Sajad Lateef, a young boy, from a remote Gujjar community area has qualified for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2021 with 526 marks and ranks 8th in J-K’s ST category.
Hailing from Karewa Drabgam hamlet, the boy is the first to qualify NEET from the Gujjar community in the Southern Pulwama district.
Sajad completed his primary education from his native village Drabgam and went to Government Higher Secondary School Rahmoo for his Class 10th and 12th. “As far as NEET exam is concerned, I didn’t go for any professional coaching. Instead, I stuck with self-study,” he told news agency Kashmir News Trust (KNT).
Being the first from the Gujjar community in Pulwama to qualify for NEET, he says that it was a very motivating feat to achieve.
Sajad says, “Your origin should not be a hurdle in what you, as a person, can achieve. One needs to stay focused and concentrate on an objective goal to achieve success.”
Asking youth to use smartphones in a responsible way, the internet helps a lot and is really a boon for the students.
His uncle, Altaf Ahmad, said that Sajad’s achievement is a statement in itself that a student from a government school can excel in exams like NEET and that they are really proud of him.