A daily wager's son from a village in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district has cleared the Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced), clinching a rank of 582 in the Scheduled Caste (SC) category. Bikash Das, who belongs to a family that comes below the poverty line is now eligible for a seat in the IIT. His father, Bijoy Das, said, "Bikash never studied in an English medium school. He received his education at the primary and high school level in the village and was good in academics. I am a farm labourer. I toil in the field to earn my livelihood. Despite severe fiscal constraints, I prioritised my son's education. From his primary school days, he showed brilliance in studies in Manipur Upper Primary School. I saved money for his studies. I am really happy now," Das added.

"My father is my inspiration, guide and philosopher. He sweated it out to financially support me in my studies. He never made me feel the pangs of poverty. Whatever I have achieved today is only because of him," Bikash said. "Parental support with hard work has paved the way for my success. I never believed in shortcuts to achieve success," he said.