First Gujjar girl clears AIIMS entrance exam

She had to walk a distance of 10 km daily to reach school in the bordering Rajouri district as there was no good one near her village, but Irmim Shamim's struggle finally bore fruit on Monday as she became the first Gujjar woman to qualify for medical studies at the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

The entire Shamim family celebrated in jubilation on Monday after Irmim received news that she had cleared the entrance exam held in June.

Shamim hails from the Dhanore village in the bordering district and worked hard to beat all adversaries in her bid to make it to the premier institute. Belonging to a backward community struggling with financial woes, Shamim took on all challenges head-on. "Everyone has some problem in their life. You have to fight the challenges and success will definitely come to you," she said.

Her family is also happy with her success and want to see the girl become a successful doctor who serves the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Her uncle Liaqat Choudhary expressed happiness and said, "The girls of Jammu and Kashmir have shown their talent in every field of life — on national and international levels." Meanwhile, District Development Commissioner, Aijaz Asad, also appreciated her achievement and assured of every possible help to continue her studies in future.