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KOLKATA: The daughter of an autorickshaw driver on the city’s southern fringes has cracked the joint entrance examination for post-graduation at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology. Her elder sister is currently doing MTech in electronics at the Jadavpur University.
 
Triparna Mondal, the younger daughter of Dhananjoy Mondal who plies a hired auto on the Gachhtala-Dinesh Nagar route, secured 49th rank in the entrance examination and opted for MSc in physics at IIT-Kanpur. "I have always loved Physics and am delighted to get an opportunity to study the subject at one of the best institutes in the country," Triparna said, flashing a brilliant smile.
 
For parents Dhananjoy and Aparna, Triparna’s achievement is realization of a dream that they had dared to see when their first daughter Rituparna was born 23 years ago. "From the very beginning, we were determined to give her the best of education. Though meeting ends was always a struggle, we never wavered when Triparna was born a couple of years later," said Aparna.
 
Both the girls were admitted to Khanpur Girls’ High School near their Kalitala Park residence off Naktala. As expenses increased, Dhananjoy who worked in a shop selling matchboxes, switched to transport business. "In 1998, I purchased an auto on loan because the earnings were good on the route," said Dhananjoy. He, however, had to sell off the auto a year-and-a-half ago to fund the purchase of a personal computer that Rituparna desperately needed after the admission to MTech.
 
Both the girls though have been chipping in with tuitions since they completed Madhyamik. When Triparna felt she required special coaching for the entrance examination to MSc, she took up an additional student for Rs 1,100, the exact amount that she needed to attend the preparatory class.
 
"I liked physics from a very early age and the love grew stronger each year. In Class XI and XII, it was my favourite subject. I decided to graduate in physics and was determined not to go in for engineering. I got through Asutosh College. Though I later got through Presidency as well, I decided to stick on at Asutosh because the fees had already been paid," Triparna recounted.
 
Udayan Care’s scholarship supported by the Neotias also came in handy for her in the past five years. Udayan has also decided to sponsor her stint at IIT-Kanpur, relieving the parents of a big worry. Headed for IIT-Kanpur next week, Triparna wants to make the best of the opportunity.
 
The parents are proud of both the daughters, not because of the ranks they had secured but because they had become educated. "I always told the teachers that my daughters know how to study. Please impart the art of learning to them. I am grateful they have done so," said Dhananjoy.