Megaravalli boy who greased at his father's mechanic shop gets into IIT-Kanpur
It is dream come true for 18-year-old Sushanth N. Prabhu of Megaravalli in Tirthahalli taluk of Shivamogga, as he got selected into IIT-Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. A son of a two-wheeler mechanic, Sushanth will be studying BTech at the prestigious institution.
It is a proud moment for his father, Narasimhamurthy Prabhu, who studied up to SSLC, and his mother, Sujatha Prabhu, who has completed PUC.
Sushanth studied in a government school up to SSLC. As a schoolboy, he assisted his father in the garage, repairing motorcycles, and that helped him understand how bikes work and his father's struggle to fulfil the needs of the family of five members.
'He began to work with me very early. He handles engines and good at minor repair works,' said Mr. Narasimhamurthy Prabhu. 'We always wanted our children to study well, lead an independent life and do good for society,' said Ms. Sujatha, who stitched clothes to support the family for several years.
Until Sushanth reached SSLC, he had no idea of IIT or NIT. In 2022, he developed an innovative 'self-chain adjustment system' for bikes. His project was selected for the national-level exhibition and competition, popularly known as Inspire Awards – Manak, organised by the National Innovation Foundation of the Department of Science and Technology. His teacher Raghavendra A. Bhat was his mentor.
They visited the National Institute of Technology (NIT) at Suratkal in Dakshina Kannada in May, 2022, to attend the mentoring workshop as part of the competition. 'During our visit to NIT Suratkal, I had told Sushanth that if he studied well, he could secure a seat at NIT-Suratkal. He was very impressed by the campus and the institute. He took it seriously. Now, I am happy that my student has been selected to study at the IIT,' said Mr. Bhat, who now works at the government high school at Guddekoppa in Tirthahalli taluk.
Sushanth feels that the visit to Suratkal sparked his dream of studying at an IIT. 'That day, my teacher spoke about IIT-JEE and the importance of studying at IITs. He wanted me to take it as a challenge to get a seat,' he said.
He cleared the SSLC with a score of 620 out of 625. After clearing the tough selection process, he joined a residential school run by Rashtrotthana Parishat in Bengaluru. The institute offers free PU education with coaching for IIT-JEE for meritorious students from rural backgrounds. He did well in the entrance test and secured a seat for BTech in chemical engineering in the first round of seat allotment. 'I am planning to work and later become an entrepreneur. Besides that, I have also plans to prepare for the civil service examinations,' said Sushanth.
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