J&K Civil Service Exam: AMU student Gazi Abdullah, who grew up in Orphanage, Gets 46th rank

J&K Civil Service Exam topper: It was no less than a dream come true for Gazi Abdullah, who grew up in an orphanage in Kashmir bagged 46th rank in the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service exam.

“I credit all my success to my mother who always pushed me to pursue my dreams,” said Gazi, resident of the Doda district who lost his father when he was just two years old.

A post-graduate from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Gazi claimed the 10th position across the state in his class 10^th board exam.

Here is what Gazi says

“Living in an orphanage was a mix of different experiences and emotions. I did my best to create opportunities out of hardships. I learned a lot of discipline as we had to wake up early and manage with one cup and one roti in the morning till lunchtime. I am glad I pursued higher education as I was like a caged parrot in the orphanage. College gave me a lot of exposure,” he said.

Speaking about his preparation for the KAS exam, Gazi said that he focussed on basics like NCERT books and the correct use of the internet.

“I started preparing from the very basic level and relied on NCERT books and later some standard civil service books. Along with this, I used to tutor students at a nearly tribal hostel in the evenings to make ends meet. This was an `ek teer se teen nishaan` (one arrow, three targets) situation, as I could earn some money, students got good tuition, and I could be clear about basic concepts in many subjects including history and political science,” he said.

“I only used the internet to study current affairs. I believe that the internet is like a matchstick. You can either choose to burn your house down or you can light a fire to keep you warm.”