Sitapur farmer’s son tops Uttar Pradesh BEd entrance exam

LUCKNOW: Power supply reached his village Nagwa Jairam in Sitapur only last year, but his dedication to attain the light of learning was such that dearth of resources never proved to be a hurdle in his studies.
Son of a farmer, Pankaj Kumar, who bagged the first rank in the Uttar Pradesh Joint Entrance Examination of Bachelor in Education scoring 299 marks out of 400 among 4.31 lakh candidates, believes hardwork i sthe most important trait of a successful man.
Elated to top the state-level exam conducted by his alma mater Lucknow University, Pankaj said, “Come to my village in Sitapur, a hinterland where electricity supply was a dream till last year, only a handful of youngsters are graduate and I am the only one to go for further studies despite all odds.” He said studying without electricity not only proves to be challenging in the night, but weather extremes also test once patience.
He said living in an area with poor internet connectivity is another challenge as you don’t have the luxury of having access to online study material and even the model papers that play a crucial role in preparation.
Kumar said: “My farmer father Shyam Sunder is the only earning member, he toiled hard in fields and asked me just to focus on studies so that the picture of our village can change, where English medium schools, roads and other basic are no luxuries.”
He graduated from LU in 2015. Due to lack of resources, Kumar couldn’t afford expensive professional courses and hence decided to prepare for various entrance tests and qualifying BEd was one of his dreams.
“I will get an admission in a government college that is affordable and it will help me fulfil my dream of becoming a teacher. My only wish is to empower the education system in my home town,” said Kumar.
The top three ranks of UP BEd were clinched by male candidates — Ajay Kumar with 295 marks stood second, while Amar Singh scored 294 marks and stood third.