2 former lawmakers rejoice after clearing UP Board exam

Prayagraj: When the UP Secondary Education Board (UP Board) on Tuesday announced the results of over 58 lakh students who took their exams for class 10 and 12 this year, the list included two former UP lawmakers who cleared their High School and Intermediate exams.
While former minister Prabhu Dayal Balmiki of Samajwadi Party (SP) cleared class 12 at the age of 58, former BJP MLA Rajesh Mishra alias Pappu Bharatol, who started his studies again after a gap of 35 years, was also not far behind. He too cleared his class 12. However, having secured 52% marks, Mishra is unhappy with the evaluation of his answer sheets and is set to seek scrutiny of his answer copies. The two now aspire to attain law degrees and become practicing lawyers, with the aim of providing free legal counselling to people.
Balmiki passed this examination in second division from Adarsh Inter College, Dola, Baghpat. Now he will take admission in LLB. He was the minister of state for small scale industries and silk department in SP’s Mulayam Singh Yadav government, had passed high school during the Corona period. His elder son Rajan is an associate professor of Commerce at Delhi University and tutored his father. His younger son Rahul is a lab chemist, while daughters-in-law are also educated.
The former minister said that there was not much political work left as the ruling party in the state is BJP, so he thought why not complete his studies. Balmiki was elected MLA in 2002 from Hastinapur assembly on a SP ticket. He lost the election in 2007 but won again in 2012 on SP ticket but did not get a ministerial post.
In his result of class 12, he got distinction in chemistry (76 marks), 33 in Hindi, 57 in English, 53 in Physics and 52 in Biology. Scoring 271 marks out of 600, he passed in second division.
On the other hand, Mishra resumed studies after 35 years. In the 2017 elections, Mishra won from Bithri Chainpur seat when he had passed class 8. When the result came on Tuesday, the former MLA was happy, but was not satisfied with the marks. He said that he had worked hard in studies but did not get the expected marks and will go for scrutiny. He secured 263 marks out of 500, which included the highest score of 81 in Sociology, 57 in Hindi, 47 in Civics, 42 in Education and lowest 36 in Arts.
He explained that earlier, in a case pertaining to adoption of a girl, whom he had found buried in an urn, he had to make several rounds of advocates and courts. He fought a long legal battle till the Supreme Court, but failed to adopt the child. It was during that time that he had decided to become an advocate. With this hope, he resumed his studies which he had left for 35 years ago, passed high school in the year 2021 as a private candidate. After this, he applied for the Inter examination from the Government Inter College and passed this year.
On if there was any problem in concentrating on studies again, Mishra said that “education cannot be tied within the limits of any age or position”. “Now after taking admission in BA LLB, I will become an advocate after completing the course,” he added.