‘Carried lights at wedding to earn Rs 250': UP teen becomes first to clear class 10 exam in his village since Independence

Time of India

06-05-2025

LUCKNOW: In the season of celebrations of academic feats when scores of students vie for the topper's slot, a Barabanki village, 30 km from Lucknow, is feting a 15-year-old
Ramkeval
who has become the first villager to pass the
class 10 board exams
from his village ever.
Ramkeval hails from
Nizampur village
, which has a population of around 300, primarily from the
Dalit community
. The eldest of four siblings, he did odd jobs during the day to support his family and burnt the midnight oil to prepare for the exams. Ramkeval shared that he used to carry lights in wedding processions and earned Rs 250 to 300 per day.
Barabanki district magistrate Shashank Tripathi on Sunday honoured Ramkeval and his parents in recognition of his achievement. He also assured him of all the help in his studies.
15-yr-old Ramkeval carried lights in wedding processions to earn Rs 250
'We have been trying to map out such areas where families are struggling to get basic education till class 10 and 12. In this particular case, district inspector of schools OP Tripathi was looking after the child and ensured that he was regular at school,' said the DM. Ramkeval said that his mother cooks food in a school, and his father works as a labourer to support the family. 'I used to carry lights in wedding processions and earned Rs 250 to 300 per day to support them,' he said.
'Despite returning late at night, I would study for at least two hours under a solar lamp at home. Some people in the village used to mock me, saying I would never pass high school. But I always believed I would prove them wrong,' Ramkeval, who studied at the Government Inter College in Ahmedpur near Nizampur, said. Despite the family being barely able to make both ends meet, Ramkeval's other three siblings are enrolled in school: one is in class nine, another in five, and the youngest one in class 1.
His mother Pushpa Devi said, 'We have barely enough to eat and have to struggle for simple things. We don't want this life for our children. And we believe education is going to change that.' DIOS OP Tripathi praised the student's determination, saying, 'He was the only student who appeared for the board examination from his village. We encouraged his parents to send him to school. We used to take his weekly and monthly tests and show his good performance in the tests to his parents. These tests not only increased his confidence level but also made him well prepared for the boards,' he added.
'Though there are several government schools within 2-3 km in Nizampur village, enrollments have never been high. People are mostly poor and work as daily wagers or labourers,' the DIOS added. 'I take full responsibility for supporting his future education so he can realise his dreams. He is a role model for students who feel disheartened about education,' he said.
Meanwhile, other students in the village, like Lovelesh and Mukesh – who failed to pass the exam this year – have renewed their resolve to study harder, inspired by Ramkeval.