In a region where access to quality education has long been determined by geography, a young boy from one of Kashmir’s most remote valleys has done what no one from his area had ever done before.
Arbaz, a resident of Mahu Valley in Kashmir, has successfully cracked JEE Main, becoming the first person in the entire history of his valley to achieve this milestone.
The achievement carries a significance that goes beyond a single examination result. Mahu Valley, nestled deep in the mountains of Kashmir, received its first road connecting it to the outside world less than a decade ago. For generations, the valley remained cut off, not just physically, but from the educational opportunities that students in cities and towns took for granted.
No coaching centers. No peer group of JEE aspirants. No one who had walked this path before. And yet, Arbaz did it.
When the news broke, Mahu Valley erupted in celebration. Elders, grandparents, and children gathered together in a scene that witnesses described as resembling a wedding celebration. For many in the valley, the concept of IIT and JEE had been distant and abstract, something that happened to other people, in other places.
Salman Shahid, co-founder of RISE, a Srinagar-based institute that has been at the forefront of preparing students from across Kashmir for JEE and NEET examinations, travelled to Mahu Valley to personally congratulate Arbaz, who had studied at RISE, describing the moment as one of the most profound of his career.
“When I arrived, the entire community had gathered. His family stood there with pride they didn’t have words for. This is the real Kashmir, one that silently produces extraordinary talent in the most forgotten corners,” he said.
RISE, has over the years established itself as Kashmir’s leading institute for JEE and NEET preparation. With faculty from IITs and Government Medical Colleges, the institute has sent over 1,000 students to top engineering colleges including IITs and NITs, and over 200 students to premier medical institutions including AIIMS and Government Medical Colleges. What sets RISE apart is its deliberate effort to reach students from remote and underserved areas of Kashmir — students like Arbaz — who have the talent but have historically lacked access to quality guidance.
Arbaz’s achievement comes at a time when Kashmir is witnessing a quiet but significant shift in its educational landscape. Over the past decade, students from remote valleys and villages across the region have increasingly begun competing in national level examinations, a trend driven by improved connectivity, growing awareness, and the gradual reach of structured coaching.
But Mahu Valley’s story stands apart. With road connectivity arriving only recently, the valley has had less time than most to bridge the gap with urban centers. That a student from here has cracked one of India’s most competitive examinations is being seen by many as a watershed moment.
Educational experts note that first-time achievers from remote areas carry a significance beyond their individual success. They become proof of possibility, a reference point for every student in their community who comes after them.
