Bhubaneswar, June 15: A daily wager's son from a remote village in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district has cleared one of the toughest entrance tests in the country to make it to the premier Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

Bikash Das, who belongs to a below-poverty-line family at Manapur village in Kujang block of Jagatsinghpur district, has secured 582nd rank in the Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced). He is now all set to join an IIT.

Bikash studied at primary and high schools at Manapur.

His jubilant father, Bijay Das, said: "My son has always been good at his studies."

"I am a farm labourer. I toil in the field to earn my livelihood. Despite severe financial constraints, I made my son's education a priority. He showed sparks of brilliance in studies when he was studying at Manapur Upper Primary School in our village. I saved money for his studies and never allowed finances to be a stumbling block. I am happy that he will now join an IIT," said Bijaya.

Bikash thanked his family, especially his father, for his achievements. "My father is my inspiration, guide and philosopher. He sweated it out to support me in my studies. He never let me feel the pangs of poverty. What I have achieved today is because of my father," Bikash said.

"It is the support of my parents and my own hard work that have paved the way for my success. I never believed in shortcuts to achieve success," he added.