A rickshaw trolley puller’s son and a farmer’s son are among those who will receive their medals from President Ram Nath Kovind at the 7th convocation of the Babasaheb Bhimarao Ambedkar University (BBAU) on Friday.
Dalit students, Mahendra and Manjesh, have studied M Sc Applied Mathematics and will be receiving gold medals. Having led lives full of struggle, they now want to make a difference in the future of other dalit students.
“My heart bleeds to see my father pedalling rickshaw trolleys on the roads of Delhi, carrying tons of weight and getting paid a pittance,” said Mahendra who topped Applied Economics (2016) with 89.06% marks.
He said he had seen such times when he and his family had to sleep on empty stomachs. “Having witnessed all this, I have decided to become a professor and help out other dalit students in their studies, so that they can lead respectable lives,” said Mahendra.
{{/usCountry}}He said he had seen such times when he and his family had to sleep on empty stomachs. “Having witnessed all this, I have decided to become a professor and help out other dalit students in their studies, so that they can lead respectable lives,” said Mahendra.
{{/usCountry}}Manjesh, who passed out in 2017, also wishes to become a teacher and lead a respectable life. His father is a farmer in Hardoi district. “I am the only one in my family who is a post-graduate. The onus to change my family’s fortunes is on me,” he said.
Both are delighted at the prospect of receiving their hard-earned medals from the President. “I am confident that our achievement will inspire other dalit students of the university to excel in academics. It is only through education that we can make a difference in the society,” said the duo.
Meanwhile, general category students Vikas Chaurasiya (M Sc Applied Mathematics) and Richa Verma (M Sc in information technology) are equally elated about receiving their gold medals from President Kovind.
Vikas expressed gratitude for his elder brother who funded his fees. “My father could not afford the expense of my higher studies,” he said.
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President Kovind will be the chief guest at BBAU’s convocation on December 15. The university will give away around 1,000 degrees, 100 PhDs and 200 gold medals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief guest at the varsity’s sixth convocation organised in January 2016.