Atul Kumar, who carried pilgrims on horses and bones along the steep tracks of Kedarnath Dham to support his family, cleaned the IIT-Klouba (JAM) 2025 and was selected for Iit Madras.
Kumar, son of a horse service, told his inspiring journey from a small village in Rudraprrayag, Uttarakhand to the prestigious Institute of Technology.
He said his only motivation was to advance ahead in life and do something better for himself and his family.
“I am from a small village in Rudraprrayag … I did not know much until 12. Standard. There is not much awareness in hilly areas. I did not know that something like Iit existed at all,” Kumar said.
“After completing the 12th class. I passed the entrance exam. But then I learned through teachers that I could perform a master’s degree from IIT. My teachers and friends supported me and motivated me a lot,” he added.
IIT-JAM preparation strategy
When he talked about his preparation strategy, Kumar said he began to prepare for the Iit-Jam exam in July last year after returning from Kedarnath and taking help from his friend for notes.
“I started studying in July. I just came back from Kedarnath, where I worked in June-not a network and we lived in the tents, so the study was not possible. My friend Mahavir, who had prepared before, helped me a lot by sharing his notes.
“My greatest motivation was to proceed in life – to escape this place and create something better for yourself.”
Kumar also said that his father works as a horse service and is the main livelihood of the family. During the holidays, Kumar helped him. His older sister is married and the younger has just finished her education.
“The reaction was stunning. More than my own joy, that was the happiness on the faces of the others that touched me – from teachers to people who have never taught me, everyone called me to congratulate me. It is good to bring pride to my community,” he added.
(Tagstotranslate) iit jam
