Rohit Sharma of DAV Public School, BSEB, and Kumar Abhishek of Gyan Niketan are among a few real fighters who passed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class X exam with flying colours by battling odds.
Both students hail from families for whom financial constraints are a part and parcel of their day-to-day life. But that did not deter Rohit and Abhishek from clinching 9.8 and 9.6 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) respectively in their exams.
Rohit is the son of Soni and Ajay Sharma, both staffers in DAV Public School, BSEB. While Soni works as a peon, Ajay is an electrician. The family lives on the school premises in a one-room quarter provided by the school management.
Right after the results were declared around 5pm, Rohit tried to check his CGPA on the Internet but it took him several bids to get the good news.
Rohit's father, Ajay, who earns a paltry Rs 10,000 a month, expressed his happiness over his son's results and said: "My son has made me feel proud, his efforts paid off. I always used to tell him not to compare himself with other students in terms of their financial background and living standards. I just told him to study hard because studying is the only thing which takes anyone ahead in life."
The Sharma couple have an educational qualification of Plus Two but want their son to become an engineer. They said that they never compromised on their son's studies. Rohit has a younger brother, Lokesh, studying in Class IX in the same school.
Rohit's mother, Soni, could not conceal her happiness and kissed her son for getting a good CGPA. "I think even Rohit understood the fact that we were not in position to provide him tuitions like other students. I am happy that my child has done well," said Soni.
Rohit was happy but disappointed at having missed 10 CGPA just by 2 points. "I used to study for around eight hours a day during the exam and never watched television. I am thankful to my teachers and the principal who always stood by me and provided all possible support," said Rohit, standing by his father.
The principal of DAV Public School, BSEB, V.S. Ojha patted Rohit and said: "I believe that one good mother is equal to 100 teachers and that is what happened in Rohit's case. His mother always wanted her son to study hard and I am happy that with limited resources, the child has performed really well."
The story of Kumar Abhishek's struggles is also similar. He stays at Patna's Gola Road with parents Arvind and Neerja Choudhary.
Abhishek's father earns Rs 18,000 a month by working as a cashier in a private company, mother a homemaker and elder brother Ashutosh pursuing his BEd.
"I am really happy that my son has done well in the board exam. I have gone through many tough phases in life and seen ups and downs. I just want my younger son to study hard and get better marks in the 12th exam," said the proud father.
Choudhary said his son, a student of Gyan Niketan, had not decided what to become in life but very often he talks about becoming an engineer or a doctor or even cracking the UPSC exam.
Abhishek, on other hand, said he never took tuitions, a normal practice in Bihar, and depended on the class teaching and self-study.
"I used to study in a planned way. I do not know how I grasp things fast. I gave three to four hours to self-study every day during the exam. I feel sorry that I could not get 10 CGPA like 12 other students of our school," Abhishek said.
The vice-principal of Gyan Niketan, Shailendra Mohan Jha, said: "Abhishek is one of the students who gets the benefit of the scholarship in which one year school fee is exempted. I pray for his bright future."
