It was a story of triumph over excuses and adversities as Vishal Vishwas, whose father is a vegetable seller and mother works as domestic help, cracked the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE)-Mains.
The student of Allen Institute in his hometown of Kota, Rajasthan, Vishal ranked #5677 in JEE-Main, which helped him secure a seat in chemical engineering at Surat’s National Institute of Technology.
While both his parents made numerous sacrifices to ensure Vishal got the best coaching at one of the premier institutes in the country, the Allen Coaching Institute, the institute will play an important role in providing a scholarship to him during his graduation days.
Kota, Rajasthan | Overcoming odds, slum-dwelling, Vishal Vishwas cracked JEE- Mains this year with 5677 rank. Now will join National Institute of Technology, Surat.#dreams pic.twitter.com/e33TIkMR2y
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) November 6, 2022
Naveen Maheshwari, Director, Allen said, “This is the real success for us. Allen is always ready to encourage such children to study in adversity. Under the Allen Gudri ka Lal Scholarship, Vishal will be given a monthly scholarship during his graduation for the next four years.”
Through the family, Vishal, along with his parents and two siblings, lived in modest accommodations in Kota’s Ganeshpura slums, which did not deter them from fulfilling their child’s dreams.
Vishal’s struggles are numerous. During rains and strong winds, the family had to battle uprooted tin sheds, leaving them exposed to the harsh rains.
When COVID-19 struck, Vishal had to manage his studies by himself as he lacked the resources to support online studies. While his home wears a gloomy look as parts of it are falling apart and there is hardly sufficient space to fit a family of five.
But amid all the gloom, Vishal’s study space wears an optimistic look. His shelves are studded with trophies, books, and notes that are a testimony to Vishal’s exemplary academic record. “There are only books in the house in the name of luxury,” Vishal’s father, Buddhi Vishwas, said.
Vishal’s father begins his work in the wee hours of the night, pushing his cart throughout the town to make a paltry sum ₹300-400 a day. His mother, Shefali, who works as a domestic help in a nearby uptown area and has to manage her household affairs as well, spared no effort to look after her son.
“All this has been possible because of Kota. Here, children get an educational environment. My son Vishal was also inspired by the students around him becoming doctors and engineers,” Buddhi said.
“This was the reason that these children also dreamed of becoming engineers and doctors and got a good education at Allen. Now both are moving towards success. Kota is fulfilling the dreams of lakhs of students,” he added.
Incidentally, Vishal’s sister Varsha, a medical aspirant, cracked NEET-UG 2022 and will now study to become a dentist. The youngest sibling, Bipin, who scored 93 per cent in his class 10 board exams, is also on his way to follow in the footsteps of his elder siblings.