Shahera Bhat hails from most volatile Dardsara area of Tral in Kashmir but the disturbance in the region could still not prevent her from being a state topper in her Class 12th examination in which she scored 498 marks out of 500.
Interestingly, she passed out from the Government Higher Secondary School Dardsara, the same institution where Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani studied and whose death painted the valley red.
The last few months were in particular unsettling for the valley with a series of violent protests, curfews and shutdowns that brought the daily lives to a halt.
A shutdown called by the separatist groups stretched on for 133 days following Wani's encounter on July 8. The violence that followed claimed the lives of 94 people and over 15,000, including security forces, being injured.
Businesses and offices closed, mobile internet services remained suspended, vehicles were off the roads and academic activities the worst affected during the protests. Schools and colleges remained closed for around five months and the students were asked to prepare for their exams at home. During this period, many schools were torched by the miscreants.
Shahera, the daughter of Chemistry lecturer Shameem Ahmed Bhat, wants to pursue a career in medicine and has already set her eyes on another goal as she prepares for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination in Srinagar.
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Her proud parents thank the almighty for this blessing and hope that her future is bright.
In an exclusive conversation with ANI, Shahera attributes her success to all those who supported her throughout the preparation. She took tuitions from a coaching center in Srinagar as the situation in her hometown was worse.
"I'm very happy with my result and I want to thank god and all those who supported me in achieving this feat. I'm preparing for my NEET exam as I want to pursue medical line," she said.
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