Historic first for JK as two Valley students crack NEET among top 125

Suhail Khan 

Srinagar, July 17: In a historic first for Jammu and Kashmir, two students from the Valley have cracked the top 125 ranks in the NEET UG 2026 examination, marking the Union Territory’s best-ever performance in the prestigious medical entrance test.

Hadiya Nisar, 19, from Anantnag district, secured All India Rank (AIR) 99 with 690 marks and a 99.9931 percentile, emerging as the highest-ranked candidate from J&K. Zaidan Wani, from Telvani village in Achhabal area of Anantnag, secured AIR 124 with the same percentile score, according to the National Testing Agency (NTA) which declared the results on Thursday.

‘I never had time to think negatively’

Speaking to Kashmir Convener, an elated Hadiya said she never allowed negative thoughts to creep in during her preparation. “I never had such negative thoughts. I never had the time to think so negatively,” she said, crediting her parents for keeping her motivated through the gruelling journey.

“My parents always motivated me and uplifted me. It was their role that I should not be demotivated. I had my studies and I think that’s it,” she said.

Describing the moment as “overwhelming”, she said “It’s honestly overwhelming. It’s a stressing moment. But overall it’s a feeling of joy, it’s a feeling of pride. And I’m so lucky to have witnessed this moment.”

Hadiya Nisar, who secured state rank 1, said she had given her best and left the rest to the Almighty. “I had a little expectation from myself that I have given 100% and I have to do it. But the result is in Almighty’s hand. You can never go wrong with that. I gave 100% from my side and whatever the result will be, it will be good for me,” she said.

Interestingly, Hadiya credited solving JEE previous years’ question papers (PYQs) — which she started at the age of 11 out of sheer interest — as a major advantage in her NEET preparation, even though it was not part of any suggested strategy.

“I think JEE PYQs were very advantageous for me. Because I started doing PYQs from the age of 11 for my own interest. Just like that. And it was nothing, not suggested by anybody. But when the paper of 2025 was difficult, then everyone started suggesting. So I think that was like an advantage for me,” she said.

She said Aakash’s study material was “more than enough” if utilised properly, but called JEE PYQs a “must” for aspirants. “Apart from that, if you feel like doing PYQs of JEE, I think that was a must for me,” she said.

Hadiya also praised the friendly environment at her coaching institute and her family’s unwavering support. “My support was all around me. Aakash, there was a very friendly environment. My family members have always been supportive of me. They have never disheartened me when my score was low. So instead of demotivating me, they always motivated me. And yeah, it’s because of them that I’m standing here,” she said.

For Zaidan Wani, the journey was marked by personal tragedy. He lost his father two years ago, and his mother worked double shifts to support his coaching fees. “I told myself I cannot let her sacrifice go waste,” he said.

Zaidan admitted that he and his friends were demotivated at one point. “Yes, I was demotivated. Everyone was demotivated. My friends were also feeling very low because of this. But I’m glad that me and my friends, almost all the kids have held on to their patriotism and have given their papers again,” he said.

On his preparation, he stressed on consistency and conceptual clarity over rigid schedules. “My schedule was very variable. So I used to use my phone well. But I also tried to focus on my studies. I was also active on social media at that time. I think consistency and concepts should be there,” he said.

“Aakash’s teachers cleared the concepts very well. And the students get the consistency,” he added.

Zaidan had a powerful message for students from the Valley: “I want to tell every student from J&K that our circumstances do not define us — our hard work does.”

‘Work hard, leave the rest to Almighty’

Both students emphasised the importance of putting in the work without obsessing over results. “The message to others will be to put in the work. Do all you have to give. And the rest is on Almighty’s hands. And He’ll do justice for you,” Hadiya said.

According to the NTA, the two are among only 138 candidates nationwide to score 690 marks or above in the examination, which saw over 11.21 lakh students qualifying for the counselling process.