Fields of Borsi produce scientist

The fields of Borsi, a backward village in Chhattisgarh, are light years away from Hyderabad’s National Centre for Nuclear Sciences and Mathematics. But for 29-year-old Puna Ram Sinha, that quantum jump was no more difficult than skirting a ditch in his backyard.

The fields of Borsi, a backward village in Chhattisgarh, are light years away from Hyderabad’s National Centre for Nuclear Sciences and Mathematics.

But for 29-year-old Puna Ram Sinha, that quantum jump was no more difficult than skirting a ditch in his backyard.

The youngest son of a poor farmer in Borsi, 90 km from Raipur, he joined the department of atomic energy in the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) as a scientist in April 2007.

Hardship never deterred Sinha. On the contrary, it was the fuel that fired his zeal. A single school uniform, missed meals – all was grist to his mill.

"Luxuries cannot motivate one for challenge and growth,” he said. The simplicity of village life was "beyond compare”.

But that simple life came at a price. His village had no hospital, no electricity, no cars and no motorable road. Poverty was universal. It made him realise one thing: "There was no option but to study.”

Today, that perspective has changed. Education, he has come to realise, is only a tool. "It is dedication and sincerity that helps one realise an ambition,” he said.

Things would have become difficult if Sinha had not benefited from scholarships. That came easy, for he had been a topper throughout.

The fortunes of his family changed too. Today, they own a house with nine rooms and 4.5 acres of farmland.

But Sinha has a few dreams that concern others as well.

"I want to help poor children achieve their goals,” he said.

"There is no magic wand to realise a dream,” Sinha said. "The role of a school in one’s career is about 5% to 10%. The rest are achieved through hard work and dedication.”