For privileged India, JEE Advanced is the holy of holies, with parents spending lakhs on coaching and wards spending sleepless nights wondering if they would make the cut.
Of the 1.55 lakh students who appeared for JEE Advanced examination this year on May 20, only 18,138 qualified. From Jharkhand, out of 7,000 candidates, around 4,500 qualified.
As India felicitates top three Pranav Goyal (Panchkula), Sahil Jain (Kota) and Kailash Gupta (Delhi) and Jharkhand its topper Ayush Agarwal (Jamshedpur, rank 60), let us celebrate bravehearts from humble homes who stormed this elite bastion by virtue of sheer brains — and some support.
Suraj Kumar, a Giridih landless farmer’s son and one of the 26 IIT Advanced successes this year mentored by Patna’s Super 30 Academy icon Anand Kumar, said it best: “My father doesn’t even know what IIT stands for, but he is overwhelmed.” Here are two more, who like Suraj, have Advanced, pun intended
Sidhant, 18, Gomia (Bokaro)
Rank: 3,037
His father Akhilesh Prasad is a tailor who makes anywhere between Rs 7,000 and Rs 10,000 a month. Mother Anjana Devi is a homemaker, kid sister Sonali studies in Class VIII and no one in their family has ever held a government job.
Always a bright boy, Sidhant was picked up with 25 others by Central Coalfields under its CSR project CCL ke Lal aur CCL ki Ladli for specialised IIT coaching after he passed Class X in 2016 from Jawahar Navodaya School in Bokaro. CCL admitted him to DAV Gandhinagar School in Ranchi and funded his Plus Two schooling, board, lodging and IIT entrance preparations. “I am living my dream,” said a grateful Sidhant after results were out
Nikhil Nischal, 17, Tupkadih (Bokaro)
Rank: 10,000
A humble farmer’s son and among the 25 students under CCL ke Lal aur CCL ki Ladli, Nikhil was too dazed to say anything after results were declared. Father Shivshankar Prasad earns less than Rs 1 lakh a year through farming,
mother Nita Devi is a homemaker and his brother Nikit studies in Class X in Bokaro. Nikhil, who passed Class X from BRL DAV Public School in Bokaro, saw his life changing thanks to CCL’s sponsorship at DAV Gandhinagar School in Ranchi and IIT coaching. “Thanks to all those who believed in me,” he said
Mentorspeak
Jitendra Kumar, CCL executive & coach teacher
An IITian himself, Jitendra Kumar who teaches physics to the CCL sponsored IIT aspirants, called this day memorable. “We are so proud of Sidhant and Nikhil. They are sharp problem-solvers and hardworking too,” he said, speaking for his other colleagues Naman Srivastava, Akhilesh Kumar, Anubhav Khare and Om Prakash as well who teach the IIT aspirants. “Selection in CCL ke Lal aur CCL ki Ladli is purely merit based,” he added
