Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 1: After battling poverty and other odds, 24-year-old Gazi Abdullah hailing from Gundna area of district Doda has qualified the KAS examination.
In a telephonic interview with the EXCELSIOR, Gazi narrated his struggle and hardships, which he faced to reach this top most position. He qualified KAS examination by securing 46 rank, the result of which was declared on Wednesday.
He was just two-years-old when he lost his father and accordingly landed in an orphanage at Srinagar. He battled poverty and other odds but with strong determination finally reached the position where he is today.
“I was only two years old when I lost my father. I had no one to support me financially and emotionally other than my mother. I spent 7 years of my childhood at an orphanage in Bemina area of Srinagar”, he said, adding “I came to orphanage when I was studying in 5th class. I remained there till I passed 12th class examination and after that the journey for KAS started”.
After clearing 12th class examination, Gazi shifted back to Doda as he could not manage to study in Srinagar due to financial constraints. “I had no option than to go back to Doda. I enrolled myself at a local Government Degree College in Doda,” he said, adding that he used to give tuitions to 9th and 10th class students to finance his studies.
After completing his graduation, Gazi qualified an entrance test conducted at Aligarh Muslim University. “Recently I completed my Post-Graduation course in Botany at AMU,” he said, adding “I started preparations for the KAS examination after getting admission in PG course”.
“I had a dream to qualify KAS examination. I could not have qualified the prestigious examination without support of my mother. She supported me and encouraged me to excel in life despite being uneducated,” he said.
“After graduation, I could have applied for some job but my mother supported me for higher studies”, Gazi further said, adding despite facing lot of problems, my mother also stood by my side and that the things go on happening and finally I qualified the KAS examination.
“I studied online and also had reference from some books to clear the KAS examination”, he said. He scored cumulative 85% marks in the three semesters of MSc and the result of 4th semester is awaited. It was only for interview guidance that he visited some of the institutes in Jammu.
When asked, he said, “I got scholarships from Social Welfare Department and Minority Affairs Ministry, which helped me a lot in my studies”, adding “being KAS officer I would try my level best to extend helping hand to the down-trodden sections of the society as redressing grievances of such people would be my top prirority”.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
