When President Pranab Mukherjee recently felicitated the students at Kashmir University for excellence in academics, a girl from Hyderpora received not one but four gold medals. BILAL HANDOO profiles the rise of a star.
When the warden of a girls hostel in Kashmir University saw the lights frequently on late into the night inside one of the rooms, he smelled a rat. The warden was barely aware that a pleasant surprise awaited him. When he inquired, it turned out that a student of history, Yenbuerzal, was burning midnight oil to excel in her studies while her roommates were asleep. “I used to study till three or four in the morning. Once the warden got to know, he appreciated my efforts.”
At the 18th Convocation of Kashmir University (KU) on Thursday, when the toppers of various departments received one gold medal from President Pranab Mukherjee, Yenbuerzal got four, much to the amazement of the high profile audience that had gathered to witness the felicitation ceremony. A topper from the beginning of her academic career, Yenbuerzal received two university gold medals for topping Bachelors and Masters Degrees while she got two other sponsored gold medals; one for topping MA History examination and other for the best graduate student of the year.
“She is a class apart and a highly cultured girl,” her teacher, Prof Farooq Fayaz of History department, KU, said.
Hailing from Hyderpora area of Srinagar, Yenbuerzal topped the school results in matriculation exams at Presentation Convent School. “After that I pursued medical stream at Mallinson Girls School where I topped once again,” she said. However, she surpised many when she chose Arts stream for her graduation. “Right from the beginning, I had developed a passion for civil services. Keeping that thing in mind, I opted for Humanities over Science,” she says.
Despite choosing a non-traditional course, her quest to top in academics didn’t fade away. She choose to study History, English Literature and Political science and set a new record when she was awarded highest marks in her course. “My dedication towards studies bore fruits and I was selected as the student of the year in 2009,” she says.
After finishing her graduation, she again proved her mettle at the entrance exams of Kashmir University where she topped in English Literature. However, she preferred to study History since she believes it will help her in Civil Service exams. Out of habit and dedication, she topped all the four semesters. During her post graduation, she preferred to stay in hostel despite living close to the university to avoid any distraction in her studies.
Yenbuerzal is the only daughter of her parents and writes her first name to hide the fact that she belongs to a high caste family. Her father, Bashir Basher, is the Chairman of Shiekh ul Alam Chair at KU and her mother is a teacher at a government-run school. She credits her parents and the blessings of Almighty for her achievements. “There were times when I thought that I won’t be able to give my best. Due to the warmth of my teachers and friends, everything went so smoothly,” she said with a tone of satisfaction in her voice.
Yenbuerzal is now preparing for Civil Services exams with the conviction to contribute to the betterment of society. “My motive is to add difference to this coveted field with my sheer dedication,” she says. Although she is interested in Civil Services, her passion for research hasn’t died down. “Research is at the back of my mind. I want to go for research at my department in KU after five or six years.” Given a choice between research and civil services, this cheerful girl speaks like a realist, “Survival comes first. I will go for Civil Services as it ensures job security. Besides my parents have done a lot to me. It is time I return the favour,” she says.
Yenbuerzal is irresistibly hungry for academics and she treats her studies as a natural craving rather than a compulsion. “I think this approach to studies has really improved my career graph. I have never felt bored by books,” she says. Yenbuerzal loves to paint but she has hardly got time over for the last two years due to a busy schedule. She likes to read. When she is not reading, she loves to take a nap.
“Receiving four gold medals from President Mukherjee wasn’t such a great feeling. The primary source of satisfaction for me is to do justice with my studies. But it feels nice when your work is being recognised and praised,” she says.
