Baramulla, June 21: Aarifeen School of Excellence (ASE), Baramulla, has achieved a historic milestone by emerging as the top-performing school in Kashmir in the prestigious 26th Annual All J&K UT Level Talent Search Test 2025 conducted by Newlight Education & Environmental Service Foundation (NEESF-NEES).
In a remarkable achievement, ten students from ASE secured top positions at the Union Territory level, with two students emerging as UT toppers in their respective grades. The outstanding performance has established Aarifeen School of Excellence as the first school from North Kashmir to achieve this distinction in the highly competitive NEESF-NEES examination.
Leading the honours was Anabia Nawaz of Grade 1, who secured the first position across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, earning the prestigious Gold Medal among participants from 644 schools. She was felicitated by Education Minister Sakina Itoo at SKICC Srinagar.
Adding to the school’s glory, Sheikh Fatima Zubair of Grade 1 secured 7th position in the Union Territory. In Grade 2, Noor ul Haq secured 7th position, Ummarah Bint Hilal secured 11th position, and Ahmad Yehya secured 17th position across the Union Territory.
In Grade 3, Mohd Aman Khan secured 13th position, Mohammad Uzair Malik secured 14th position, and Mohd Ahmad secured 16th position across the Union Territory.
In Grade 4, Mohd Ayaan Lone secured 1st position and emerged as the UT topper, while in Grade 5, Afhaam Hussain secured 13th position across the Union Territory.
Congratulating the students, parents and teachers, Dr. Hanan Khalid Khan, Principal, Aarifeen School of Excellence, said the achievement reflects the school’s commitment to nurturing talent through innovative and activity-based learning.
“Our students have not only excelled at the UT level but have also emerged as the highest-performing learners in Kashmir. This accomplishment is a testament to the dedication of our teachers, the support of parents, and the effectiveness of our child-centric curriculum. We are proud that ASE has become the first school from North Kashmir to top the NEESF-NEES examination and produce UT-level gold medalists,” he said.
Aafreen Farooq, Curriculum Head, said the results reflect the strength of ASE’s inquiry-based and experiential learning model.
“When learning is meaningful and engaging, excellence follows naturally. Our students’ success demonstrates that conceptual understanding and critical thinking are far more powerful than rote memorisation,” she said.
School Coordinator Asma Sadiq said the achievement highlights the effectiveness of the school’s activity-based curriculum.
“Our learners excelled without any special coaching because the classroom itself prepares them for competitive challenges. This is the true strength of quality education,” she said.
Parents also expressed immense pride in the achievement.
Mother of Anabia Nawaz, the UT topper, said: “This achievement is a proud moment for our family. We are grateful to ASE for nurturing curiosity, confidence and independent thinking in our child. The school’s holistic approach to learning has played a pivotal role in her success.”
Parents of Mohammad Amaan Khan said: “What makes this achievement special is that it came without any extra coaching. ASE’s classroom learning alone empowered our child to compete and excel at the UT level.”
The achievement adds to ASE’s growing list of accomplishments. Earlier this year, the school secured 165 Gold Medals in the International Olympiad 2025, including multiple national-level distinctions.
The ASE fraternity expressed gratitude to students, parents and educators whose collective efforts have helped the institution emerge as a centre of excellence in both academic and non-academic domains.
