Ranchi: Dalit boy who worked as guard, labourer fulfils his PhD dream
RANCHI: From working as a coolie to serving as a gatekeeper, Umren Seth, a PhD scholar from Ranchi University who qualified for Junior Research Fellow through National Eligibility Test, has come a long way.
By: Swati Shikha
Hailing from the remote Telwadih village of Sonahatu Panchayat in rural Ranchi, Seth completed secondary education from a local school in his village. He shifted to Ranchi after matriculation, without informing his family.
After reaching Ranchi, Seth worked as a coolie (labourer) at a construction site for over one year and later became a guard at an apartment upon completion of construction. “I worked as a guard for six to seven years and continued my studies. However, I wouldn’t get as much time for my studies due to work commitments.”
It was his family’s and friends’ encouragement and support that Seth resumed his studies despite limited resources or facilities.
To save time and energy, he shifted to Morabadi near Ranchi University College campus in 2019 and started to prepare for the National Eligibility Test (NET). “I appeared for the exams in December 2020 but wasn’t aware of my results for over a year until my professors told me. I had cleared the National Fellowship Scheduled Caste (NFSC) and was eligible for JRF (Junior Research Fellow) in one attempt without any coaching or classes.”
Seth enrolled himself for PhD. in the Hindi department of Ranchi University this year. “My research topic is on sympathetic expressions in Dalit testimonies and their evaluations. As a Dalit myself, I have experienced first-hand exploitation and hardships and want to transform the academics through education and knowledge.”
Courtesy : TOI
Note: This news piece was originally published in timesofindia.com and used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights.