Rajouri, May 6

UPSC rank holder Seerat Baji received a rousing welcome at her home in Rajouri after she secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 516 in the UPSC 2023 examinations. Hailing from the remote village of Kanthol, about 70 kilometres from Rajouri, Baji cracked the examination in her second attempt.

"A lot of girls are coming forward from here... They are performing very well in every field. In the last few years, it has been seen that every year, whenever the list is out, it is expected that there would be at least one girl from this area. This inspires other parents to push their daughters. This is how the environment changes. This would inspire more girls to follow their dreams in the Kashmir valley," the UPSC rank holder said.

"In the future, more girls will crack UPSC with flying colours. Along with hard work, perseverance is required to crack the UPSC," she added.

Expressing happiness, Seerat Baji's father Mushtaq Baji said, "We had been inspiring her to go for IAS since the beginning. We used to boost her whenever she lost her spirit. Many girls in our community are talented... I want to request that parents let their daughters study instead of marrying them off. They should be given the opportunity and they can reach their goal... Daughters should be educated properly. Today, internet, school and college facilities are there in every village..."

The UPSC declared the result for the Civil Services Examination 2023 on April 16.