In a competitive field where candidates often attempt the exam several times before succeeding, Riyaz Ahmad Shah of Ganderbal has secured All India Rank 140 in AIIMS NORCET-11. His result is a sharp improvement on the AIR 529 he earned in NORCET-6, and it has drawn praise from his family, colleagues and well-wishers across the district.
The Nursing Officer Recruitment Common Eligibility Test, known as NORCET, is conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for nursing officer posts at AIIMS institutions across the country. Because these posts carry strong job security, advanced clinical exposure and good career prospects, the exam draws aspirants from every state, and a rank in the top few hundred is a notable achievement.
From SKIMS Soura to the national stage
Shah is an alumnus of the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, one of the Valley’s premier medical institutions and a training ground for many of Jammu and Kashmir’s nurses and paramedics.
He now works at the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital in Rohini, New Delhi. Working in a busy metropolitan hospital, far from home, gave him daily exposure to patient care while he continued to prepare for the next attempt.
Persistence over luck
The most striking part of Shah’s story is the climb itself. He did not treat his first rank as the end of the road. Having cleared the exam once at AIR 529 in NORCET-6, he chose to appear again and aim higher. Improving by nearly 400 places is difficult in an exam where small differences in marks separate hundreds of candidates.
That decision reflects a mindset that many young people from the region could learn from. A good result is not always the best one a candidate can achieve, and steady effort over several years can change an outcome. Balancing a full-time hospital job with rigorous preparation requires discipline, since shifts, travel and fatigue leave little room for long study hours.
A source of local pride
News of the result has been celebrated in Ganderbal. [Insert a reaction from his family, teachers or local representatives.] For many young people in the district, particularly those pursuing nursing and allied health careers, his rank is proof that sustained preparation can bring national-level success, even from a small town in Kashmir.
Nursing is often undervalued in public conversation, even though nursing officers are at the front line of patient care in every hospital. Successes like Shah’s highlight how skilled and demanding the profession is, and how many talented young people from Jammu and Kashmir are entering it.
