`The Rising': TS SW students battled poverty, discrimination to crack JEE

Hyderabad: Varshini Gopi shudders with fear when she recalls the day her family was evicted from their house in the middle of a pandemic. In a jiffy, she was homeless. she faced problems managing her studies and finding a new home. But she did not give up.

Come July 2022. she secured 96.7 percentile in the JEE Mains Session 1 result. Her teachers were thrilled They encouraged her to score even a higher percentile in Session 2 of the JEE Mains exam scheduled to be held in July. A student of Gowlidoddi Junior Girls College, Varshini is also the third topper among the social welfare residential schools.

"We were told that we wouldn't be given a home for rent as we belong to the SC community. They also said that they are not giving homes for rent to Muslims and people from the SC community," recalls Varshini. Later, her parents managed to find a home in Meerpet in Rangareddy.

Varshini says that since her father was a four-wheeler driver and her mother is a homemaker, the family used to face various financial constraints too. But she says that Dr. B R Ambedkar is her greatest inspiration. Just like how he fought the challenges that life offered him and excelled in his life, I also want to be like him, says Varshini.

"I have seen my parents struggling"

K Sathvika, who secured 97.8 percentile in JEE Mains Session 1 and came second among the social welfare schools, says that she has seen her parents struggling to make both ends meet and that has been her biggest inspiration to study harder.

Before joining the social welfare residential school, where education is free for her intermediate, Sathvika used to go to a private school where the fee was very high.

Sathvika, who lives in Ibrahimpatnam also faced network issues during her online classes.

Sathvika, who has got a seat in NIT now is preparing for her JEE Mains Session 2. "I aim to get into IIT," she says.

My parents taught me the value of education

Naramdas Shiva, whose father is an electrician, is very happy and proud of his son. Shiva secured 97.2 percentile and came first in JEE Mains Session 1. He says that his parents always reminded him about the value of education. "In their times, they were not encouraged to go to school. So they know the value of education and always reminded me about it," he says.

One of his friend's brothers is studying at IIT. Listening to the stories of his life in IIT from his friend, Shiva wanted to join there for higher studies. "Since my 10th standard, I have been dreaming of getting into an IIT. I am working towards clearing the Mains Session 2 and Advanced to fulfill my dream," says Shiva.

Shiva wishes to pursue Artificial Intelligence from IIT Guwahati. "AI is ruling the world now. It is the technology of the future. So I want to pursue a career that will be useful in the future," says Shiva.