‘Dream big as dreams come true’ was what kept motivating Rani, Laxman and Sanjay as the formidable four of ‘Unchi Udaan’s’ pilot initiative have cracked the Indian Institute of Technology. Despite adverse economic and social backgrounds, these three have shown the power of persistence, dedication and commitment through Hindustan Zinc’s ‘Unchi Udaan’ initiative.
With education as the primary focus, ‘Unchi Udaan’ was initiated under the company’s Siksha Sambal Program for tribal students to appear and get through the IITs and other prestigious Engineering Colleges. The pilot project provided free coaching to select students from 6 districts – Udaipur, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand & Ajmer in Rajasthan and Pantnagar in Uttrakhand. The technical partner, Resonance Eduventures Pvt. Ltd provided coaching to these students for IIT entrance exam and was also responsible for teaching Physics, Chemistry & Maths of 10th, 11th & 12th. For schooling, boarding & lodging facilities, Hindustan Zinc partnered with Vidya Bhawan, Udaipur where these select students got admitted as per regular course for class 10th RBSE.
Mr. Sunil Duggal – CEO, HZL said “Hindustan Zinc is proud to be part of successful journey of Sanjay, Laxman and Rani who are selected for IITs through our program Unchi Udaan. We congratulate them as they embark the journey of becoming one of the top Technocrats in India. Unchi Udaan is very close to my heart. Through this program, we are focused towards inclusive growth of deprived students by bringing them into mainstream education for their bright future and ultimately contributing towards building a progressive nation”.
However, there is no taking away the effort and hard work the students have put in, to get these incredible results. Rani Khatik will be proud of her journey in such a short time. Rani’s father left her and her mother to fend for themselves at a very young age. With almost no financial security, Rani started jobs like sewing and stitching while keeping her eyes on being educated. Under ‘Unchi Udaan’ Rani was identified as a bright girl and was given the opportunity to shine. Beating all odds, Rani is now ready to be enrolled with the IIT. Not only is she an example for women empowerment but will also act as a role model for her community back home.
Sanjay Jeengar was a boy on mission. Sanjay was sure to achieve his dream and also of his brother as he will soon join a premier IIT. Laxman Khateek was another inspiring student from ‘Unchi Udaan’. With his father suffering from a disability and his mother being a housewife, it was a huge challenge for him on the financial and social outlook. Laxman proved that these factors shouldn’t be roadblock between him and his bright future.
‘Unchi Udaan’ does not merely provide financial aid to these kids, but cares for their holistic development as well. Along with their academic progress, these students have developed their personality and confidence equal to that of any urban child. Hindustan Zinc’s emphasis on community development is huge, and this batch of students are just another example of how the company strives for strengthening communities.