Their ranks in the IIT-JEE may not secure them a seat in one of the IITs, but that’s not the most significant part of their story. Born to poor parents, for Vicky (20) and Vivek (19) it’s their grit and determination, coupled with their father’s support, that helped them crack the Joint Entrance Examination. They have made their mother Rita and father Binod Verma, owner of a paan shop at Kutchery Chowk here, proud. The brothers recall how they studied in the flickering light of a lantern, after helping their father in the shop during the day.
Members of the Kahar (OBC) community, Vicky and Vivek have secured 6,649 and 5,160 rank respectively in the all-India merit list. “Our father has a caste certificate. But we do not want to get into an IIT through reservation quota,” says Vivek. In the quota list,Vicky and Vivek are placed at 902 and 832 rank, respectively.“My father was a drop-out. Hence, he wanted us to study and we did not let him down,” says Vicky as he talks about his father, a matriculate. “Our school was 5 km away; we either cycled or walked,” adds Vivek.
They secured more than 85 per cent marks in their class XII examination. “They were very naughty,” says Talat Shamin, their teacher at Guru Nanak School. “But both of them were studious and since they managed their time well, they excelled in all the subjects.”
Though Binod’s income was limited, he always encouraged his sons to study. “He never hesitated to borrow money to buy us books or arrange for a tutor for us,” says Vivek.
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