Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir celebrated a moment of pride as a visually impaired JNU graduate, a labourer’s son, and a serving JKAS officer cracked the prestigious UPSC Civil Services Examination-2025, showcasing determination and inspiring many.
Having lost an eye in an accident at school during his early childhood, Irfan Ahmad Lone never let the impairment come in his way.
Lone, a resident of Manzpora in the Naidkhai area of the north Kashmir district, secured all India rank (AIR) of 957, bringing pride and celebrations to the frontier district.
Lone did his schooling from the National Institute for the Empowerment of the Persons with Visual Disabilities in Dehradun. He then graduated from the Delhi University’s Hindu college and studied Political Sciences at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
He cracked the probationary officer examination of the Punjab National Bank and is currently working as the assistant administrative officer in the Life Insurance Corporation.
His success has not only drawn appreciation from people in the district, but has also become a source of inspiration for the youngsters. Lone’s friends, family and neighbours say the success reflects Lone’s years of dedication, perseverance, and hard work.
“His journey shows that with determination and focus, even the most challenging goals can be achieved,” Lone’s cousin, Feroz Ahmad, said, as people dawned upon his residence to extend their congratulations to the family.
One of the neighbours said Lone’s father, who worked as a casual labourer on meagre wages, never let the family’s financial condition come in the way of his son’s education.
Shabia, Lone’s younger sister, said the family always believed in him.
“I congratulate him on this great success. I always believed in my brother that he would succeed in this exam. I could see him working very hard for this. He was managing his job as well, but he was very dedicated and hard working,” Shabia said.
She said Lone has not only made the family very proud, but he has made the whole district proud.
“It is a very proud moment for us all and he is an inspiration for all of us,” she added.
From the north of Kashmir to the south of it, another candidate — among the 16 from J-K who qualified the UPSC examination — is Towseef Ahmad Ganie from Puchal area of Pulwama district.
Son of a labourer, Ganie overcame numerous hardships and financial struggles to reach this milestone.
Despite limited resources, his determination, hard work and dedication towards studies helped him achieve one of the most difficult goals in the country.
Ganie, a veterinarian posted in Poonch in Jammu region for the last two years, cracked the examination on his second attempt and secured AIR 254.
His father, Mohammad Ishaq, said Ganie always topped his classes and had the dream of doing something big.
“After completing the Bachelors in Veterinary Science, Ganie said he would prepare for the IAS exams even as he was aware that it would incur huge expenses,” Ishaq stated.
Reflecting on his own journey to support his family, Ishaq said he worked as a labourer in the Jammu region as well.
“I sold my land to support the education of my children. I am thankful to God that today my hard work and sacrifices have paid off,” he said, adding his phone has not stopped ringing as people congratulate the family.
Another candidate from south Kashmir, Muneeb Parrah, who is currently serving as a Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officer, AIR 581.
Parrah is a resident of Kandigam village of Bijbehara in the Anantnag district.
His elder brother, Irfan, said it was a moment of pride and joy for the family.
“He was already into JKAS. This was his second attempt at IAS and he made it. It is a great moment for all of us,” Irfan said.
He said what matters in life is hard work, passion and commitment.
“That is what fundamentally counts in life. We are all happy, the family, the people of the area and it is a moment to be enjoyed collectively. Education is the main channel through which you could change your future and contribute to nation-building,” he added.
Local residents, civil society members and his well-wishers congratulated the family for the remarkable achievement.
As many as 16 candidates from Jammu and Kashmir — the joint highest ever from the region — have qualified the examination, the results of which were declared by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday.
Anuj Agnihotri, an MBBS graduate from AIIMS, Jodhpur, topped the civil services exam.
Second rank holder Rajeshwari Suve M, has a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Anna University, Chennai, while BCom graduate from University of Delhi Akansh Dhull has bagged the third rank.
