Watching his father toiling as a labourer, Jaiprakash Singh decided that he must aspire for something much higher. Jaiprakash, who belongs to a tribal community in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur district, is on his way to achieving his dream; with the 750th rank in the reserved category of IIT-JEE examinations, he is all set to enter the premier institution.
“I wanted to do something in life. When I joined school in Raipur I was told of the Super 30, and the coaching that they offer to students like me. I was told that if I put in my best, I can actually make it to the IIT,” he told The Hindu on phone from Chhattisgarh.
Jaiprakash is among several students from Chhattisgarh's Naxal-affected areas who have benefited from the State government's ‘Prayas' scheme that offers students accommodation in the residential hostel at Raipur. These students, chosen on the basis of merit, are offered special coaching and prepared for competitive exams.
First in family
The first person in his family to sit for a competitive examination, Jaiprakash says it took more than 12 hours of study every day to make it this far.
“We used to have four-hour sessions twice a day at Super 30. That apart, I tried to study for another four to five hours every day. I am relieved that the hard work paid off, and today I am the only one from my family to make it to IIT,” he said.
Like Jaiprakash, Suryaprakash Netam, from naxal-affected Farasgaon in Bastar, has also made it to the exclusive institution. Ranked 405, he too was part of the ‘Prayas' initiative.
“I am looking forward to my new life at IIT… I am also looking at returning to my village as a big officer who can do something for my people,” said Jaiprakash.
