Dilawar Hussain Khan overcomes hardships, qualifies NEET

Pulwama, June 7:   The non-descript Inderwali village, located 3 km uphill from far-off Sangarwani village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, erupted in joy as soon as the news about Dilawar Hussain Khan qualifying the NEET spread across the area.

Belonging to a disadvantaged Gujjar community, Khan is poised to become the first medico from his village. “This is an outlying village where people are still struggling for the basic amenities,” said Riyaz Kohli, a relative of Khan.

Khan secured 651 marks without receiving any coaching. “I studied in a government school and prepared online for NEET,” Khan said.

He said that after COVID-19, several top tutors uploaded their lectures on YouTube and other sites. “I studied everything from the online resources,” Khan said.

However, accessing the internet was not an easy task due to the lack of mobile network coverage in his hamlet. “I would walk to 3 km downhill to a nearby village to access the internet,” Khan said.

Khan would download the online lectures on his phone and later prepare them at his home. “It was my daily routine during the entire preparation process,” he said.

Khan’s father is a labourer who does menial jobs near construction sites to provide for his family. It was his long-cherished dream to see his son become a doctor.

“My father always wanted me to become a doctor,” Khan said. “Hard work is the key to success. Consistency and sharp focus can achieve the results.”