VIJAYANAGARA: The principal of a government polytechnic knocked on the doors of a 16-year-old boy from a nomadic community who scored 90% in SSLC exams and offered him admission in Ballari district on Saturday.
M Mounesh’s parents M Raghavendra and Sunkamma work as labourers and live on the edge of Kudtini town in a makeshift hut. The boy studied up to Class IV in a local school and joined Morarji Residential School in Siruguppa taluk’s Nadavi village for Class V from where he completed Class X where all expenses were borne by the government.
When the boy showed interest in pursuing technical education but was about to quit as he couldn’t raise money, principal S Mallappa and staff of Government Polytechnic College at Kudligi arrived at his house with an application form and formally admitted him to the course.
Boy was on the verge of calling it quits: Principal
After learning that the principal had sponsored the boy’s three-year education at the polytechnic, higher education minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan assured the boy and principal that the government will bear his education expenses.
Thanking the college and the government, Mounesh said his education for the past five years was free and he was in a dilemma about continuing studies. “My parents earn barely enough to keep the kitchen fires burning. It’s my good fortune that Mallappa Sir and the higher education minister extended support ,” he added.
The boy’s elder sister Hemavati notched up 95% in SSLC exams and is pursuing arts at a PU college; his brothers Chandrashekar and Mahesh are in class 8 and 3. Mother Sunkamma said, “Since we do not have a shelter or regular income, we couldn’t afford my son’s higher education. He has got an opportunity to study further thanks to the government and the college.”
Mounesh, who was opted for cybersecurity in his diploma, said he would plough it back to society by encouraging poor students to continue studies.
Principal Mallappa said he volunteered to foot fees for the next three years as the boy was on the verge of calling it quits and supporting family by taking up a job.
‘‘Polytechnic principal Mallappa won my heart through his gesture. The government will take care of Mounesh’s education expenses. This is also the aim of National Education Policy: Take education to the doorstep of every student,” said CN Ashwath Narayan, minister for higher education.
