At least 16 aspirants from the Union Territories (UTs) of J&K and Ladakh on Tuesday qualified in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination-2019, including two from the volatile district of South Kashmir.
Sabzar Ahmad Ganie, who ranked 628, is from Anantnag’s Gheeboom Kokernag in Anantnag district and Majid Iqbal Khan, who ranked 638, is a resident of Anantnag’s Shangus. South Kashmir witnessed the highest number of encounters in the past year and remained without Internet services during the anti-militancy operations.
In north Kashmir’s far-off Kupwara district, close to the Line of Control, two aspirants — Nadia Beigh and Aftab Rasool — also qualified the top exam.
Ms. Beigh, who is 23 year old, will be among the youngest IAS officers. “My success is the result of many sacrifices, hard work and prayers. I hope many people will get inspired. Nothing is impossible in life if you focus on a goal,” Ms. Beigh told reporters in Kupwara.
Of the 16 candidates, Abhishek Augustsya topped at 38th rank, followed by Sunny Gupta at 148, Dev Ahuti at 177, and Parth Gupta at 240, all from Jammu.
“At first I thought it was a fake PDF. It was when my friends and relatives started sending me congratulatory messages, I started believing it. I logged on to the official website again to check it,” Dr. Asrar Ahmad Kitchloo from Kishtwar said.
Three aspirants from the UT of Ladakh also cracked the examination. They are Namgyal Angmo and Stanzin Wangyal from Leh, and Mohammed Nawas Sharaf Uddin Sharafuddin from Kargil’s remotest Drass area.
