IMPHAL, May 14: His mother wept. “She might have felt poignant and elated at the same time following her only son’s success”, other parents commented.
Wangkheimayum ongbi Purnima Devi toiled every day to make ends meet. She sells vegetables and fish door to door at Khundrakpam area to give her children a decent education.
Her son Pravakar Wangkheimayum bagged the fourth position at the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) exam, 2012.
Pravakar , 15, born to W Ronendro and Purnima of Khundrakpam Mayai Leikai was felicitated along with his successful classmates at Khundrakpam High School today. The function was attended by Zilla Parishad of Khundrakpam Panchayat as the chief guest along with other parents of the students of the school.
The Zilla Parishad ,U Indrakumar awarded a cash prize of Rs 50,000 to Pravakar for his achievement and further donated a similar sum to the school management.
Speaking to the topper during the sideline of the function, Pravaker stated that his father used to work odds and ends and have recently started ferrying students as a van driver. “We have no agriculture land, so both my parents worked hard to support me and my two sisters, I owe my success to them and next to my teachers”, he said.
Mentioning further that he has been a student of Khundrakpam Public School,( a privately run institution) since his nursery days, he said that his fees have been exempted by the management following his academic performance since then.
His mother Purnima while speaking at the function tearfully thanked the school authorities for making his son capable to excel.
Pravakar went for private coaching at HOPES and CSC coaching centre located at Kwaikeithel and Paona Bazar for the HSLC exam, the bill was also footed by the school authorities. “The teachers paid for my coaching, my parents did not occur any expenditure for that”, he said.
Pravakar loves playing video games and football. His favorite dish is ‘yen thongba’ (chicken curry). The topper aims to pursue his higher studies in the science stream and wants to be an IIT tech.
Queried on which school he wants to join ? Pravakar replied that the decision is left to his parents. “Whatever they decide is fine by me, I feel that schools are mostly similar, but it’s up to the student and one’s hard work that makes the difference”.
It may be mentioned that Pravakar had a 5 mark margin less then the topper Chandam Achouba of St Joseph’s School.He totaled at 466 marks with stars in all five subjects. It was learnt that his elder sister W Kajal presently studying at DM college of Arts also is a 8th position holder at her Higher Secondary Exams.
The school managed to produce 36 first divisioners with many getting distinction marks in Maths and 4 second divisioners from the total forty students which appeared in the HSLC exam.
U Indrakumar, Zilla Parishad told mediapersons that the reason for giving the cash incentive is to encourage the students to excel in academics. He mentioned that only infrastructure development of the area cannot be termed as bringing about progress but rather promoting education is bringing about the real development for the future.