He wanted to be an IITian but his father had some other plans for him. Haroon Rasheed Bhat, from Poshpora village who recently topped CET entrance exam wants to serve his ‘neighbors’ instead of moving out towards greener pastures. Mudasir Majeed talks to the young topper to known the mantra behind his success.
A few months ago Abdul Rasheed had asked his son Haroon, the recent CET topper, what actually were his eyes on —IIT or MBBS. He had replied that he wanted to become an IITian. His father had to counsel him why his being doctor was more important than becoming an IIT engineer, hence making him steer in the direction of medical sciences for a lifelong career.
“By becoming an IIT engineer my son would have done well to Ambani’s Reliance or Infosys or any other multinational giant but what of his poor neighbors who are in dire need of cure all the time. I don’t doubt it in the least that my son wouldn’t have made it to IIT. I told him his first duty is towards his neighbors, not any national or International company, so it’s better for him to go for medical sciences”, says Abdul Rasheed.
Haroon Rasheed Bhat, 17, stood first in the recently conducted Common Entrance Test by securing 207 points out of 225. He is the second candidate from the frontier District Kupwara after Aijaz Ahmad in past one decade who topped this examination.
Haroon hails from Poshpora, a village falling at distance of 6-Kms from Kupwara. After passing 8th standard from Government Boys Middle School Poshpora, his father sent him to Srinagar and admitted him there in Hussaini Public School, HMT. He passed his matriculation exam with distinction. Later, he took admission in SP Higher Secondary, where he emerged as distinction holder again. He secured 92% in higher secondary exams.
The 17-year-old Bhat didn’t take any coaching after he passed 12th standard. He believes that tuitions aren’t the only bridge to success, but hard-work and commitment to goal are the key elements which can make any tough examination easy.
“I think tuitions taken in 11th and 12th are sufficient to crack this examination. I took individual tuitions at Parreypora in 11th and 12th class. I didn’t join any coaching afterwards. I started preparing in December 2012. Today I acknowledge a debt of gratitude to Almighty Allah who helped me to get through this test and more importantly to top the CET,” says Haroon.
Recently Haroon got selected for MBBS in Aligarh Muslim University. But it wasn’t possible for him to reach there in time because the admission letter reached his house in Kupwara the very day he had to complete the admission process at Aligarh, thus costing him the seat there.
“He was disappointed because he couldn’t go there due to the postal delay. They had kept only two days for admission process. Had the letter been delivered in time, he would have gone there”, says Haroon’s father Abdul Rasheed.
“This wasn’t still the end. I had faith in my son. I told him to forget and move forward, because if something bad happens, some good surely follows. Later, when JEE results were out, he stood at 58th rank at state level. This gave him more confidence and finally he appeared for CET. I knew he would make it. I even knew he would be in top-10. But he proved what I hadn’t imagined at all”, says Rasheed.
Haroon’s top rank might have come as a surprise to his family, but to him it as what he had expected. “I had worked hard, so I had expectations that I would be on top”, he says.
The CET topper believes that schools and tuition centers don’t matter, but what essentially holds the key to success is the proper understanding of concepts.
“I believe proper concentration on the subject is indispensable if one is really serious about cracking these exams. What is the need to study for entrance again if a person has studied well in 11th and 12th class? Isn’t that wastage of money as well as time? So I think any aspirant going for such exams should do a focused study”, says the Kupwara boy who topped the CET.
Haroon’s father says that he never pressurized his son to do nightlong studies. He also says that he never interfered in his way of study. “Believe me my son has never done nightlong study. He would sleep at 10pm or maximum at 11pm and wake at 7am. He had no pressure at all. I never asked him why he doesn’t study all night like students do who are preparing for such exams,” he says.
Rasheed says that his son never kept a cell-phone nor did go to internet cafes. “Today children spend time on internet. They stick to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter all the time, chatting and posting comments. But my son never bothered to even keep a cell-phone”, he says.
For Haroon, the dream did materialize in the first attempt, but for his elder sister, Ruqaiya Rasheed, it didn’t happen in second attempt as well. She couldn’t get a seat in MBBS, though she has made it to BDS this time.
“She appeared last year as well, but couldn’t make it. This time we had expectations she would do it but due to negative marking, I believe, she lost it. She will continue to work hard and become a doctor”, Rasheed says smilingly, “We badly need a gynecologist in Kupwara. In Sha Allah, my daughter will do something soon.”
Haroon says he is little disappointed with his sister’s results, “We would help each other during preparations. Disappointment is natural. But I hope she will do something good soon.”
The CET topper believes that 6-8 hour study is enough to crack not just state level CET but any competitive exams conducted at all India level.
Haroon’s inspiration has been his two cousins –Javid Ahmad Bhat and Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, two brothers, who are also doctors.
Rasheed says that parents shouldn’t behave as dictators with their children but should act as guide to them so that they enjoy some mental calm. He also says, “We shouldn’t divide people as intelligent and unintelligent. I believe it is in the hands of everyone to utilize their mental power for good. My request to all parents is they shouldn’t coerce their children into something which matches their (parents’) wishes. Instead they should help their children in achieving their goals.”
Haroon’s message: On 28th July, it was my biology paper of CET. In the evening, 27th July, I watched a movie with my parents. My message to everyone is ‘don’t stress yourself. Give your 100%. Relax. Be committed and concentrate on your subject’.
