Inspiring stories of five IITians that prove nothing is impossible
The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), comprising Main and Advanced exams, is the gateway to admission to the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). The IITs are a dream destination for most engineering aspirants in India but cracking the JEE isn't easy. However, there are some IITians who have conquered their dreams despite odds stacked against them. Here are the inspiring stories of five IITians.
The story of Naga Naresh Karutara, a Computer Science Engineer from IIT-Madras, is truly inspiring. Hailing from a small village in Andhra Pradesh, Naresh lost both his legs in an accident when he was a child. His father was a lorry driver and both his parents were illiterate. Despite being wheelchair-bound, he cracked the IIT-JEE and graduated from IIT-Madras to join Google later.
Rajesh Sharma, who suffered from a neglected clubfoot that affects lower limbs, cracked the IIT-JEE in 2009 to get into IIT-Bombay. Though he couldn't afford coaching, he still secured the 20th rank in the physically-disabled category. Sharma, the son of a Jodhpur-based carpenter, later also landed his dream job in the Japanese e-commerce firm, Rakuten, during campus placements with a Rs. 32 LPA package.
Rajiv Dandotiya, from a remote village in Rajasthan, was a below-average student who secured just 39% in Class-12. However, he realized that education was the way to support his family and prepared for JEE. He cracked JEE in 2002 in his third attempt and got admission to IIT-Kharagpur. He later pursued PhD and joined Maersk Drilling. He currently works for Tetra Pak in Sweden.
Shivam Porwal, an IIT Patna alumnus, was born with missing fingers and impaired legs. Porwal, hailing from Madhya Pradesh's Mahidpur, suffered from phocomelia syndrome, which is a rare birth defect. His father was a paan shop worker who earned Rs. 100/month. Despite financial hardships and physical challenges, he cracked the GATE and got into IIT Patna. He later joined BSNL as a Telecom Officer.
Kanpur's Abhishek Bhartiya, who came from a very poor family, used to work in the daytime and study at night. His father used to repair shoes while his mother stitched clothes. Despite financial struggles, Abhishek cracked JEE-2010 and got into IIT-Kanpur by self-study.
