Gadchiroli (PTI): Overcoming severe financial hardships, a family tragedy, and personal turmoil, 24-year-old tribal youth from Maharashtra's remote Gadchiroli district has secured admission to the world-renowned London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
Vishal Meshram, who belongs to an impoverished tribal family from Lakhamapur Bori village, has been selected for the postgraduate program MSc in International Social and Public Policy.
To support his higher education journey in the United Kingdom, the Maharashtra Tribal Development Department has sanctioned a state scholarship of around Rs 80 lakh, Meshram told PTI.
"I aim to work with international development agencies to address structural Developmental Problems affecting marginalised and Indigenous students and expand their access to opportunities," he said.
His journey to one of the world's premier social science institutions has been fraught with intense personal struggle.
Raised in Murkhala Mal in Chamorshi, Meshram grew up in extreme poverty. His late father worked as a manual labourer to support the household, while his mother suffers from a severe mental health condition. Tragic circumstances struck his family again barely two months ago when his father passed away. Throughout his schooling, his grandfather, a small-scale farmer, provided crucial support for his education.
After completing his Class 12 education at Shivaji Junior College in Chamorshi in 2020, Meshram earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from Fergusson College in Pune. He subsequently completed his Master's degree in Development Studies from Azim Premji University in Bengaluru.
Meshram credited several mentors and institutions for guiding him through his academic journey and the foreign university application process.
He expressed deep gratitude to his Class 10 teacher Soham Mahorkar, as well as Dr Pankaj Narule, founder of the Sankalp Foundation, who provided financial and emotional guidance. He also acknowledged Pune hostel warden Uday Mahajan alongside professors from Fergusson College and Azim Premji University for their constant mentorship.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
