Sabzar Ahmad Ganie, a young man aged 25, from Geeboom in south Kashmir’s Kokernag area in Anantnag, recently cracked the civil services exam.
With 628th rank in the examinations, he has become an inspiration for students hoping to clear the UPSC examination in Kashmir.
Sabzar completed his education from Government College of Engineering and Technology Jammu and later applied for free coaching at Jamia Milia Islamia Residential Coaching Academy in Delhi.
The institution provides free coaching classes for competitive examinations for students belonging to weaker sections amongst educationally backward minority communities.
However, Sabzar’s journey was not free of obstacles.
While Sabzar prepared for his exams in Delhi, his father, the sole bread earner of the family would toil hours working as a labourer and return home in time to prepare meals.
His mother, proud of her son’s achievements, says that she and her husband did everything to ensure that Sabzar pursued his dreams.
Sabzar plans to give the exam again this year and hopes to secure a better rank.
However, as the coaching institute in Delhi remains closed due to COVID-19, Sabzar has been facing problems accessing study material online due to the lockdown and the remote location of his village.