Bihar jail inmate cracks IIT exams; ranks 54 all-India in mains: report

In yet another example of what India can achieve when its citizens put their hearts and souls into national betterment, an inmate in Bihar's Nawada sub-jail, Suraj Kumar Yadav, cracked the IIT exam and secured the 54th rank nationwide.

Suraj, who has been accused of murder, told the Times of India that he hopes to become a scientist and contribute to national development.

He attributed his success to Nawada jail's superintendent, Abhishek Pandey, and said he motivated him to crack the exam and provided necessary books. Pandey also guided Suraj personally, TOI reported.

India has birthed many such stellar examples of people rising above their adversities and shackles to achieve great successes and crack some of the country's toughest exams, including the IITs, UPSCs, and state PSCs — a feat in itself since these exams see tough competition from lakhs of applicants every year.

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Recently, a police sub-inspector, incarcerated in the Kalyan district jail in Thane for abetment of a suicide case, passed the pre-exams for Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC). Inmate Deepak Chandrakant Chavan aspires to become a class-one officer one day, he told a media outlet.

Bihar jail inmate Suraj was preparing for the IITs at Kota, Rajasthan, before he got arrested. When COVID-19 hit India, he returned to his village Mosma.

Suraj and his elder brother have been jailed in Nawada since April 2021 for their alleged involvement in the murder of their co-villager and neighbour, Sanjay Yadav, TOI said in a report. The two parties had been disputing over a village drain.

Once released, Suraj says he hopes to join IIT-Roorkee and pursue his dream of becoming a scientist.