- With family responsibilities on his shoulders, Nilesh is focussed on removing all financial issues his family struggles with on a day to day basis.
- Having always dreamt of becoming a doctor to help people, the heartwrenching stories during the pandemic have further strengthened his resolve of clearing NEET.
Utawad (Dhar), Madhya Pradesh, June 02, 2021: The Second Wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has had a lasting impact on almost everyone. For students particularly, the lockdown has caused deep distress – the constant worry about exams being rescheduled, preparing for competitive exams online as well as the fear of an uncertain future. However, this period of grief and struggle has also given rise to many stories of courage among the student community that are a true inspiration for all. Of fighting against a situation and overcoming it and of finding opportunity in adversity.
One of such story is that of 18-year-old aspiring doctor Nilesh Raghuvanshi, a student of Aakash Institute in Indore who hails from Uttawad village in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
Nilesh’s father is a small farmer with 3-4 hectares of land, which is the family’s only source of income. However, finances have always been constrained in supporting a family of five including a grandmother, parents and a younger brother. Nilesh did not even have a Wi-Fi connection or laptop at home and used to struggle with both his school and coaching classes earlier when the lockdown was announced. So much so that once he could not even attend classes for a week as his phone got blocked due to some technical issue.
Wi-fi has come but Nilesh still uses a phone to study as he cannot afford a laptop. Though inconvenient, he has never let this become an excuse for not pursuing his dreams.
After joining Aakash Institute and somehow managing to pay the first fee instalment, his family was unable to pay the fee for the second instalment which would have greatly hindered his preparations. But Aakash came forward and helped him to continue his classes without having to worry about the fee.
Nilesh was always a studious kid who had a keen interest in Biology, and after giving his boards last year he is currently preparing for the prestigious NEET examination. Problems faced by the common man during the pandemic have further made him realise the importance of public health professionals and doctors, making his resolve of becoming a doctor even stronger. He sees this as his contribution in lessening the miseries of people, stories of which are aplenty in these unprecedented times.
Says Nilesh, “I want to achieve a lot, I want to grow a lot and I want to bring happiness to my family’s life. Working hard is the first step I am taking to change my life, I have to clear NEET, get into a good MBBS college, become a good doctor. It’s a long way to go and definitely not an easy one but I will keep pushing and trying my best. My parents have supported me to the best of their capabilities and I intend to do the same for them. I constantly push my younger brother to study hard, to study more because I believe education is the only tool which we can use to empower ourselves for the rest of our lives.”
Aakash Institute has made special efforts to ensure that students from Tier 2 cities and rural areas who were badly hit when the lockdown struck, are able to continue their studies and are not left behind. Teachers across all branches in India are making constant efforts to mentor the student, solve their doubts and them so as to overcome their infrastructure needs and any problems thereof.
Says Mr. Aakash Chaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash Educational Services Ltd, “Examinations like JEE and NEET require strict study regime. It takes months of preparation to crack such high-stake exams. While the safety of students is our top-most priority, so is to provide the best learning culture. The pandemic has disrupted all our lives, yet we thrive to provide best possible learning environment for our students. We want exceptional students living in remote locations to not miss a chance at achieving their goals, irrespective of their geographical locations or economic conditions. Nilesh belonging to a farmer’s family from a small village in Madhya Pradesh is a perfect example of the same. I wish him all the best for his NEET exam and hope he fulfils his dream of saving lives.”
Students who wish to take admission in Aakash can either take the instant Admission cum Scholarship Test (iACST) or register for ANTHE (Aakash National Talent Hunt Exam). iACST is a recently launched scholarship program conducted for students in Class 8th to 12th which offers them a chance to win upto a 90% scholarship on tuition fees.
The Aakash group also owns famous K-12 EdTech brand, Meritnation.com as well.
www.aakash.ac.in