education

Updated: May 17, 2017 20:45 IST

Seventeen-year-old Amit Kumar, son of a labourer from Bharatpur, emerged as one of the top scorers in the science stream with 98.2% marks in the Class 12 exams of the Rajasthan Board, the results of which were announced on Monday.

Amit scored 100 each in Chemistry and Mathematics and 97 in Physics. The Board did not announce the merit list this year as it felt that the move will curb competition between schools and lessen the burden on students.

His father was struggling to pay his school fees but the director of a private school who came forward to help him after seeing his dedication, ensured that he did not quit.

“I was admitted by Pramod Singh in his school and the hostel where I studied and stayed free of cost,” said Amit who was considering leaving education due to the family’s financial condition.

Overjoyed at his son’s success, Surendra Singh said that his family earlier depended on agriculture for livelihood but it was not enough. As a result, he started working as a daily wage labourer to support and educate his children.

Amit’s elder sister is married while his younger brother is doing his BTech from a government engineering college in Bharatpur.

Amit aspires to be an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. After passing his 8th standard exams from a government school in his village Peepla, he enrolled in a private school in Bharatpur city and cycled 13 kilometres every day.

Pramod Singh, the director of the school, said that he decided to help Amit after he saw that he had scored 94% in Class 10.

Lupin Human Welfare and Research Foundation has agreed to support him for higher education. Sitaram Gupta, the Foundation’s director, said that it was commendable that a village boy has become one of the toppers in the state despite lack of facilities.