Sanjana Bai of Indu PU College at Kottur in Vijayanagara district who has emerged the topper in the Arts stream with 597 marks out of 600.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
K. Nirmala of Sri Panchamasali PU College at Ittigi in Huvina Hadagali taluk has secured the second position by scoring 596 marks.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Poverty has not deterred these two girls, L.R. Sanjana Bai, daughter of a lorry driver, and K. Nirmala, daughter of an agricultural worker, from overcoming all odds and putting up an impressive show in the II PU examination, the results of which were announced on Tuesday.
While Sanjana, a student of Indu PU College in Kottur, Vijayanagara district, topped the Arts stream by securing 597 marks out of 600, Nirmala of Sri Panchamasali PU College at Ittigi in Huvina Hadagali taluk has secured the second position by scoring 596 marks.
Sanjana’s 597 marks out of 600 is the highest by any student in the history of her college.
Sanjana is an ambitious and hardworking student. She had scored 93% in the SSLC examination and her impressive marks helped her secure a seat at Indu College in Kottur which is known for its performance.
“To encourage hard-working and bright students, Indu College offers concession in fees for those who get good marks in the SSLC examination. I got a concession of ₹6,000 when I got admission to the college. The college completely waived fees for admission to second year as I topped the first PU exam. I had to pay only the hostel fees,” Sanjana told The Hindu.
Sanjana’s father drives his truck across the country. He is the breadwinner of the family and her mother is a homemaker. The poor family found it very difficult to pay even Sanjana’s hostel fees in one instalment.
“The college allowed us to pay the fees in three instalments. My father managed to arrange the fees,” Sanjana said.
When asked how she could churn out such a spectacular performance, she attributed her success to her teachers in the college.
“The syllabus was completed by November-end (2024). After that, the college started conducting preparatory examinations. There was a preparatory examination every morning and syllabus revision in the afternoon. We used to study during the night,” she said.
To question on her goals, she said that she wants to crack the UPSC examination to join the Indian Administrative Service.
Sanjana is the eldest child, while her younger brother is studying in Class 10, her younger sister is in Class 9.
Nirmala’s story is no different. After getting divorced from her husband, Nirmala’s mother left her husband’s village, Jangamar Kalgudi in Gangavati taluk of Koppal district, to go back to her parents in Kannihalli village near Ittigi.
“We had no choice but to depend on my maternal grandmother and my uncles (mother’s brothers). Their financial condition is not so strong either. The family toils on five acres of dry land for survival. My mother works as a farm worker in the fields of others. They are the ones who, despite the poverty, took care of us and our education. They paid the college fees in instalments,” Nirmala said.
When asked about her study pattern, she said that she studied five-six hours a day at home, apart from the revision and preparatory tests in college. She travelled to and from college every day.
Both the colleges (Kottur’s Indu PU College and Ittigi’s Sri Panchamasali PU College) conducted 12 preparatory tests to prepare their students for the final examinations.
Published – April 08, 2025 08:11 pm IST