Bhubaneswar: Sesha Kisan, 24, an orphan from a poor farmer's family in Sambalpur district, will now join his more privileged peers at Germany's Gottingen University as a research associate.
This is not Kisan's first show of brilliance. Exhibiting sheer grit and determination, Kisan had traversed the arduous path from his unknown village school to the National Institute of Science Education and Research (Niser), which is one of the most premier institutes of the country.
At the Gottingen University, which is globally acknowledged as a leading public research university, Kisan will draw a monthly scholarship of 2,158 Euro, which is nearly Rs 2 lakh in Indian currency.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday felicitated and presented him an incentive of Rs 1 lakh. "He is an inspiration for the students of our state and the country as well," said Naveen.
Kisan was born on March 4, 1994, in a poor peasant family at Balasingha village. When he was barely one-year-old, his mother passed away. His father used to take Kisan to the fields to graze cows. Kisan did not have the privilege to attend play school or anganwadi. His father had sent him to the government primary school not much for education but for the midday meal served there.
Despite facing severe hardship, Kisan was determined to purse his education and excelled in his studies. He was class topper for five consecutive years at the Balasingha Sevashram School and was awarded with best student award in 2005. The same year, he was the only student from the Naktideul block to get into the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. He studied there from class VI to class XII.
But, luck did not favour him. In 2006, his father had an arterial blockage and was unable to work. "Thereafter, I did not ask my father for any financial support for my studies. Rather, I supported him by working during my holidays," said Kisan.
Though Kisan had cleared the National Screening Test (NEST) after completing class XII, he was unaware about the result, as he had to visit his village to attend his father's funeral. The next year, he cracked NEST again and joined Niser. Since then, he never looked back.
