Growing up in a household where the sole breadwinner was his father — who was a labourer and a security guard his entire life — meant living with very limited access to basic amenities. But the story of Ramesh Chalavadi stands as a testament to what hard work, determination and a quest for learning can make you achieve. Ramesh, who works as a security guard at night, has secured the first rank in the Kannada post-graduation exams for the 2017-18 academic year conducted by Vijayanagara Shri Krishnadevaraya University (UVSKU), Bellary in Karnataka.
Despite abject poverty, Ramesh, a student from the Koppal district in Karnataka achieved what a lot of people with all the amenities often don't. He secured an aggregate 1,734 marks out of the total 2,200 marks to earn the first position in the examination. "I studied for four hours a day regularly as I had to go to work at night. I tried to attend regular classes at my college too," says Ramesh. All of 21, he is the youngest son of Shanmukhppa, who has five children — Ramesh has two elder sisters and two elder brothers and they live in the village of Gundoor in Gangavati taluk.
Once he's done with his day, Ramesh works as a security guard keeping vigil over a Syndicate Bank ATM in Gangavati. You might wonder why Ramesh, given his unwelcoming conditions, want to study. The answer lies in his ambitions, "I would now like to pursue a PhD in Kannada and would like to become a lecturer to be able to inspire students and youngsters like me who want to become self-sufficient. I feel that education is a crucial key to economic self-reliance and a means to support my family," he adds.
Ramesh completed his primary education in Gundoor and did his Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) in the nearby Siddapur village. Following which he enrolled for college education in Sri Kolli Nageshwara Rao Gangaiah Government First Grade College. Along with his ATM job at night, he attended classes regularly to earn the post-graduation degree in Kannada at the same college.
Mumtaz Begum, Ramesh's teacher from the college, says, "I have never seen such a dedicated student in my entire teaching career. Although Ramesh worked as an ATM guard during the night, he used to attend classes regularly. Initially, he used to sleep during classes and I remember scolding him several times without knowing that he had to work in the night shift." She further adds, "He was very active in all the co-curricular activities."
And guess what, this is not the first time that Ramesh is earning and learning at the same time. Prior to this, he pursued his BEd from the same college and while doing so he was also working in several places as a part-time employee, says his teacher.
