Mohit Kandhari

Names of several toppers have hit the headlines ever since UPSC Civil Service Examination results were announced on April 27. If Jammu & Kashmir is being talked about for fifteen of its youths, including two girls, cracking the prestigious exam, Haryana’s Anu Kumari, mother of a 4-year-old, who secured second rank in the UPSC exam, grabbed the limelight.

Telangana’s Anudeep Durisherty, who secured top rank, is man of the hour as the doorbell and phone at his home have not stopped ringing with unending stream of visitors queuing outside his house with sweet boxes and garlands to greet him.

“Hearty congratulations to this year’s civil service qualifiers from J&K. These young boys & girls have given us a reason to smile & reminded us that if we rise above petty divides & channel our potential in a positive direction we can achieve new heights of excellence,” tweeted J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

Fazl-ul-Haseeb — all India 36 ranker — did his schooling from Burnhall School and earned his engineering degree from a private Jammu college in 2014. The Srinagar youth stood at the top in the list of the successfuls in the State. It was Haseeb’s third attempt.

The successful candidates hailed from remote areas of the State and made it to the final list of successful candidates by sheer dint of hard work. Instead of attending coaching classes of established institutes, majority of these students preferred self study and focused on their goal from the very beginning. They claimed they were inspired by the growing number of bright students making it to the UPSC civil service examination for last several years.

At least three successful candidates in J&K were already serving the Union Defence Ministry while a few were serving in the Engineering Department of the State Government.

Another young engineer already serving in the Irrigation and Flood Control Department of J&K Government Abhishek Sharma, hailing from Sarkoot area of Kishtwar district, cracked the UPSC in his third attempt and secured 69 rank.

Abhishek — who studied Civil engineering Government college of Engineering and Technology, Jammu, told The Pioneer, “When I could not make it in my first attempt, my parents motivated me to maintain my focus on my goals in life. They fully supported me and advised me to learn from failures in life.”

He said after staying in New Delhi for few months he returned to Kishtwar to focus on his studies. He said as long as peace prevailed in the State development will take place and more and more children from remote areas would get opportunities to realise their dreams. He credited his success to the hard work of his parents and teachers who guided him at every juncture and motivated him.

A young researcher from Jammu, Akshay Labroo, currently working in the office of Defence Minister cracked the UPSC-2017 by securing all India ranking 104 in his first attempt.

An alumnus of Delhi Public School, Jammu, Akshay landed in the Ministry of Commerce as Research Assistant in 2014 soon after completing his graduation from Ramjas College in New Delhi.

Working in the close company of top bureaucrats he gradually climbed the ladder of success and remained key member of Sitharaman’s team even after she became Defence Minister.

Akshay told The Pioneer over telephone, “While I was working as research assistant in the Commerce Ministry I realised even if I step out of the country to join my higher studies I will have to come back to India to work in the same environment. So I dropped the idea and decided to appear for my UPSC exams”.

His father Ramesh Labroo is serving the State Government in the PHE department and his mother Veena Labroo is a housewife.

Another Kashmiri Pandit candidate Rahul Bhat, currently living in New Delhi, secured all India rank 68.

Inabat Khaliq from Srinagar qualified the UPSC exam with 378th rank. She is daughter of a serving doctor from Srinagar.

Another candidate from Jammu Shelash Jain, secured 259th rank in third attempt. He dedicated his success to his parents’ sacrifices and blessings of teachers.

Sudershan Bhat secured 434 rank and Haaris Rasheed 487.Danish Agastum, son of Dr Chander Parkash, hailing from Ramnagar and at present Udhampur, secured 662 rank. Last year he had secured 814 rank in Civil Services. He is a BTech from Punjab University Chandigarh.

Amir Bashir, already serving in MoD, secured all India ranking rank 843 this year. He hails from Salwah village in frontier Poonch district. He is an alumnus of Army School Ratnuchak and GCET, Jammu

Sheetal Angral secured all India rank 945, while 23-year- old Vivek Bhaghat, son of a serving KAS officer, also made it to the selection list by securing AIR 967. Vivek is currently serving MoD.

Vivek told The Pioneer my father guided me and motivated me to appear this year again.

Atul Choudhary hailing from Gurah Slathia, also known as village of warriors, cracked the exam by securing all India ranking 896 while Shshank Bhardwaj secured all India ranking 907 and Mohd Farooq from Dharmari area of Reasi secured 939.

Courtesy: Pioneer -Sunday, 29 April 2018