IPS and 834 in other central group A and B services.
Among the successful candidates, 500 belong to the general category, 347 to the Other Backward Class category followed by 163 from Scheduled Castes and 89 from Scheduled Tribe categories.
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