Coached by students of the National Institute of Technology-Tiruchy (NIT-T), two boys from the Perambalur Government Higher Secondary School have cleared the JEE Mains.
IGNITTE, the teaching club run by NIT-T students, has been helping aspirants crack competitive examinations since its launch in 2016. K Vallarasu and R Shiva Kumar were able to clear the exam by devoting their weekends to study for the exam with no support but that offered by the club.
Vallarasu said he never imagined that he would crack the JEE Mains. "We cannot afford to enroll ourselves in a coaching centre as we would have had to pay a hefty fee. But, the timely help from the NIT-T brothers is what helped us clear the entrance exam," the 17-year-old said. Vallarasu's father is an autorickshaw driver and his mother a homemaker. The family lives near Ammapalayam in Perambalur and Vallarasu has attended school as a residential student, mainly to access the IGNITTE programme. "My aim is to become an engineer. I will apply for my higher education at NIT one day," he added.
His classmate R Shiva Kumar, also 17, credited former Collector Nandhakumar for ensuring both of them got access to coaching. "It is so tough to clear JEE as it requires a lot of studying in English. Former Collector Nandhakumar, on seeing our plight, roped in NIT-T students to give us coaching for the examination. I found the entrance exam easy." Shiva Kumar's family is supported by his brother.
Both the boys from the first group in their Class XII will appear for the NEET on May 6, coaching for which was also provided by IGNITTE.
“On the one hand, there are people ready to pay huge amounts to just enrol their wards in JEE coaching institutes, while on the other many don’t even know what IITs and NITs are. Coming from the latter background and having studied in Tamil medium, attempting the examination in English and clearing it is a remarkable, revolutionary achievement,” observed IGNITTE president V Sanjeev.
“It is a matter of immense pride for us that the two have been able to clear JEE Mains, this year. They are now eligible to write JEE Advanced, which is considered one of the most difficult entrance exams,” Sanjeev added.
IGNITTE has selectively taught 20 students since its launch. In 2017, two students cleared the JEE Mains while 13 cleared NEET 2017. Of the 13, two have been offered seats at Government Medical Colleges.
