Odia boy who won All India skill competition hailed by Dharmendra Pradhan

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Nov 30, 2015 at 1:49 PM Updated On : Nov 30, 2015 at 4:06 PM

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Bhubaneswar, Nov 30:

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The son of a tea and snacks seller, Srikant Sahu, who has got the first position in the All India Skill Competition, from Nabrangpur district was hailed by Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on his Bhubaneswar visit on Sunday.

Srikant and his elder brother had met the Union minister who was visiting the capital yesterday. The minister asked Sahu about his family, studies and future plans.

The talented Nabrangpur boy a student of from ITI Berhampur, Srikant could not get enough marks in the entrance exam for the most sought after branches such as fitter and electrician and had to settle for the motor vehicle mechanic course.

Srikant, is the youngest son of a tea and snacks seller and had to shelve his dream of becoming an engineer due to financial constraints.

He has passed class 10 from Government New Panchayat High School in 2009 before enrolling in commerce plus-two at the Pendrani Mahavidyalaya in Umerkote.

He then took admission at the Government ITI in Berhampur, which has been tagged as a Centre of Excellence by the Central government.

Never upset by set backs, Srikant worked hard and prodded by his teachers participated in the all-India competition conducted every year by the, Ministry of Labour under Directorate General of Employment and Training in the to assess infrastructure and quality of ITI training.

Srikant topped Odisha and went to Kanpur for the final round competing against candidates from other states in Odisha.

Sahu, stood first in the the motor vehicle mechanic category at the 51st annual All India Skill Competition held in May in Kanpur, which included a written test, a practical exam and an interview. The prize carries a cash award of Rs 50,000 and a certificate.

“If one pursues their dream with strong willpower and hard work then the obstacles will automatically disappear”, says Srikant Sahu.

Sahu desire for a government job might soon be a reality as he has already cleared the written test and interview in Indian Ordnance Factory, Jabalpur, and is waiting for police verification.