Meet Cherthala's star student farmer who won top state honour and a new home

In a modest shelter draped with tarpaulin and metal sheets in Areeparambu, Cherthala, Class VI student Adithyan wakes up every morning surrounded by the noise of cows, chickens, ducks, and rabbits. While most children his age spend their free time on digital screens, Adithyan spends his tending to crops and caring for animals. His remarkable dedication to agriculture has now earned him the prestigious Kerala State Government Award for Best Student Farmer — along with a life-changing surprise: a brand-new home.

A sanctuary built on passion
Despite living in cramped conditions with his father Ajayan, an autorickshaw driver, and mother Sajitha, Adithyan has turned their 40-cent plot into a thriving haven for flora and fauna. He has lovingly named every animal on the farm: cows Kalyani and Krishna, a hen named Maalu, an Aseel rooster named Digambaran, and even a pet catfish named Aromal. His farm also hosts goats, ducks, dogs, and rabbits, alongside lush patches of tapioca, yam, taro, and plantains, as well as leased paddy fields.

Government support and community pride
Adithyan’s exceptional achievements caught the attention of local representatives and political leaders. MP KC Venugopal and other leaders stepped forward to help build a permanent home for the young farmer's family, laying the foundation stone right where a trellis of snake gourds once stood. His classmates and teachers at CS GHSS Areeparambu are bursting with pride for the young boy whose hard work has won him both state accolades and a proper home.

Roots in organic living
Adithyan's passion for farming was systematically nurtured by his parents, who prioritised raising chemical-free food for the family. From a young age, his mother Sajitha took him along to tend to vegetable patches and market their produce during school holidays. She taught him how to cross streams on small rafts and shoo away hungry parrots using makeshift shakers. Over time, his enthusiasm grew so much that his parents helped him start animal breeding, which now generates a steady income to support his education.

A disciplined daily routine
Waking up before 6 am every day, Adithyan waters his crops, cleans the rabbit hutches, cuts fresh grass, and feeds the livestock before playing with friends and heading off to school. After classes, he returns home to complete his homework and tend to his farm once again. Ambitious about his future, Adithyan hopes to pursue formal agricultural studies, while his parents ensure that every rupee earned from his farm is saved strictly for his education.