JAIPUR: In Ahoni Beniwalo-Ke-Dhani, a hamlet of just 15 huts in the middle of the Thar desert in Barmer district, there is celebration.
Even with the fear of heavy rainfall and high winds due to Cyclone Biparjoy has not stopped villagers from as far as Jodhpur from reaching the two-room mud hut to greet Mustak Khan, a tailor, who lives in it. The youth has secured 2589th rank in AIR OBC category in the NEET results announced on June 13.
Khan, the son of an illiterate factory worker on daily wage, was the first from the hamlet to clear class XII. It is a matter of great pride for his hamlet and relatives that he is now set to be a doctor. The youngest among six siblings, Khan has been stitching clothes to earn for his poor family and studying hard to master the science subjects.
“I hope everything goes well and I get into a good medical college. Since I have never gone out of Rajasthan, I would prefer to study either in Jaipur or Jodhpur so that I can see my family regularly,” said an elated Khan, aware that his NEET scores can get him into a top college in the country.
Khan completed his class X at a government senior secondary school in Madhasar village, 3km from his hamlet, and scored 91%, the highest in the entire block. He was given a cash award of Rs 21, 000 by Shiv Bharti Muth, where he met a teacher who guided him about NEET and JEE.
“I had some idea about these examinations but never gave them a thought. Living in these rural parts, we always believed we cannot succeed in these examinations unless we go to Kota or Jaipur. The teacher at the muth connected me to a free coaching-cum-residency at 50 Villagers Sewa Sansthan operated by a group of government doctors. I appeared in their entrance test and made it to the top 25,” said Khan over the phone in the middle of celebrations in his hamlet.
With his father, who works as a daily wager at a factory in Barmer, unable to provide enough for the family, Khan and his sisters were engaged in menial jobs since their childhood. He learnt sewing from one of his sisters, after whose marriage he himself took charge of the tailoring work.
“My sewing skills have earned me a lot of respect in the hamlet and around. I took to tailoring as I found it better than working in the field under the hot sun,” said Khan, who can stitch kurta-pajamas and shirts with ease.
On being asked what he would like to do after becoming a doctor, Khan said, “I will ask my father to stop working at the factory and will build a pukka house for my family. But right now I am worried about how to have enough money to run the family till I start earning a stipend.”
Even with the fear of heavy rainfall and high winds due to Cyclone Biparjoy has not stopped villagers from as far as Jodhpur from reaching the two-room mud hut to greet Mustak Khan, a tailor, who lives in it. The youth has secured 2589th rank in AIR OBC category in the NEET results announced on June 13.
Khan, the son of an illiterate factory worker on daily wage, was the first from the hamlet to clear class XII. It is a matter of great pride for his hamlet and relatives that he is now set to be a doctor. The youngest among six siblings, Khan has been stitching clothes to earn for his poor family and studying hard to master the science subjects.
“I hope everything goes well and I get into a good medical college. Since I have never gone out of Rajasthan, I would prefer to study either in Jaipur or Jodhpur so that I can see my family regularly,” said an elated Khan, aware that his NEET scores can get him into a top college in the country.
Khan completed his class X at a government senior secondary school in Madhasar village, 3km from his hamlet, and scored 91%, the highest in the entire block. He was given a cash award of Rs 21, 000 by Shiv Bharti Muth, where he met a teacher who guided him about NEET and JEE.
“I had some idea about these examinations but never gave them a thought. Living in these rural parts, we always believed we cannot succeed in these examinations unless we go to Kota or Jaipur. The teacher at the muth connected me to a free coaching-cum-residency at 50 Villagers Sewa Sansthan operated by a group of government doctors. I appeared in their entrance test and made it to the top 25,” said Khan over the phone in the middle of celebrations in his hamlet.
With his father, who works as a daily wager at a factory in Barmer, unable to provide enough for the family, Khan and his sisters were engaged in menial jobs since their childhood. He learnt sewing from one of his sisters, after whose marriage he himself took charge of the tailoring work.
“My sewing skills have earned me a lot of respect in the hamlet and around. I took to tailoring as I found it better than working in the field under the hot sun,” said Khan, who can stitch kurta-pajamas and shirts with ease.
On being asked what he would like to do after becoming a doctor, Khan said, “I will ask my father to stop working at the factory and will build a pukka house for my family. But right now I am worried about how to have enough money to run the family till I start earning a stipend.”
