Kendrapara, June 15: The son and daughter-in-law of a marginal farmer, who made ends meet through sharecropping, have cracked the Odisha Education Service, leading to jubilation in his far-flung village.

The couple - Himanshu Bhusan Ohja, 32, and M.S. Snata, 27 - passedthe Odisha Education Service (OES) examination, the results of which were announced recently.

"My father Surendranath Ojha owned half an acre of cultivable land. This was not enough to support the family. So, he took to tenant farming. He went to great lengths to ensure my education. My wife and I owe our success to support from our parents," said Himanshu, who was ranked 31.

"My wife Snata ranked 19. We got married on May 31 last year. We faced the interview board on our wedding anniversary. To support our family, we took up jobs as contractual teachers in government-run high schools. Snata has also been a source of inspiration," said Himanshu, a native of Nischintasasan village in Garadpur block.

"Himanshu has always been good at studies. I had made sure that financial constraints never deterred him in studies. I took up sharecropping to generate additional income. My son did his graduation and post-graduation from Ravenshaw University," said Surendranath.

Academic Bhagaban Jene said it was heartening that youths from poor backgrounds in Kendrapara district were excelling in academics.

"This is a shining example of youths overcoming poverty to become successful. In recent years, students from very poor families have cracked the all-India civil service, state civil service and Indian Economics Service exams. This brings home the point that labour never goes unpaid."

Snata is a post-graduate in zoology. "Support from our parents coupled with hard work has helped me come this far. I do not believe in shortcuts to success," she said.