Auto driver’s son C Parthasarathy cracks JEE, will pursue Aerospace Engineering at IIT Madras

With nearly a month left before the commencement of classes at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, 17-year-old C Parthasarathy is embarking on a new journey after cracking the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Mains examination with 112 marks and is about to pursue BTech Aerospace Engineering, reported The New Indian Express.

Parthasarathi who hails from Ganapathi Sundara Nachiyarpuram village near Rajapalayam, belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and pursued his schooling at the Government Adi Dravidar Welfare (ADW) Higher Secondary School in Sundararajapuram, said Parthasarathy’s father, N Chandrabose (47), an auto driver.

"Despite being a school topper in Class X, owing to financial constraints, I had to drop out and become an auto driver. However, I didn’t want poverty to be a barrier to my children’s education, and I tried my best to make sure that all three of my children got a proper education," the father remarked.

Further, he said, "I used to listen to passengers speaking about the IIT and the benefits of pursuing higher studies there. When Sarathy was in Class XI, I suggested he attempt JEE the following year, but he was already preparing for the examination by attending coaching classes at his school."

Sarathy never went to private coaching classes. The coaching at school commenced in Class XI, and after passing the Mains, the selected students were given coaching at the Government Model School in Saidapet for two months, The New Indian Express reported.

“I was baffled when I moved to Chennai for the first time. The teachers were supportive, and I put all my hard work into the exam preparation,” Sarathy said. Sarathy’s father vividly remembered the time when his son used a portion of the house’s wall to practice for the examinations. He said all the pain and hard work truly paid off.