Parkash Kumar, the son of a poor mason, has shocked everyone by securing the first position in the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) across Sindh. He got the fourth position throughout the country.
Parkash, a student of a government school in Badin, topped the exam among 7,797 candidates in Sindh. He took the fourth position among the record 194,133 candidates across the country who appeared in the MDCAT held from August to October.
Hailing from a remote village Kharyo Ghulam Shah, about 30 km from Islamkot city Tharparkar district, Parkash and his family migrated to Badin’s Gulab Laghari village in search of a better future 15 years ago.
He got his primary and secondary education from a government school in the village and was enrolled in Higher Secondary School Chambar in Tando Allah Yar district for higher secondary education, nearly eight kilometers from his village.
Talking to a newspaper, Parkash said his father earns not more than Rs. 1,200 a day and spends it on his kids’ education. He said that their family lives in a rented house but his father wants him to get higher education.
“This is just the start of the journey. I want to become a medical specialist,” he said, adding that his family has assured him financial support to achieve his dream.
Parkash wishes to get enrolled in Dow Medical College with the determination to keep a flawless academic record throughout his next journey.
Partab Shivani, an activist, and educationist from Tharparkar said that the story of Kumar has inspired many poor students.
“He has also proved that with hard work and commitment one can easily achieve such daunting task.”
Parkash is one of the finest students of the sand-swept desert, he said, adding that many students like him get positions in different universities but cannot afford fees and other expenses.
He said that the government should announce scholarships for deserving students to help them continue their education.
