Srinagar doctor tops Civil Service exam

Srinagar: Faisal Shahzad was seen buying fireworks at Pennsylvania but celebrations are actually taking place at the home of a different Faisal. Dr Shah Faisal, a Kashmiri doctor, made his family proud by topping the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination this year.

Dr Shah Faisal's home in Srinagar opened its doors to happiness and celebrations after a rather tumultuous past. Nine years ago, his father, a school teacher, was killed by militants in the border district of Kupwara. Life wasn't easy for Faisal and his family after that. However, Faisal's determination has brought his family out of the drudgery and onto a new and better life.

For Faisal's mother, Mebeena Begum who had three children to look after, it's a dream come true. "He had a dream and that was fulfilled. He had a dream to qualify for the IAS and top the examination. Today we see his dream has been fulfilled as he has topped the exams," she said.

"I am proud. It was impossible but brother has made it possible. Only brother could have done it," said his brother Shawnawaz Rasool.

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Faisal has all along been a bright student. He topped his Class 10 exams and did his MBBS from the Srinagar medical college. After qualifying the prelims last year, he went to Delhi to attend coaching classes. Besides this, Faisal has also been an active member of the RTI movement in Jammu & Kashmir.