Need for counseling at school, college levels for competitive exams

It is quite delightful and exceptional that the level of competition among Kashmir Valley’s youth is increasing positively with each passing day. In the name of Allah, we hope that the literacy rate in Kashmir will increase rapidly in the future. There were very few qualified teachers preparing students for state-level competitive exams like the CET (common entrance test), which decides the fate of thousands of students as they get selected for the MBBS (bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery), B.VSc (bachelor of veterinary science), BDS (bachelor of dental surgery), BUMS, BAMS, BSc agriculture, and engineering courses. Now CET has been revamped into the UG-NEET (undergraduate national eligibility cum entrance test). This exam is being conducted at the national level. Students in the science stream begin studying for this prestigious exam in the 11th grade. As the syllabus of UG-NEET is based on 11th and 12th standard content material, every individual student in Kashmir wants to become a doctor or an engineer. Now this trend has changed, as the valley has produced a number of IAS, IPS, etc. officers like, Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary, Shah Faisal, Aijaz Asad, and Amir Athar Khan, all of whom are taking service charges at a higher level, like Deputy Commissioners, Secretaries, Commissioners, etc. Now the trend has taken a U-turn. The majority of students are aiming to pass the UPSC, J&K Administrative Services, and other national-level exams. One thing that strikes me as quite impressive and gives me great pleasure is that everyone appears to be interested in administrative services, but there are very few vacancies when we consider the large number of aspirants who express an interest in the civil service. UPSC is widely regarded as the most difficult exam in the country; in my opinion, it is the most difficult of the world’s top ten exams.
The syllabus of the UPSC has vast diversity and requires eminent concentration from the aspirants. Nothing is impossible, as the word “possible” itself says “I,” “M,” and “possible.” I have seen students who have made up their minds to enter the civil service just after their matriculation. UPSC invited applications for IAS (Indian Administrative Services), IPS (Indian Police Services), IRS (Indian Railway Services), and other positions. Jammu and Kashmir’s combined examination offered services for Jammu and Kashmir administrative services, J&K Accounts Services, and Jammu and Kashmir police services. So the selected candidates have immense opportunities to serve the nation at higher levels in the administrative sector and play a great role in the upliftment of weaker sections. They can also play a good role in generating employment for the unemployed youth of the country. Accountability is there when you get a chance to serve your nation at different levels. So be humble and kind with the general public at all times. The UPSC at the national level and the PSCs at the state levels are autonomous bodies with no interference from any political parties or other agencies in the country. The commission frames the body after the nomination of the chairman. For a couple of decades, most students never thought about the civil service because of the vast diversity of their courses. Now it is good that every student’s book almirah carries Indian politics by Lakshmikant. Economics, atlases, and other general knowledge material. The books suggested for the civil services are: NCERT from 6th to 12th grade, Arihant for reasoning, and Indian Polity. This study material was recommended to me by a friend who qualified for J&K Administrative Services and is currently serving the country at various levels.
Suggestion: School and college counselling programmes should be provided, and students should be motivated in all areas. Tuition centres should be given proper permissions. Public libraries should be installed at the tehsil and district levels. Scholarship schemes must be introduced in Jammu and Kashmir. Current affairs magazines and newspapers should be kept available at the tuition centres, schools, and college libraries on a daily basis. Accommodation should be provided in an optimum environment so that the female students feel secure and safe.
(The author a resident of Raiyar Budgam is PG Student of Environmental Sciences. The views, opinions, facts, assumptions, presumptions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the authors and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”.)
[email protected]