Srinagar, India —
A girl from Srinagar’s Rainwari area has topped in Bachelor’s in Commerce course examinations held by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
The girl, named Mir Barieq Manzoor, after securing the first position in the all-India level annual examination, was recently honoured with a Gold Medal in New Delhi at the 33rd Convocation of IGNOU, the largest Open University of the world.
Earlier, Mir Barieq Manzoor passed her schooling from Minto Circle High School, Rajbagh in Srinagar and bagged 6th position in Kashmir Valley in her Senior Secondary Board Examination.
It is pertinent to mention that candidates from all the States and Union territories of India including Jammu & Kashmir take part in the examination. More than four lakh students stand enrolled in the University.
Mir Barieq’s achievement has been a great feat, given the uncertainty and confusion in the Valley after the erstwhile State was stripped off its special status (Article 370) in August last year.
“I feel very happy about this. This is something which signifies a lot of things. Being a girl, it again makes one believe that girls are second to none. Also, Kashmir especially Downtown area is being shown in a bad light but this change is a good beginning,” she says.
Thanking her parents, she says, “I can’t pay them back for what they have been doing for me. They have always treated me like a son. Papa even takes care of my little needs as well. He is my biggest inspiration.”
While being asked as to what her advice would be for other students of the Valley, she says, “Life is about challenges, struggles and overpowering them should always be in your mind. You have to be committed and turn challenges into opportunities.”
Barieq now wants to qualify for Civil Services. At the same time, she plans to start a venture so as to provide employment opportunities as she believes unemployment to be among the most disturbing issues facing the people in J&K.