Srinagar, May 30: In a groundbreaking achievement for the region, four young girls from RISE, Kashmir’s leading educational institute, have each scored above the 99 percentile mark in the JEE Main 2025. This marks the first time in Kashmir’s history that so many girls have crossed this milestone together, signalling a powerful shift in the academic landscape of the valley.
The achievers, Sadaf Mushtaq (99.50), Simrah Mir (99.39), Maleeha Haris (99.24), and Azmat Wani (99.08), are now preparing for JEE Advanced, with dreams of making it to the IITs, India’s most prestigious engineering institutions. RISE, founded by three IITians, Mubeen Masudi (IIT Bombay), Imbesat Ahmad (IIT Kharagpur), and Salman Shahid (IIT Kharagpur), has revolutionized the education sector in Kashmir.
What began as a small initiative to raise aspirations has now become a movement that has transformed thousands of lives. RISE is known for delivering quality education, and for mentoring students to achieve excellence in competitive exams like JEE and NEET.
“This is not just a proud moment for us at RISE, but for the entire Kashmir valley,” said Salman Shahid, Co-founder of RISE and an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur. “For years, we have been striving to raise the aspirations of students here, and seeing four girls break into the 99+ percentile club in JEE Main is a dream come true. These girls are role models for thousands. Their achievement is a celebration of hard work, talent, and what becomes possible when opportunities meet determination.”
Mubeen Masudi, Co-founder of RISE and an alumnus of IIT Bombay, added, “This isn’t just about academic numbers, it’s a cultural moment. For a long time, systemic and societal barriers have limited the participation of girls in technical education in Kashmir. These four young women have broken through. Their success will become part of the collective memory of the valley and will inspire an entire generation of girls to dream fearlessly.”
Sadaf Mushtaq, the top scorer among them, expressed her joy: “Coming from a place where girls pursuing engineering is still rare, this score means much more than just numbers. It’s proof that we can dream big and compete at the national level.
