Among the 14 candidates from Jammu & Kashmir who cleared the civil services examinations this year, the highest ever for the state, is Suhail Qasim Mir, son of a police head constable from south Kashmir’s Bijbhera. More and more Kashmiri youth have been trying and clearing UPSC, with last year’s 12 qualifiers a record until then. Among this year’s 14 are dentist Bilal Mohidin, engineers Fakhurudin and Bisma Qazi. Suhail’s selection has been lauded by the police top brass as well as Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

Suhail, 26, is currently pursuing a PhD at Jamia Millia Islamia. “I did my MBA from Jamia Millia Islamia and am pursuing a doctorate from the same university,’’ he says, adding it was his first attempt at UPSC, and he ranked 125th. He went to school at Bijbhera and graduated from Bemina College in Srinagar.

Suhail’s father, Mohammad Qasim, is posted at Hazratbal. “I was preparing to break my fast Wednesday when my son called me from Delhi and broke the news. For me it was a dream come true, great news to share with friends and relatives,” says Qasim, 52. “He has applied for PhD in Jamia Millia and at the same time focused on the civil services exams. It was during his graduation years that he became interested in the civil services.”

Suhail is the eldest of three siblings. His sister has cleared the public service commission exams and his younger brother recently passed class XII.

Director General of Police S P Vaid has congratulated Suhail. “For us and police parivaar, it is a joyous moment as he has cracked the national level competitive examinations,” Vaid says.

Chief Minister Mehbooba has hailed the fact that so many candidates from the state cracking the exam. “With their splendid success these young boys and girls have made the entire state proud of them. Their success has vindicated my belief in the capabilities and potential of our youth which I have been reiterating time and again,” she has said in a statement.

Mufti has said she is equally happy to know that these young boys and girls attained this feat with humble backgrounds and without any special support. “Be it Bilal Mohiuddin from Kupwara, Bisma Qazi from Rambagh, Suhail Qasim from Sirhama, Zafar Iqbal from Poonch, Inayat from Darhal, Syed Fakhruddin, Inab Khaliq, Sahil Dhingra, Saqib Yousuf, Faisal Javed, Amir Bashir or Aditya Bhardwaj, they all had similar background but one thing in common — a desire to do something extraordinary through hard work which would make their families and society proud,” the statement says.

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