Kolkata: Suraiya Ghaffar from Kolkata has become the first Muslim woman ever to top the West Bengal Commercial Tax Service.
Despite qualifying for backward class quota, Suraiya cleared the “state’s toughest examination” as a general category candidate.
As per Times of India reports, 3 of the top 5 candidates are Muslims, who in spite of qualifying for reservation, cleared as general category candidates. Mohammed Shabbar Khan occupied 2nd and Mohammed Azhar Khan 5th position.
This girl from Metiabruz rises above obstacles with her confidence in her solid educational background. “If I wanted I could have taken the reservation route but I decided to test my skill by appearing as a general category candidate. Since age is on my side, I am entitled to several attempts,” she said.
Suraiya, 23, is the eldest of five siblings. Her father Abdul Ghaffar Khan works in the electricity department of the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd.
Even with limited financial resources, Suriya after finishing her higher secondary from a local school, enrolled into an Honours course in Chemistry in a college in central Kolkata for which she had to travel for almost 2 hours daily.
Suraiya is the first Muslim girl ever to top the commercial tax service, a senior official of the minority affairs and madrasah education department confirmed.