Superstar Dhanush’s recent film, ‘Sir’ showcases the story of a person who goes out of his way to make videos and teach his students from the underprivileged sections of society, which helps the young minds in cracking some of the toughest competitive examinations. Well, this reel story also has a real-life hero!
In a bid to give back to society what he received while he was struggling to prepare for UPSC CSE, IRS officer Lokesh Lilhare has come forward to provide everything necessary for an underprivileged child to crack the toughest exam of the nation, with the help of his initiative “Chhoo lo aasmaan”.
KISNE ROKA HAI
He provides help to those youngsters who have the passion to do something big in life but lack the required resources for the same. The “Chhoo Lo Aasmaan Kisne Roka Hai” team believes that to achieve success, one must follow successful people and walk in their footsteps.
“There is no shortcut to pass competitive exams. Only by working hard, making necessary corrections, and maintaining a good attitude can one achieve success. You can advance by learning the proper direction from successful people because they have established a road and guiding concept for success,” Mr. Lilhare shared in an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds.
YOUNG MINDS
After observing that aspirants from rural areas lacked the necessary speaking skills, body language, and enhanced personality required to crack the UPSC CSE interview round, he decided to not only provide them with theoretical coaching classes but also groom them for their personality development round.
He collaborated with public schools like Navodaya and included 4th-5th graders in his project, as well. When the time comes for them to take their competitive examinations, having an early foundation in areas like logic, maths, and mental aptitude proves to be very helpful.
COACHING CLASSES EVERYWHERE
The IRS officer has already built over 300 coaching classes in Madhya Pradesh’s small towns and villages, serving thousands of disadvantaged kids. He also films and distributes recordings of lessons and other study materials to students who are unable to attend classes. Students can view the videos through a specifically designed ‘Aalok app,’ which can be easily downloaded.
“We have printed books and study materials and provide them to students for Rs.100 so that they can afford them. Every month, we conduct weekly mock tests, both physically and digitally, to calculate the children’s performance and prepare them for their ultimate test,” shared Mr. Lilhare.
SUCCESSFUL RESULT
Nearly 11,000 students took the exam recently across the state, with the vast majority receiving high results. The officer congratulated and awarded certificates to the top scorers. The teachers teaching these children also receive proper training.
Mr. Lilhare encourages and prepares students for all government scholarship exams. He makes it a point to coach them for entrance examinations to assist them to get into prestigious universities after they finish school.
“Once they are done with graduation, we begin their coaching for competitive exams such as railways, banking, UPSC CSE, PSU, etc. We continuously provide them classes, through online and physical mediums, free of cost,” shared the officer.
Additionally, he has built hostels where he offers free lodging and meals to students travelling from far locations. He has also established several libraries for their use. Furthermore, he has created separate email addresses for every field, where students may send questions and issues for the staff to address right away.
