by Khalid Bashir Gura
SRINAGAR: As the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) declared the final results of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS), the hearts of three siblings were in their mouths.
Soon unprecedented happened. The silence was broken by tears of joy as all three qualified for the most coveted examination to make them part of the Jammu and Kashmir administrative set-up. It has happened for the first time in the history of now JKAS competitive examination that three siblings have qualified for this examination in the same year.
Interestingly the two sisters and their brother are from a far-off Doda village. They are settled in Jammu. The siblings include Ifra Anjum Wani, Huma Anjum Wani and their younger brother Suhail Ahmad Wani. They had painstakingly prepared together without any formal coaching.
“It was the first attempt for Ifra and Suhail, but elder sister Huma qualified it in her second attempt. The siblings had their formal high schooling in Doda in a private school. Later they shifted to Jammu for higher studies” said their jovial father.
According to him, one of his daughters Ifra did her master’s in physics, however, the other two siblings; Huma and Suhail have been pursuing their master’s degree in political science.
The preparation for the examination started together as all of them aimed at the same goal and achieved it together.
According to their father, the siblings started preparation in 2021 and have been studying meticulously and complementing each other since then without formal coaching.
“We were inspired by our father. His words and support and belief in us helped us achieve our goal,” Irfa said. “It is a good way to do social service, however, if one want power and money we could have chosen other fields.” She said they have had to face lot of financial difficulties but they were never let down by parents.
Ifra said she and Suhail passed it in the first attempt, the credit goes to their elder sister because they located the mistakes that prevented her quality the examination in the first attempt. Interestingly, they did not stop after their sister failed to crack it n 2021, they quickly grouped and started studying together.
At a time when technology is taking over every aspect of human lives especially education, the siblings claims are unbelievable even for laggards.
“We do not have a phone and social media presence. We used our mother’s phone to connect virtually and download any essential reading material,” said Ifra.
“It is a journey which started much early in their life. They were clear about a goal,” father Wani said who was working as mechanic in Baglihar project and now a private contractor.
“Lockdown broke my back but I did not let it deter my children’s education. I still don’t own a bicycle. My children have always made me proud by being obedient and never yielded to ostentatious norms of society,” Wani said as he also credits their mother also for silent contribution.
Suhail who is younger to sisters has secured 111th rank and obtained 1055 points followed by Huma Anjum Wani having 117th rank with 1050.5 points and Ifra Anjum Wani having 143rd rank with 1034.5 points.