The Facebook page of Sharad Vivek Sagar

Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar have it. And now, city boy Sharad Vivek Sagar also has it.

Facebook on September 24 gave Sharad’s page on the social networking site the “verified page” badge. No one can apply for the badge. Facebook honours those it deems fit. It provides the badge to only well-known figures and those with a huge fan following. Fan pages, once verified, carry a tick mark next to their username.

Sharad, with around 25,000 followers, is ahead of many. Former chief minister Nitish Kumar’s page has been verified, that of former chief minister Lalu Prasad isn’t. Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi has a verified page.

Sharad (22) was surprised withe the verified status. The founder of the internationally acclaimed social enterprise Dexterity Global said: “I thank Facebook for being generous in granting Sharad Sagar Official the status of verified page... it suggests Facebook acknowledges and endorses my work and vision. The blue tick gives us (Dexterity Global) the authority to go forward and also allows me to enter the league of those social top entrepreneurs, globally, who have greater access to resources..”

Sharad is pursuing a bachelor degree course in international relations and diplomacy at Tufts University. His father Bimal Kant Prasad, a special assistant at State Bank of India main branch in Patna, said: “He has not only won laurels for himself but also for Bihar. I am very proud of him.”

“Last year, Tufts University awarded Sharad with the Paul and Elizabeth Montle Prize for entrepreneurial achievement. He received a cheque of $25,000 (Rs 16 lakh)” said Swaraj Priyadarshi, chief operating officer, Dexterity Global.