A constable’s son from volatile south Kashmir and aspirants from far-off places like the Pir Panchal Valley were among 14 candidates from Jammu and Kashmir who cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination on Wednesday.
Suhail Qasim, 26, son of head constable Mohammad Qasim Mir, secured the 125th position. Mr. Qasim, a resident of Anantnag’s Bijbehara area, comes from a volatile district.
“It was my first attempt. I am proud that I qualified,” said Mr. Qasim.
Director General of Police (DGP) S.P. Vaid congratulated the family.
Among the top 10
Son of a bureaucrat, Bilal Mohiuddin Bhat, a resident of Handwara in north Kashmir, got the 10th rank.
“I am so happy. I remember that I passed the prelims the day my daughter Maryam was born on September 19 in 2016,” said Mr. Bhat.
Last year 12 candidates from the State cracked the exam.
Remote locations
Two candidates hail from far-off areas of the Pir Panchal Valley in Jammu region.
One is Zaffar Iqbal, a resident of Jarran Wali Gali, Mendhar, Poonch, who secured the 39th rank.
The other is Inayat Ali, a resident of Sabjian in Darhal, Rajouri, who took the 886th rank.
A Srinagar girl, Bisma Qazi, described her feat as a “moment of pride.”
“Finally, I have made my family happy,” said Ms. Qazi, a resident of Srinagar’s Rambagh area.
Potential of youth
Congratulating the candidates, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said their success “has vindicated my belief in the capabilities and potential of the youth.”
“These young boys and girls achieved this, despite humble backgrounds and without any special support. Most candidates had similar backgrounds and one thing in common, a desire to do something extraordinary through hard work.”
The other candidates selected were Bilal Mohiuddin from Kupwara, Zafar Iqbal from Poonch, Inayat from Darhal, Syed Fakhruddin, Inab Khaliq, Sahil Dhingra, Saqib Yousuf, Faisal Javed, Amir Bashir and Aditya Bhardwaj.