Ehsan Fazili/Srinagar

Affirmative action leading to the growth of a community is reflected in the all-time high qualifiers from Jammu and Kashmir in the prestigious UPSC-held All India Civil Services Examination, 2025. In all, 17 candidates from Jammu and Kashmir who qualified for the Civil Services, five are from the Pahari community, which was granted Scheduled Tribe Status two years ago.  

Besides, a 30-year-old visually-impaired person, Irfan Ahmad Lone, who secured 957th rank in the list, has brought laurels to his village, Manzpora, Naidkhai, Bandipora district.

Five Pahari candidates who made it to the Civil Services list are Suvan Sharma of Lamberi, Nowshehra, Rajouri, (AIR 148); Dr Ghulam Maya Din, Malik, Rajouri, (AIR 683); Akash Jaggi, from Poonch (AIR 747); Mohd Ajaz ul Rehman, Mandi, Poonch (AIR 869); and Azhar Asif Khan, Uri, Baramulla, rank (886).

They all hail from the border areas on the Line of Control and have faced disadvantages.

It’s the first time that candidates from the Pahari community of the UT have been selected under the reserved category. The Gujjar and Bakerwal community of J&K was granted ST status in 1991.     

Syed Shabir Ahmad Gilani, chief of J&K Pahari Tribal Forum, said in a Facebook post that it was a “historic moment for 'Pahari' Tribal people of Jammu and Kashmir, after carrying out a peaceful and determined struggle to secure their rightful constitutional recognition”

He said that Government of India’s “decision to grant ST status to Pahari Tribal people “has opened new doors of opportunities for our youth”.  He added that the “success of candidates of our Tribal community of the Union Territory of J&K under the ST-2 category in the prestigious UPSC examination is a clear reflection of immense talent, determination and potential within our community”.

“This achievement is not only a personal success for the candidates but a collective moment of pride for the whole Pahari Tribal people”, Gilani commented. 

People in Kashmir are also congratulating Irfan Ahmad Lone for not letting his physical inability come in the way of his ambition to qualify for the civil services examination from his student days. His father, Bashir Ahmed Lone, told the media that his son lost his vision in an accident during his early school days.

Bashir Lone works as a casual labourer in the J&K Government.

Irfan lost his eyesight after a classmate pricked his one eyeball with a pencil.  Later, he also lost eyesight in his other eye, and yet Irfan continued to work to achieve his goal.

“He would not speak about his ambition, but devoted himself full-time to his studies. He once told me that ‘those who talk about their aims, do not achieve anything,' recalled his father.

Irfan’s younger sister, Shazia, told visiting media persons that her brother had always been a hard-working person and focused on qualifying for the UPSC.

Irfan Lone

His father got him admitted to the National Institute for Visually Handicapped (NIVH), Dehradun, where he passed 10th and 12th classes.

He graduated from the Hindu College, Delhi University and got his Master's degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.

“Irfan got an offer from Oxford University for Ph.D programme, but he instead preferred to focus on clearing the competitive (UPSC) examination”, said a family member.

The 30-year-old Irfan qualified for the exam in fourth attempt. Irfan was not available for his comment as he has been in Delhi, working at the LIC as an Assistant Administrative Officer. 

Sonawari MLA, Hilal Akbar Lone, congratulated Irfan and said, “Irfan scripted history by qualifying the UPSC examination. Irfan never let his limitations stand in the way of his success”.

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His sheer diligence and unprecedented consistency in achieving this great feat will ignite thousands, in the future, who dream of achieving great things in life and bettering our part of the world”.