Sajad draws inspiration from his elder sister, who also cleared the NEET exam and is currently a second-year MBBS student at GMC, Srinagar
New Delhi: Sayad Mehraj, a 19-year-old boy from Kashmir has cleared the NEET UG examination by an impressive score of 650 out of 750 marks. Mehraj runs a ‘Naan Patri’ (Bread’s stall on street) in Kashmir’s remote Kupwara district. It was his dedication and commitment to his goal that led to his success.
Sajad, in many of his interviews, expressed how once he was demotivated by someone in school who said “patri pe Naan bechane wale ko school mei kyu aane dete hai, ye school mei aakar kya hi kar lenge”. (Why to allow street sellers to enter the school, what would they achieve by doing so).
Sayad’s sister, who is the first doctor from the village, motivated him to crack the NEET UG examination. Talking exclusively to India.com, Sayad said, “I studied online from the Yakeen batch of Physics Wallah for my NEET preparation. Biology NCERT was taught by my elder sister. I planned my days in such a way that I could work on the cart while simultaneously attending online lectures. My evenings were reserved for revision, solving DPPs and taking tests. Consistently following this routine helped me clear the exam.”
Talking about his struggles in balancing the Naan Stall and studies. Sayad said that he used to work 7 – 8 hours daily on the stall, baked about 300 naans (breads) while watching online lectures on different Youtube platforms.
Sayad’s day starts at 4 AM and ends at 7 PM. Talking to India.com, he recalled running a footwear and crockery stall with his brother since he was in the 4th grade. When he was in 8th standard, Sayad’s father health deteriorated due to illness. This impacted his family finances too which prompted him to start his own stall selling naan.
Sajad draws inspiration from his elder sister, who also cleared the NEET exam and is currently a second-year MBBS student at GMC, Srinagar. He proudly shares that, despite his father only having completed 10th grade, he always encouraged his children to pursue their education. Sajad recalls a time when a neighbor suggested that his father stop his sister’s studies, but his father refused and supported her, allowing her to become the first doctor in their village. Now, Sajad is following in her footsteps as the second doctor from their village.
Sajad is set to join the Government Medical College, Handwara in Kupwara District of Jammu & Kashmir. Alakh Pandey, who is his mentor and Founder of EdTech firm Physics Wallah assured to pay Sajad’s College Fees for pursuing medicine.