SRINAGAR: A barbeque seller’s son in north Kashmir’s Pattan has qualified NEET in the first attempt. This, despite the fact that the boy belonging to the poor family did not take any tuition and self-studied for the NEET-UG examination.
Mehraj-ud-Din Khan, 20, the eldest of four children of Gulistan Ahmad Khan – are residents of Guwah village at Pattan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Mehraj qualified by securing 591 marks out of total 720 in his maiden appearance.
Mehraj’s father Gulshan Ahmad runs a barbeque shop in the village and he used to assist his father in the shop. “I would help my father at the shop at least one week every month. My main responsibility is to man the shop when my father would not be around,” said Mehraj.
On his preparation, Mehraj said, “I have self-taught myself and had been focused all through. I would study for 8-10 hours in a day.”
“The Internet would be a distraction for most aspirants. However, I cut down on my Internet use to study and it proved very helpful,” he said. While he had no mobile phone, his parents bought him one once the Covid lockdown ended.
When he was in class VIII, Mehraj wanted to become a doctor and had been studying very hard since then to realise his and his family’s dream. Mehraj’s younger brother is a class X student, while his two sisters are in class XI and VI.