Tarun Nandi/Kolkata

Holding on to a heart full of dreams, Abdul Hamid would accompany his father to the fields every morning to work in agriculture. At times, he would be busy grazing cows and goats or cutting grass. Whenever he found some free time, however, he would open his books and continue studying.

Later, the young man prepared for the UGC-NET examination while also serving as an imam at a mosque. When the results were announced, there was a wave of excitement. Abdul Hamid had emerged as the top scorer in Arabic in India.

Today, Abdul Hamid, from Kukhura village under Nalhati police station in Birbhum district of West Bengal, has become the centre of attention in his village.

According to the UGC-NET June 2026 results, Hamid scored 266 out of 300 in Arabic, securing a 100 percentile. He stood first among 1,649 candidates who appeared for the subject. He also qualified for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professor positions.

Financial hardship was a constant presence in Abdul Hamid’s life. His father, Abdut Tawab, supported the family by working as a teacher on a modest salary while also taking up farming.

Despite financial difficulties, his father wanted his children to continue their education without interruption. From an early age, Abdul Hamid worked alongside his father in the fields while remaining focused on his studies.

His academic journey began at a madrasa, where he also memorised the Quran. He graduated in Arabic from Aliah University and later pursued his postgraduate studies at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi, securing a CGPA of 8.75.

Every stage of his academic journey involved struggle. Moving to Delhi for higher education was particularly challenging because arranging money for accommodation and living expenses was difficult. At times, he shared a room with three others, while on other occasions he and his friends cooked their own meals to keep expenses under control and continue their studies.

UGC-NET was not Hamid’s original goal. He began preparing specifically for the examination in February 2026.

At the time, he was teaching at a madrasa while also serving as an imam at a mosque. Eventually, he left his teaching job to devote more time to his studies.

He did not enrol in any expensive coaching programme. A few books, YouTube classes, self-prepared notes and an analysis of previous years’ question papers became his main tools for preparing for UGC-NET.

On June 29, he appeared for the UGC-NET examination at a centre in Suri. What followed was a long wait for the results.

Finally, when the results were announced on August 28, Hamid could hardly believe what he saw on his scorecard.

As news of his achievement spread, people began visiting him to congratulate him. The son who once accompanied his father to the fields for agricultural work had now brought immense pride to his entire village.

For Kukhura, the success of its son, who grew up close to the soil, has become a matter of collective pride.

Abdul Hamid now has an even bigger goal. He wants to pursue research in Arabic and earn a PhD from the University of Delhi or Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

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He believes opportunities may be limited, but that should never limit one’s dreams or determination to work hard.