Odisha ITI Students Pooja & Sai Fight Poverty To Top All India Trade Test

Bhawanipatna: Two students from the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district, Pooja Mahar and Sai Charan Das, have done Odisha proud by topping the All India Trade Test (AITT) 2020 under Craftsmen Training Scheme.

The AITT is conducted by the Directorate General of Training under the aegis of National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT). The exam was held online in February and the results were declared on May 30.

Pooja scored 434 marks out of a total 450 to top the exam in the female category. Sai top scored in the male category with 437 marks.

Their success story is more inspiring given that Pooja grew up in an orphanage and Sai’s parents are daily wagers. Notwithstanding their poverty and adversities, both had strong determination to excel and achieve their dream.

Now, Sai has the ambition of getting an engineer’s job with Indian Railways while Pooja aspires to make a career in automobile engineering.

Expressing his happiness, the Principal of Bhawanipatna ITI, Snehasis Muduli, said the results are a source of pride for the institute.

“Our toppers are role models for other students and have proved that anything can be achieved with dedication and perseverance,” Muduli was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.

Besides Pooja and Sai, two other candidates from Odisha, Zaibul Nisha and Birendra Seth, have also featured among the top 10 ranks in the exam taken by 25 lakh students from across the country.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has also congratulated the four toppers. A tweet from the CM’s Office said, “CM @Naveen_Odisha congratulated @skilled_odisha professionals – Zaibul Nisha, Pooja Mahar, Sai Charan Das & Birendra Seth for making it to top 10 in the Craftsmen Training Scheme. CM expressed happiness that concerted effort to build a robust skill ecosystem is being recognized.”