JNU security guard cracks entrance, gets admission in Russian Honours in JNU

July 17: Ramjal Meena, a security guard at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi cracked the varsity’s entrance examination for admission into BA Russian (Hons). It’s a well known adage that, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” True to this saying, it was sheer display of dedication, which enabled this security guard of India’s topmost university to crack the All-India level entrance.

34-year-old Meena, who comes from Bhajera village in the Indian state of Rajasthan, is a daily wager. A father of three daughters, he is a first-generation learner from his village. When Ramjal Meena first stepped into Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as a security guard in 2014, he had no clue he will enrol in the same university as a student some day.

Meena was a bright student from the beginning. He used to secure the first position in his class. He passed Class XII examination from a government school in 2000. Thereafter, he took admission in B Sc at Rajasthan University. But due to financial problems, he left studies in the first year and started helping his father who worked as a daily wager. But the grit to learn never left him. Last year, he graduated in Political Science, History and Hindi through distance learning from Rajasthan University.

Jawaharlal Nehru University guard cracks varsity entrance, to study Russian

(@iftikharfariha reports)https://t.co/EVchHwyRU2 pic.twitter.com/NGE9ViFDpW

— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) July 16, 2019

Meena prepared for the entrance exam between and after duty hours. “I follow newspapers through apps on my phone. Besides, students also helped me get PDF notes.” He chose to study a foreign language because of his desire to see other countries and try his luck at entering the country’s civil services. Meena, who earns Rs 15000 per month has the responsibility of wife and three children and is also a sole earner in his house. He said that he will request the JNU administration for night shifts.

What a wonderful, wonderful story! Why #JNU matters, why #publicuniversities matter! At JNU, a guard secures admission and worries about what lies ahead https://t.co/3tuTMXuZY0

— g.arunima (@anuarunima1) July 16, 2019

Vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar said, “We have always encouraged students from diverse backgrounds. We nurture them by providing them critical thinking ability.” Expressing delight, Ramjal Meena said, “What makes JNU different is that people here do not believe in social hierarchy. Everyone — teachers and students — encouraged me; now they congratulate me. I feel like I have become famous overnight.”

Meena explained how people have developed “wrong perceptions” about JNU. “There are so many rumours about JNU after the February 2016 incident. But it’s not like students only protest; the university has given so many scholars to the country,” he said, adding, “I also want to achieve something after studying.”

Many netizens have praised the security guard for his landmark achievement, with one saying that it was a lesson for politicians, who are known for politicising the academic environment of the institution.