There has been high enthusiasm among the youth to appear in the civil services qualifiers both at the state and all-India levels.
Traditionally, Kashmir has been sending its talent mainly to either medicine or to engineering. Civil services seemed of little interest here but now the trend is changing. Youngster are not only appearing in the state civil service examinations but are also trying their luck in the Indian services, some of them are even getting success in achieving which once seemed unachievable.
The interest in qualifying IAS exams among the youth of Kashmir increased when Shah Faisal from Kupwara topped the test last year. This year about 26 Kashmiris appeared in the IAS examination and 10 qualified. This year almost all the regions of the state were represented, three from Kashmir, one each from Poonch, Kishtwar, RS Pora and Ladakh and three from Jammu.
Abid Hussain Sadiq, Gulzar Ahmed Wani, Dr Syed Abid Rasheed, Dr Sarvjeet Sudan, Muhammed Aijaz , Pooja Hali and Ovessa Iqbal were among the qualifiers. Ovessa was a bit different in the list and created history by becoming the first Muslim woman to qualify Indian civil services from Jammu and Kashmir.
A total 2,69,036 candidates appeared for preliminary examination for IAS, out of which 12,491 candidates qualified for the main written examination. Out of them 2,589 candidates were shortlisted for the personality and finally 920 were selected.
Besides, a huge mass 33,440 candidates, appeared in the state civil service exams, KAS. Out of them 10,422 qualified for the mains, and only 6,961 appeared in the mains. Finally 1235 were shortlisted for interview out of which 398 were selected. From among them, 158 candidates were from Kashmir, 228 from Jammu and 12 from Ladakh. Tsewang Gyaltson, from Leh topped the list of KAS this year.
