Rajguru Dikshit. Picture by Gautam Dey

Dhanbad, June 2: For Rajguru Dikshit, son of a dairy farmer of Katras, passing the CBSE exam with 94.6 per cent marks was a dream come true. But it may be shortlived.

It was the first board exam conducted in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Maithon ever since it started and Rajguru was the first topper setting a record in the school.

But his dream of becoming an IITian could remain unfulfilled because of poverty.

Rajguru’s father Bharat Singh, surrounded by financial constraints, today approached the Navodaya authorities to start Plus Two at the school so that their children could study further.

“I am a poor man. I do not know how to teach my son further. Along with six other parents, I asked the principal to start Plus Two course where our wards can study further. We have been asked to approach the zonal authorities in Patna and I have pinned hopes on them,” said Singh.

Rajguru scored 99 in both maths and social science, 93 in both English and Hindi, 89 in science and 87 in information technology. His future dream is “to crack the IIT/JEE”.

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, a dream project of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was started to provide quality education to children predominantly from the rural areas, without regard to their family’s socio-economic condition.

This year, when the first board examination was held, 36 students passed the CBSE exams. Students scored an average of 77.13 per cent in English. Of 36, 34 passed with a first division and five students got over 90 per cent.

Principal B.K. Mishra said it was an unexpected show. “Ninety per cent of parents do not even have the money for conveyance. They are unable to come and see the children or attend the parent counselling meetings held on Saturdays.”