VELLORE: The daughter of M Kamakshi, a daily-wage labourer from Alambadi in Villupuram, was one among the 68 students who secured admission this academic year to undergraduate courses at Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) under its Support the Advancement of Rural Students (STARS) scheme. Kamakshi considers her daughter M Eashwari's enrolment at the university as a ray of hope for their family's future.
The student induction programme for the academic year 2024-2025 under the STARS scheme was conducted at the university on Sunday. Every year, the progamme offers free education to meritorious government school students from underprivileged backgrounds in the state -- one male and female student per district.
Eashwari, a student of Government Higher Secondary School in Alambadi, topped the district securing 539 out of 600 in class 12 board examinations. She has taken up an undergraduate course in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the university. Eashwari told TNIE, "We were not aware of the institution until we received a call from them.
My school teachers told me about its importance. I plan to study well and support my family by getting a good job.” Working as a farmhand, Kamakshi earns Rs 3,000 a month. She has been the breadwinner of the family since her husband suffered a shoulder injury. Eashwari has two sisters and a brother.
Similarly, P Kannan, a daily wage construction worker, was elated that his son K Anbuselvan had secured admission to VIT. It was, he said, a reward for his son's ceaseless effort. Anbuselvan, who studied at Government Higher Secondary School in Ilayarasanendal from Thoothukudi district, secured 562 out of 600 in the board examinations. He has opted for the undergraduate course in Information Technology.
'Discover your passion, work towards it'
The chief guest of the event, ISRO Chandrayaan-3 project director Dr P Veeramuthuvel, told the students about the importance of discipline and hardwork. "Discover what you are passionate about and work towards it,” he said, reassuring the students not to worry about having come from a village or studied in Tamil medium. “Even I am from a village and studied in a Tamil medium school. Besides, several faculty members of the university and the chancellor himself are from villages,” he added.
VIT founder and chancellor Dr G Viswanathan said, “This year, merely Rs 1.48 lakh crore has been allocated in the budget for education, which is far less when the country's gross enrolment ratio for higher education is only 25%. The centre must overcome the loss of Rs 2 lakh crore in the public sector undertakings, and the state government must overcome its loss of Rs 20,000 crore in the electricity and transport departments so that more money can be spent on education.”