Lilong Haoreibi (Thoubal District), MANIPUR:

Mohammad Ismat, the Manipuri boy who has topped the all-India CBSE Class XII Board examinations in the science stream, is nurturing a dream to top the Civil Services Examinations, too.

By way of preparation, he plans to join St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, to do B. Sc. (Honours).

Ismat hails from Lilong Haoreibi in Thoubal district, 15 km from Imphal. The village has very poor electricity supply and no internet connection.

“I also want to become a topper in the Civil Services Examinations conducted by the UPSC. I want to serve my country for peace and communal harmony. For now, I want to take admission to St. Stephen’s College to do B.Sc. (Honours) in Physics,” he told The Hindu .

He brought laurels to his school, Zenith Academy in Imphal, where he joined after completing Class X at Sainik School, also in Imphal. “I studied Class IX and X in Sainik School and passed the Class X board examinations with 92.4 per cent. I left Sainik School because of financial constraints,” he said.

Ismat’s mother died when he was only 18 months. His father, Maulana Bashirur Rahman, is a teacher in a primary school. He is the seventh child and only son of the family; six elder sisters are all graduates.

After school hours, Ismat had to study mostly in candlelight, as electricity is available for hardly three-four hours a day in the village. Ismat scored 495 out of 500 marks, securing centum in mathematics, chemistry, fine arts and home science and 98 in English and 97 in physics.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Other States / by Sushanta Talukdar / May 30th, 2012