Amid internet gag, Kulgam boy develops Android app for competitive exam aspirants

As the COVID-19 pandemic helped many to unleash their creative sides, Zakir Ahmad Sheikh, from Noorabad area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, also discovered his love for app developing.

The 27-year-old boy has developed an Android app to assist students aspiring to crack various competitive exams.

The app — GkNow — is available on Google Play Store and has 500+ downloads, with a rating of 4.9.

“Since childhood, I was fascinated by computers and always wanted to create something by myself. We have JAVA language as a subject in our curriculum but due to lockdown, we couldn’t learn much at the university. So, I took the help of the internet to learn about mobile app development,” Zakir, an MCA student at the University of Kashmir, told Kashmir Bylines.

The young developer said that his main aim behind creating this app is to help the students appearing in Jammu Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB) and Service Selection Commission (SSC) exams.

“The app includes a wide range of topics like Indian history, Science, Mathematics, Business Management etc. and the best thing about this app is that mock tests can be customized anytime.”

Besides this exam preparation app, Zakir has also developed a music player app — Rhythm Music Player — and an advanced calculator.

“Most of the smartphones no longer come with inbuilt music players and I have tried to add better features in my app. The software optimization allows to save battery life and it intelligently refreshes audio library in real-time,” Zakir said. “One can even set a sleep timer in the app.”

According to Zakir, the recent internet restriction in the valley was the biggest obstacle he faced while developing the apps. “It was very difficult to work on slow-speed internet and it also impacted the reach of the apps. People were not able to download them or use them with ease. Now that 4G has been restored, it is a relief,” he said.

The rhythm music player that he developed in August also has 500+ downloads on Google Play Store and a rating of 4.3.

Zakir feels that the mobile apps bubble is at its peak and it’s a good time to pursue a career in Android development.

“If I find it to be profitable, I would definitely consider it as a career option.”