From shanty to IIM! Ranjith's inspirational story is a lesson for youth

Ranjith's home
Ranjith's home in Kerala

Rajapuram, Kasaragod: A young academic from the nothern frontier of Kerala should be an inspiration for youth who often waste precious opportunities and regret. R Ranjith's home is just a hut with plastic sheets pulled across as roof. He lived and studied in this humble abode located at Panathur in Kerala’s Kasaragod district. Today he has secured the job of an assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ranchi.

Posting a photo of his house on social media, Ranjith wrote, "I was born in this house. I grew up here, I live here. Let me say with a lot of happiness, an IIM professor has been born in this house."

Ranjith's father A Ramachandran is a tailor and mother Baby an MGNREGA labourer. His sister Ranjitha has completed B.Ed, while his brother Rahul works at a private resort in Kottayam.

Ranjith, who cleared the plus-two exam with good marks from the Government Higher Secondary School at Balamthodu had even thought of stopping his studies midway owing to hardships at home. But he pulled on while working as a security guard at the telephone exchange at Panathur.

As his job was during the night, he found time to study during the mornings. With this, the path to education, which he thought was closed for him, opened before him again.

Ranjith (behind) with his sister Ranjitha, father Ramachandran, mother Baby and brother Rahul (from left to right).

He joined the St Pius College at Rajapuram for his graduation studies and went for post-graduation at the Central University at Periya in Kasaragod. He then secured his PhD in Economics from the IIT, Madras.

“Studying at the IIT was a challenge for me as I knew only the Malayalam language. But then I was not ready to give up,” Ranjith said.

While he was working as an assistant professor at the Christ University in Bengaluru, he got selected to the IIM Ranchi. Ranjith is preparing to go to Ranchi next month.

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