Berhampur: : He was born with deformities in both legs, which were corrected with physiotherapy for months. His struggle didn’t stop here. Seven years ago his father died of heart attack, leaving the family in penury. His mother worked as a domestic help to make both ends meet.But rising above financial hardships and personal adversity, Santosh Kumar Gouda (15) of Laxman Nagar in Silk City secured A-1 grade by securing 480 out of a total of 500 marks in annual HSC examination, the result of which was published on Saturday. Adarsha Shishu Vidya Mandir, where he studied from Class 1 to 10 — felicitated him on Monday.Gouda, who pursued his boards studies without any private tuition, said he studied from the textbooks, while clearing doubts with the teachers. “I am satisfied with my marks obtained and will pursue Plus II (science),” said Gouda who aims to become an IAS officer.His mother expressed pride and hope. “He is a hard working boy and studied eight to 10 hours daily. He has achieved good results with blessings of others. I hope he succeeds in life,” she said.In Rourkela, two boys, the son of an auto driver and another of a carpenter, both secured A1 grade and 90% marks in Class X examination of Board Secondary Education, Odisha.Abhirup is the elder son of Dilip Das, an auto driver, who stays with his family in a rented quarter at Jhirpani. Abhirup studied from classes I to VIII in an Odia-medium school and classes IX and X in Pragati Vidya Mandir, Jagda, a govt-aided school. Abhirup scored 540 out of 600 marks, securing A1 grade. He said, “I am happy but I was expecting more marks. The teachers and headmaster of my school were very supportive. My father taught me maths, which proved fruitful.“Abhirup would like to pursue science stream and aspires to be a doctor.Subhankar Sutar, another student of Pragati Vidya Mandir, Jagda, son of a carpenter, scored 540 marks too.Subhankar studied from classes I to VIII in a private Odia-medium school before completing class IX and X from Pragati Vidya Mandir. A meritorious student, Subhankar reacted by saying, “Hard work and dedication are key to my success. I was constantly focusing on my studies and studying 8 hours daily apart from school.”
