There was a time when Pawan Kumar, a resident of Kinjar-Ujjainpatti village in Arwal district, was not sure if he would be able to pursue his studies any more. His unemployed father was not well and his mother’s income as an Anganwadi worker was not enough to even feed a family of nine members.
But his fortune turned for the better and his father got a job as a driver with the police department in Jharkhand. Two years later, Pawan has topped the Bihar Intermediate examination (Class XII) in science stream with 94.6% marks.
When his father was able to earn a steady income, Pawan took a room on rent in the neighbouring district of Jehanabad, 16 km from his home, to study alone to focus on his studies. “I used to study 10 hours daily, apart from attending coaching classes,” he told The Hindu over phone.
Mathematics is his favourite subject. “I got 98 out of 100 in it,” he said.
“I thought I could be among the top 10 students but when the results were announced, it was a real surprise for me. I owe my success to my parents and the teachers in my school and the coaching institute,” said the student of the Government High School in Kinjar. Another student, Rohini Prakash from Nalanda district, has also scored 473 out of 500 and shares the top position in the science stream with Pawan.
Pawan, who is 17 years old, has three elder sisters, a younger brother, and ageing grandparents at home. His sisters, too, are good in studies and preparing for competitive examinations.
“Toppers in all three streams — arts, science and commerce — will receive a cash prize of ₹1 lakh each, while students on the second and third positions will be given ₹75,000 and ₹50,000 respectively, apart from a laptop and a Kindle E-reader,” Bihar School Examination Board chairman Anand Kishore said.
Pawan’s father Sunil Kumar said he is proud of his son’s achievement. “We come from a small village and have meagre income. Despite all odds, Pawan has done topped the exam. It is all because of his sustained hard work,” he said.
Army goal
Pawan's mother Madhuri Sinha said her son would become an officer. His father wants Pawan join the Indian Administrative Service or Indian Police Service. When asked what he wants, Pawan said: “Since childhood, a soldier’s life has been my passion and I love the Army uniform. I want to become an Army officer. I would soon start preparation for the entrance examination of National Defence Academy.”
A total of 13.15 lakh students appeared in the Intermediate exam this year, of whom 10.19 lakh passed. The pass percentage this year has improved significantly from 52.71 of last year to 79.76.
