Ramashankar Yadav with his sons Ram (right) and Shyam (left).
All Ramashankar Yadav, a bus driver, knows is that his twin sons have cleared an exam. What he cannot comprehend is that the exam in question is the JEE-Advanced and how his sons have now embarked on a path which may see the family's fortunes undergo a sea change.
"My parents only know that we have passed the exam but they don't understand the importance of the same. For my brother and me, this is our first step towards attaining our goals. We both want to become researchers," said Ram Yadav (18).
While Ram has secured the 267 rank in the OBC category, his brother Shyam has got rank 1,816 in the same category. Born and brought up in a small slum in Bhiwandi, their father's only aim was to earn enough to make sure his family is fed. With his monthly salary of Rs. 8,000, he somehow also managed to fund the basic education of his four sons over the years.
Ram and Shyam managed to score well in the Std X and XII board exams without the help of any coaching, but cracking the JEE was going to be a different ball game.
"We were informed about a class where they would teach us for free if we passed their aptitude test. We both scored very well and immediately got full scholarships," said Shyam. Both boys trained at FIITJEE.
Funding issue
The problem for the twins, however, hasn't ended with passing the exam. While it is certain that the brothers will get through to one of the IITs, paying the hefty fees will be a Herculean task for their father.
"We both want to pursue engineering, but, eventually, we want to do research in particle physics and space. At this point, we have no idea how we will be able to raise the funds for our education," said Ram, who loves to read autobiographies of great innovators.
The boys are now focusing on choosing the right field of engineering before choosing the institute. "My boys are very hardworking and have always done well in studies. But we are at a juncture where I don't know how to help them with their future plans. Hopefully, things will fall in place," said their father.
Mumbai: Help Pours in for Bus Driver's Twins Who Cracked IIT-JEE
Their father may not be able to comprehend the scale of his sons' achievement, but the rest of the world certainly has. The day mid-day reported about 18-year-old twins Ram and Shyam, sons of bus driver Ramashankar Yadav, who have passed the JEE Advanced exams but are struggling to fund their education with their father's meagre Rs. 8,000 salary, help began pouring in from all corners.
Institutes, corporate houses and individuals from across the country called up the twins as well as mid-day yesterday and offered to help fund their education. "People from our management read about the brothers and we are very keen on helping them.
Both boys seem to be doing really well academically and lack of funds should not be a hindrance," said Meera Isaacs, principal of Cathedral & John Connon School in Fort. Similarly, many other people contacted the mid-day office in order to touch base with the boys and help them monetarily.
"I have been receiving calls all day and I can't imagine how so many strangers agreed to trust us and fund our education. My father was worried that we would have to give up on our dream since we couldn't afford the fees. I am so happy that there are so many angels who have come to our rescue," said Ram Yadav, one of the brothers.
"My parents, who only knew that we had passed an exam and did not know the importance of IIT JEE, are still not sure what is happening. All they know is that we can continue our studies now, and this has made them very happy," added Ram.
Will power
Residents of Bhiwandi, both boys managed to score well in their class X and XII board exams without the help of any coaching classes. Their IIT-JEE entrance exam training was thanks to a 100% scholarship provided by FIITJEE based on an aptitude test.
Both brothers want to pursue their education at one of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and take up research in particle physics and space. "We will work very hard to make sure that we make everybody who has trusted us proud of our work and achievements," said Ram.
