S. Praveen Kumar, son of visually challenged parents and a first-generation student from Kannagi Nagar, was finding it hard to get admission to college due to his low marks. Thanks to the help offered by a few senior police officers, he has managed to get into a college and is now determined to study hard.
Two senior police officers — V. Balakrishnan, DIG, Government Railway Police, and M.S.Muthusamy, Deputy Commissioner, St. Thomas Mount — have gone out of the way to help nine first- generation students like him from Kannagi Nagar get college admission.
The two officers have been helping deserving students from poor background with college admissions for the past few years. “Its a small help. Access to higher education can help them build a better life for themselves and their family,” said Mr. Muthusamy.
For Praveen Kumar, the admission means a lot. “My parents, Shanmgaraj and Subbulakshmi, repair wire seats in chairs and earn a meagre amount. Still, they educated me. Now that I have got admission in an arts college in Medavakkam, I will do part time work and also pursue Chartered Accountancy,” he says thanking Mr. Muthusamy.
Another beneficiary, E. Keerthika, daughter of daily wage earner Elumalai and Amudhavalli, scored 405 out to 600. She was helped by Mr. Balakrishnan. “But I got only evening college. My father cannot afford ₹30,000 as fees. Now I have got admission in B.Sc Maths course. I wish to pursue UPSC coaching along with this,” she said. Similarly seven more students, including a girl have got admission in BA and B.Com courses in different arts and science colleges in the city. “Usually in slums, the girls are married off, once they finish schooling. But we counsel them and help them get admission in colleges,” said Morarji Desai of Turning Point Educational Trust.