Ranchi, June 16: They faced challenges from several fronts, but won at last fighting all odds.

Meet Ajit Kumar Yadav (17), a resident of Latehar district. Ajit topped the district in commerce in this year’s intermediate examination with 77.6 per cent marks.

Son of a land labourer Laxman Yadav, Ajit also is differently abled. Hit by polio in childhood, Ajit, a student of Gandhi Inter College, Latehar, may not be able to walk as fast as other students in real life, but in exam, he runs faster than thousands of his fellow mates. “I never dreamt to top in my subject,” Ajit said during the award ceremony of toppers organised by the human resource development department today.

Ajit also is a myopic, who however, could not be given proper treatment by his poor family.

“Higher study for my children is a luxury. We had to often cut on our meals to save money to support my daughter’s study,” said Kalisadhu Mahli, a resident of Lipigutu in Potka block of East Singhbhum district. His daughter Gurubari, a student of Asanboni College, had brought laurels by topping the district in humanities stream.

“My dream is to get into civil services. But I do not know how far the economic background of my family would take me to,” said Gurubari, whose father works in another person’s land.

Human resource development minister Bandhu Tirkey told the students: “As the future of the state depends on you, prepare yourself to contribute to its development.”

In Ranchi, Kusumlalata Khalkho, student of LMNS Inter College topped the district in arts, Abhisekh Ranjan of St Xavier’s College bagged the same in science. Gaurav Srivastava of Marwari College stood first in commerce.