Shah Faesal Overview
Shah Faesal was born on 17 May 1983 ,he is an independent politician and former IAS Indian bureaucrat from Jammu and Kashmir. In 2009, Shah Faesal became the first Kashmiri to place 1st rank in the UPSC Indian Civil Services Examination. Shah faesal resigned from the Indian bureaucracy in protest on 9 January 2019, citing “unabated killings” in Kashmir among other things. On 4 February 2019 and he began his political life by giving a public speech in Jammu and Kashmir. Shortly after on 16 March 2019 he announced that he would be launching his own political party, the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement (JKPM). Let us read more about his successful life and journey in UPSC.
| Shah Faesal Biography | |
| Name | Shah Faesal |
| Born/Age | 17 may 1983 | age- 41 (as of 2024) |
| Parents | S/o- Mubeena Shah and Ghulam Rasool Shah |
| Service Preference | IAS>IPS>IFS |
| Hometown | Jammu & Kashmir |
| Marital status | Wife – Iram Rashid |
| Shah Faesal Optional | Urdu |
| Religion and Caste | Islam and Sunni |
| Rank UPSC 2009 | AIR-1 |
| Heights (approx) | 5’9” |
| Weights(approx) | 73kg |
| Education Background | Medical (MBBS) |
| Profession | Civil Servant |
| Social Media | https://twitter.com/shahfaesal |
| Examination Roll Number | 025085 |
| Net Worth | 30-45 lakh |
Shah Faesal Education Qualification
Shah Faesal, former IAS completed his schooling from Soham High School in Kupwara, which is an Urdu Medium school. In 2008, he graduated from Jhelum Valley Medical College and Shah Faesal was a gold medalist at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar before taking the Civil Service examination. He completed his MBBS at 26 years old and Shah Faesal has a master’s degree in Urdu and he has chosen Urdu as a optional subject as well. Shah Faesal also received the Fulbright-Nehru Masters’ Fellowship in May 2018 to study at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Shah Faesal belongs to a 2008 batch graduate of the Jhelum Valley Medical College. He holds an MBBS degree from Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar as well as has a master’s degree in Urdu. He left IAS at age 35. In 2018, he was a recipient of the Fulbright-Fellowship at Harvard Kennedy School.
| Shah Faesal Education Qualifications | |
| School | Tyndale Biscoe School |
| Colleges/ Universities | Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences |
| Level of Education | Graduate from the Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences |
Shah Faesal UPSC Journey
Shah Faesal cracked the UPSC Civili Service Exam most toughest exam in India in his first attempt in 2009 with AIR-1, also the first person from Kashmir to top the civil services examination. Shah Faesal has scored total Shah Faesal has scored 1361 marks in UPSC Civil Service Examination. Below the table given with marksheet details of Shah Faesal.
| Shah Faesal – UPSC Mains Marks Score | |
| Subject | Marks |
| Essay | 130 |
| General Studies Paper 1 | 183 |
| General Studies Paper 2 | 151 |
| A -Optional 1 | 157 |
| Optional 2 | 152 |
| B -Optional 1 | 182 |
| Optional 2 | 181 |
| Written Total | 1136 |
| Interview | 225 |
| Total | 1361 |
Shah Faesal Optional Subject in UPSC
Shah Faesal opted urdu as his optional subject and he gained a good marks in his Optional paper.
Shah Faesal Booklist for UPSC Preparation
| Booklist of UPSC CSE -Shah Faesal | |
| SUBJECT | BOOKS/RESOURCES |
| Polity and Constitution | Laxmikanth,New NCERT Class VI to XII – not in detailCurrent Affairs : Vision, Editorials, PIB, PRS |
| Ancient History | Old NCERT Class 11th |
| Mediaeval History | Old NCERT Class 12th and 11th |
| Modern History | Old NCERT class 12 (before 1857)New NCERTs Classes 6-12 |
| Art & Culture | Nitin Singhania CCRT/NIOS selectively, Mrunal Videos.NCERT class 11 Books,Old NCERT Class 11- Satish Chandra Medieval India |
| Environment | Shankar IAS, Old Biology Class12 Ecology UnitCurrent Affairs : Vision, Editorials, PIB PMF IAS |
| Economics | Macroeconomics Class 12 NCERT + Sriram Printed Notes. Budget and Economic Survey Net: Arthpedia, Vikaspedia etc |
| Current Affairs | Monthly Magazine insightsonIndia+Monthly magazines |
Personal Life of Shah Faesal
Shah Faesal’s father’s Ghulam Rasool Shah and his mother Mubeena Shah were both Government School teachers and well known people. When IAS Shah Faisal was 19, his father was killed by unidentified militants in the year 2002 because he refused to provide them with refuge and this incident made his family relocate to Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. Shah Faesal has a younger brother, Shah Nawaz who is a doctor by profession and a younger sister, Talat Shah who is a library assistant by profession they both are educated and well known personalities.
| Shah Faesal- Personal Details (Wiki) | |
| Wife Name | Iram Rashid |
| Hobbies | Writing Articles & Playing Golf |
| Father | Ghulam Rasool Shah |
| Mother | Mubeena Shah |
| Brother Name | Shah Nawaz |
| Sister Name | Talat Shah |
Shah Faesal Height , Age and Weight
Shah Faesal a former IAS has a huge followers of UPSC Aspirants and many other muslim communities. They are will to know about more so here is a detailed about his physical appearance given below;
| Shah Faesal Height and Weight | |
| Age (2024) | 41 Years (as of 2024) |
| Height (approx.) | 5′ 7″ |
| Weight (approx.) | 72kg |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Size of Chest | 42 inch |
| Size of Waist | 32 Inches |
| Size of Biceps | 12 Inches |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Black |
Shah Faesal Marriage
Shah Faesal is married and his wife’s name is Iram Rashid, an officer of KAS Kashmir Administrative Service.
| Shah Faesal Wife Name | Iram Rashid |
Shah Faesal Children
Shah Faesal is married to Iram Rashid, an officer of KAS and they both has a son named Jami Faesal.
| Children Name (SON) | Jami Faesal |
Shah Faesal Salary Per Month and Net worth
Shah Faesal earns 1,50,000 – 1,70,000 per month excluding other sources of income.
| Shah Faesal Salary and Net worth | |
| Income (Per Month) | Rs. 70,000 INR (as per the pay band) |
| Net Worths | Rs. 35 Lakh Indian Rupees (As of 2018) |
Shah Faesal Current Posting
Shah Faesa has received his education at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) after cracking the IAS examination and earned AIR -1. At first, he was posted to the Jammu and Kashmir cadre. Shah Faesal was appointed as Deputy Commissioner in the Kashmir Valley’s Bandipora District. The government issued orders to reinstate Shah Faesal, who resigned earlier and assigned him to the Union Ministry of Tourism as Deputy Secretary in August 2022.
Shah Faesal Arrested
Shah Faesal was first detained at the Delhi airport on August 14, 2019, after Shah reached the Capital from Srinagar and was sent back to Kashmir. Shah Faesal has been in preventive custody under Section 107 of the CrPC Since August 14 last year.
Shah Faesal – Resign from IAS
Shah Faesal who resigned from service in protest in 2019 to float his own political party in J&K .Shah Faesal has resigned to protest against the following things given below as per records;
- For Marginalisation of muslims
- For Intolerance and hate in “mainland”(whatever that means) India
- For Reducing muslims to second class citizens
- For Killings in Kashmir
- For Voice of reason being muzzled etc.
“This resignation is a small act of defiance to remind the central government of its responsibility towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Faesal said at the press conference.”
Shah Faedal Rejoins IAS
After his release , Shah Faesal gave up on politics and started planning to rejoin government service as his resignation had not been accepted. The government of India has accepted IAS officer Shah Faesal’s application for withdrawing his resignation and reinstated him in service and his next posting would be announced soon, Home Ministry officials said as per reports.
Social Media Accounts of Shah Faesal
| Platforms | Links |
| https://www.instagram.com/shahfaesal821/ | |
| https://in.linkedin.com/in/shahfaesal | |
| Twitter(x) | https://twitter.com/shahfaesal |
Conclusion
Shah Faesal cracked the IAS at his first attempt in 2009 with AIR-1 and he is not one to shy away from speaking out, he attracts a massive following on social media, especially from the youngest youth who is preparing for becoming an IAS officer. Shah Faesal is also the first person from Kashmir to top the civil services examination. He served in various posts, including that of Director of Education and Deputy Commissioner.