Four Kashmiri girls defy the odds, score 99+ percentile in JEE Main 2025

NEW DELHI: “Coming from a place where girls pursuing engineering is still rare,” said Sadaf Mushtaq, a girl from Kashmir, who scored more than 99 percentile in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains along with three other girls from the valley region.

In a heart of Kashmir, where ambition often battles adversity, Mushtaq, Simrah Mir, Maleeha Haris and Azmat Wani have achieved a milestone by scoring above 99 % in the engineering entrance test. All four girls, who will now be preparing for JEE Advanced for admission to Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) across the country, are part of the RISE educational institution in Kashmir, founded by three IITians.

Mubeen Masudi, co-founder of RISE and an alumnus of IIT Bombay, said: “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.”

Expressing her joy over the achievement, Mushtaq said: "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. RISE believed in us from day one, and I hope this inspires more girls in Kashmir to go after their ambitions."

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JEE Main scores of the four girls from RISE in Kashmir

Four girls will now be appearing for the JEE Advanced, scheduled to be conducted on May 18, 2025.