Sreenath K is the protagonist of this story. He has been working as a coolie at the Ernakulum junction in Kerala for the past five years. While he ferries luggage from one platform to another, his earphones are plugged in all the while.
All through his work, he is listening to course material and solving problems from test papers in preparation for the Kerala Public Service Commission examination.
While most aspirants shut themselves from the world, apply for sabbaticals from their day jobs, and spend hours in libraries pouring over books, Sreenath continued doing his job and made time to study through it as well.
If this is not dedication, I wonder what is!
A high school student, he takes advantage of the free WiFi service available at Ernakulam station. “I have appeared thrice for the exam and this is the first time I used the WiFi at the station. I put on my earphones and listen to the study material as I carry the luggage or solve questionnaires in my mind. This way I can study while I work. I revise all my work at night when I get free time,” Sreenath said in a report published by NDTV.
As part of the government’s Digital India plan, nearly 8,500 rural and urban stations across India are to be equipped with WiFi by March 2019.
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As of now, more than 650 stations provide free WiFi service.
At a time when most people use the WiFi service to download movies, songs, or simply chat with others, Sreenath has put it to good use. He is preparing for his fourth attempt at the examination.
The station’s free WiFi service presented him with an opportunity that he never realised he had–he was able to download reams of practice question papers and access online examination forms, at a comfortable speed of 20-40 MBPS. He told Zeebiz that sing the WiFi to prepare for the exam helps him save money on books
If he qualifies for the KPSC after the interview, he is likely to be a Village Field-Assistant under the Land Revenue Department. “I will keep studying. While I work as a coolie because I have the pressure of running my house, I will keep studying and appearing for exams. If I appear for enough exams, I am bound to get a good job,” Sreenath said in a report to NDTV.
Here’s wishing Sreenath all the very best.
(Edited by Shruti Singhal)