How A Rajasthan Village Student Beat Power Cuts, Poor Connectivity, And Financial Hardship To Reach IIT | Education and Career News
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From no library fees and limited internet connection to cracking JEE Advanced, Inderjeet from Rajasthan’s Pathanwala is set to become the first IITian from his village.
Inderjeet’s father is an e-rickshaw driver and the family’s annual income is below Rs 1 lakh. He now aims to join IIT Roorkee.
JEE Advanced Result 2026: In the remote village of 17ML Pathanwala in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, basic facilities such as reliable water supply, healthcare, and sewerage systems are still lacking. Yet, from this challenging environment emerged a determined young student whose dreams reached far beyond the boundaries of his village. Meet Inderjeet, who grew up in a financially struggling family where every expense had to be carefully managed. His father is an e-rickshaw driver and the family’s annual income is below Rs 1 lakh. Now, he is set to become the first IITian from his village after securing an OBC NCL rank of 1040 in JEE Advanced 2026.
He completed his schooling at Rajasthan Public School near his village and describes his school experience as positive, largely because of the support he received from his teachers. However, pursuing bigger ambitions required overcoming obstacles that many students never have to face.
His journey toward the prestigious IITs began unexpectedly. Until Class 10, he had never heard about JEE or IIT. During his board examination year, he came across the term ‘IIT JEE’ and decided to search for it online. What he discovered fascinated him. As someone who loved mathematics, he saw IIT as an opportunity not only to pursue his passion but also to improve his family’s financial condition.
The road ahead was far from easy. Online education became the only viable option, but even that came with challenges. Live classes required a good smartphone, stable internet, and electricity—resources that were often scarce. While he managed to arrange a smartphone, his daily internet data was insufficient for long classes, and frequent power cuts disrupted his studies.
Saved Money To Join Library
Determined not to give up, he joined a library in a nearby village. The library solved many of his problems by providing a stable study environment and necessary resources. However, the library fee itself was a burden for the family. Every day, small amounts of money were saved so that the fee could be paid. For his father, managing household expenses alongside these educational costs was difficult, but the family remained committed to supporting his dream.
“For online classes, we need a smartphone in good condition. Fortunately, I have one. We also need a recharge pack of 2-3 GB per day for daily live classes, but I only have a 1.5 GB per day recharge, which is not sufficient for all the classes. There is also a huge electricity problem in my village. So, in the end, I decided to join a library in our nearby village. The library solved all my problems, but the fees were high for us, so we save some rupees daily to pay them. It is tough for my father to manage everything along with my library fees, but the library has all the resources that an aspirant needs,” Inderjeet told News18.com.
When Inderjeet first researched IIT preparation, he learned that many aspirants joined expensive offline coaching institutes that charged lakhs of rupees annually. He opted for PhysicsWallah’s online JEE course.
Took A Drop Year
He took a drop year after class 12. Taking us through a typical day — Inderjeet said his day started at 5:30 a.m. with stretching and morning study sessions. He spent long hours attending online classes, revising previous lessons, completing homework, and solving problems in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Most of his day revolved around studies, often stretching until late at night. While he admits that following the schedule perfectly every day was impossible, the routine gave structure and consistency to his preparation.
Since much of his preparation took place in the library, he did not attend school regularly. According to him, balancing both was possible only through dedication and discipline.
One of the biggest academic challenges was adapting to the difference between school education and JEE Advanced preparation. He realised that while school examinations often focus on completing the syllabus and theoretical learning, JEE Advanced demands deep conceptual understanding, analytical thinking, and practical application of knowledge. Developing this level of understanding required a completely different mindset and approach to learning.
Aims To Study AI And Data Science
Today, Inderjeet’s dream is becoming a reality. His dream institute has always been IIT Roorkee, where he hopes to pursue studies related to Artificial Intelligence and Data Science. He believes these fields will create enormous opportunities in the future and play a crucial role in India’s technological growth. Beyond personal success, he dreams of contributing to the country’s progress in AI, robotics, and semiconductor technology.
For students from small towns and financially weaker backgrounds, his message is simple yet powerful: “Always dream high.” He believes success does not depend on expensive coaching institutes or perfect facilities. “Just focus and believe in yourself. I have also gone through a phase of self-doubt, wondering if all my hard work would yield results or not, but believe me, guys, just remain consistent in every situation,” he said.
About the Author
Sukanya Nandy is a sub-editor at News18.com. She has been writing and reporting for the education and careers section of the website since 2021. She completed her graduation in English followed PG in …Read More
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