Chandrapur:
A poor cobbler's son, Ketan Domaji Vijaykar, has made his parents proud by scoring good marks in the recent MT-CET exams, making it to the prestigious Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), which was earlier known as Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute, Mumbai.
Ketan overcame all odds including poor financial conditions to secure good marks without any tuitions or special coaching classes during high school days. He even did not have the money to pay his fees to take admission to VJTI, but now Ketan is happy to have received financial support from one of his teachers and a group of people from the city to ensure that the formalities of his admission are completed.
Talking to reporters on Sunday evening, Ketan along with his father, Domaji Vijaykar, said that he had scored 99.09 marks in his SSC (10th) exams, followed by 84.60 per cent in his (HSC) 12th exam.
Similarly, he scored 135 marks out of 200 in the MT-CET exams and got admitted to the information technology branch, in first year BE at VJTI, Mumbai.
He studied in the Chakravarti Rajgopalachari Primary School, run by the Chandrapur Municipality from the first standard to the fourth standard and then studied in the fifth standard of the city's Jubilee School, run by the zilla parishad here.
Later, he took admission in Gondwana Sainiki Vidyalaya at Gadchiroli and studied there from sixth standard to the twelfth standard.
He gave credit to his teachers for his performance and expressed his special gratitude to his teacher, Satish Chichghare, who took contributed to his success by providing him with extra coaching classes, free of cost.
Chichghare, also paid Rs 36,000, from his own pocket to see that Ketan fot admission to VJTI, but an assurance to meet the expenses for his stay at the hostel and other expenditure have been given by a group of people including Devendra Gawande, Jagdish Raithatha and others from the city.
A citizen, Bharat Potdukhe also informed that Milind Sapre and Nitin Sapre, sons of renowned cartoonist Manohar Sapre from the city, who are in Mumbai, have agreed to take care of Ketan's other requirements as his local guardians.
Citizens informed that the estimated expenses of around Rs 1.50 lakh for his four-year term at VJTI would be taken care of by one Jean Hessey from France, an acquaintance of the Sapre family in Mumbai and also Manoj Singhrakhia, who is also from Mumbai.
On the occasion, Ketan was felicitated with bouquets and presented with formal dresses by a group of citizens wishing him luck for a bright future.
