JAMMU AND KASHMIR: In a testament to resilience, a visually impaired young man, Irfan Ahmad Lone from the small Naidkhai village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora, has scripted a story of grit by clearing the UPSC Civil Services Exam.
Born in 1995, Irfan’s life took a devastating turn at a very young age. At the age of four or five, a tragic accident damaged his eyesight in one eye. Over the next few years, he lost vision in the other eye as well, and by 2002, he was completely blind. According to Irfan, doctors at AIIMS advised his father to seek specialised education for his visually impaired child.
For a family already grappling with emotional and financial challenges, his father, Bashir Ahmad Lone, a casual labourer earning `3,000 at the time, began searching for the best school for his son. His search led him to Dehradun, where Irfan was enrolled in the Model School for the Visually Handicapped in 2004. Despite limited resources, Bashir ensured his son received an education that would help him stand on his own feet. Education remained his top priority.
“Irfan had beautiful eyes,” Bashir recalled. While Irfan was learning to live in darkness, he suffered another blow—the loss of his mother. “My mother suffered a brain haemorrhage and died. It was a big loss for me, as she passed away when I needed her the most,” Irfan said. But at the Dehradun school, surrounded by other visually impaired students, Irfan learnt to accept his reality with a positive mindset. “We were all equals there,” he said. “I learnt to see life differently—not with eyes, but with determination.”
His hard work paid off when he scored an impressive 91 percent in his Class 12 examinations. This achievement proved to be a turning point, helping him secure admission in Political Science at Hindu College, DU. “The environment at Hindu College motivated me to aim for the civil services,” he said.
After graduation, Irfan continued his academic journey at JNU in 2019, where he completed his postgraduation in International Relations. “The professionalism and exposure at JNU taught me a lot,” he said. In 2022, Irfan took up a job at Punjab National Bank to support himself and his family. He worked there for 16 months, balancing financial responsibilities with his ambition to crack the UPSC examination. He later qualified for the post of Assistant Administrative Officer at the LIC and joined on November 1, 2023. “I became financially secure, but I felt something was missing. My dream was to become a civil servant and work for the people, especially in my district,” he said.
Determined to pursue his goal, Irfan began preparing for the Civil Services Examination while working. He relied on assistive technology, using software to access books and study material through audio. “I used to listen to books and memorise them,” he said. “I wanted to prove that if a visually impaired person like me can clear this exam, then other young people can do it too,” he said.
When the UPSC results for 2025–26 were declared, Irfan was among the successful candidates, securing an All India Rank (AIR) of 957.
Now that he has achieved his dream, Irfan wants to bring change to his home district and motivate young people to crack national-level competitive examinations.