Education

Kashmir gets its first topper in UPSC exam In 2002, Shah Faesal's father was killed allegedly by militants. Young Faesal was then preparing for his MBBS examination. Eight years down the line, Faesal has become the first Kashmiri to top the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination. A total of 875 candidates - 680 male and 195 female - have been recommended for appointment to the prestigious Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and other allied services. Faesal, who did his MBBS from Srinagar, topped the UPSC examination in his first attempt. "I was happy to see that I have topped the list. I want to serve the people," Faesal said. He said his getting through the UPSC exam proves that anyone can make it, provided he works hard. Faesal hails from the remote Sogam village of Lolab valley in the border district of Kupwara. He started preparing for the UPSC exam soon after completing his MBBS. "To become an IPS officer was his dream," said his brother Shahnawaz, who is also doing his MBBS. For the UPSC exam, Faesal's subjects were Public Administration and Urdu literature. Born in 1983, a year after Khurshid Ahmad Ganai was ranked second from the Valley in the UPSC exam, Faesal is the eldest son of Shah Ghulam Rasool, who taught in a government school. After passing his Class- X exam, his father enrolled him at the Tyndale Biscoe School, a top missionary school in Kashmir. From there he went to study medicine after qualifying the MBBS entrance examination in 2002. That same year his father was killed by suspected militants. "He (Faesal) was in Srinagar then preparing for his exam when his father was killed," said his friend Dr Muzaffer Ahmad, who heads the Right to Information Movement in Kashmir. Faesal's grandfather Muhammad Maqbool was the first IFS officer from Kashmir. "He disappeared in Dehradun sometime in the 70s," said Faesal's uncle Nasrullah. In 2002, the family settled in Srinagar permanently. However, they didn't sell their house in the village. All along Faesal supported the family. "He is young but he is caring," said his mother Mimoona, who is a teacher at the government school. Faesal's sister Talat also teaches at the same school. Faesal became actively involved with the RTI movement in 2008. It was mainly because of efforts by activists like Faesal and Ahmed that the state government was forced to introduce the RTI Act in 2009. There were celebrations all round as soon as news of Faesal topping the UPSC exam reached his Hyderpora Bypass house in Srinagar. "I am thrilled. But had we been in our village you would have seen a different atmosphere," Shahnawaz said. "It would have been a bigger celebration."

	Their Faisal goes to America and becomes a terrorist, our Faesal loses his father due to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir but tops the list and becomes an IAS officer. This is the difference between India and Pakistan.