Kashmir NEET 2026 Success Stories: Faizan Bashir Bhat, Aiman Showkat and Three Ganderbal Students Shine in Medical Entrance Exam

Kupwara, Jul 17: Students from different districts of Kashmir have achieved remarkable success in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2026, with many crediting self-study, consistency and family support for helping them reach their goals despite various challenges.

Among them is Faizan Bashir Bhat from the Gushi area of north Kashmir's Kupwara district, who secured 554 marks in the highly competitive examination. Students from Bandipora and Ganderbal also recorded notable performances after the results were announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Thursday evening.

Faizan Bashir Bhat Qualifies NEET with 554 Marks

For Faizan Bashir Bhat, the announcement of the NEET 2026 result turned an ordinary evening into a memorable moment. He was occupied with household chores when he received a phone call from a friend informing him that he had qualified the examination.

Overcome with emotion after hearing the news, Faizan learned that he had secured 554 marks in NEET 2026.

Faizan completed his Class 8 education at Iqbal Memorial School, Gushi. He later passed Class 10 from Boys High School, Gushi, scoring 475 marks in 2023. He pursued Classes 11 and 12 at Boys Higher Secondary School, Karihama, where he obtained 450 marks in his Class 12 examination last year.

Self-Study Helped Overcome Financial Constraints

Due to his family's financial situation, Faizan was unable to join a private coaching institute for NEET preparation. Instead, he relied on self-study and free educational resources available on YouTube to prepare for the examination.

Sharing his approach to studying, Faizan said he preferred learning in isolation and maintained consistency throughout his preparation. He explained that focusing on understanding concepts rather than memorising topics played an important role in building his knowledge.

Although he successfully qualified with 554 marks, Faizan said he had expected a better rank and was not fully satisfied with his result.

According to Faizan, he devoted nearly 14 hours a day to his studies during his preparation. He also said that while studying in Classes 11 and 12, he realised social media was consuming valuable study time. To stay focused, he removed all social media applications and dedicated himself entirely to his preparation.

Family Support Played a Key Role

Faizan credited his parents for their constant encouragement, with special appreciation for his mother. He also acknowledged the support provided by his paternal uncle, maternal uncle and cousins throughout his journey.

Recalling one of the biggest challenges during his preparation, Faizan said frequent winter power cuts often interrupted his studies.

He shared that his uncle, who works as a private school teacher and lives separately with his own family, purchased an inverter for their home so he could continue studying during electricity outages. According to Faizan, this support made a significant difference in his preparation.

Offering advice to future NEET aspirants, he said dedication, perseverance and consistency remain essential for achieving success.

He encouraged students to stay committed to their goals and continue working hard throughout their preparation.

Aiman Showkat Emerges Among Jammu and Kashmir's Top NEET Performers

Syed Rizwan Geelani reports

Aiman Showkat from Bandipora emerged as one of the top performers from Jammu and Kashmir in NEET 2026, the results of which were declared by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Thursday evening.

She secured 622 marks, earning a place among the leading performers from the Union Territory.

A resident of Kharpora, Bandipora, Aiman completed her education up to Class 10 at AGS Bandipora before pursuing Classes 11 and 12 at Government Higher Secondary School, Bandipora.

Online Learning Became the Foundation of Preparation

Rather than enrolling in a full-time coaching institute, Aiman prepared independently by using online educational resources and subject-specific educators.

Speaking about her preparation, she said YouTube played an important role in helping her study different subjects.

According to Aiman, she relied on Unacademy for Biology while learning Physics from individual teachers and using separate resources for question practice. For Chemistry, she studied Organic Chemistry through Unacademy and prepared Inorganic and Physical Chemistry with another faculty member.

She emphasised that maintaining consistency throughout preparation was more valuable than simply counting the number of study hours.

Productive Study More Important Than Long Hours

Aiman said she did not believe in claims of studying 16 to 18 hours daily. Instead, she focused on productive learning, generally studying for seven to eight hours effectively, while occasionally extending her preparation to around 14 hours on some days.

She also pointed out that the NEET examination pattern has evolved, with greater emphasis on conceptual understanding, particularly in Physics and Chemistry, where questions increasingly assess application rather than formula-based learning.

Advising future aspirants, Aiman encouraged students to believe in themselves, work hard and regularly practise previous years' question papers.

She also advised students not to become discouraged by negative comments or social pressure.

Aiman shared that despite feeling she had performed well in the examination, she remained anxious until the official declaration of the results. She had hoped to secure a place among the top five performers in Jammu and Kashmir and expressed happiness after achieving her goal.

Following the announcement, celebrations took place at her residence as relatives, neighbours and well-wishers gathered to congratulate her.

Three Students from Ganderbal Qualify NEET 2026

Irfan Raina reports

Three students from Ganderbal also qualified the NEET 2026 examination, bringing pride to their families and the district.

Adnan Manzoor, a resident of Waskura, Ganderbal, secured 647 marks.

Muneeb Ul Islam, from Wakura, Ganderbal, qualified with 570 marks.

Saifullah Ashiq, a resident of Gund, Kangan, secured 549 marks.

Their achievements added to the celebrations across Kashmir as students from different districts demonstrated that determination, disciplined preparation and consistent effort can lead to success in one of India's most competitive medical entrance examinations.