GP
Dec 14, 2007 10:11 AM
Samsara, thank you very much for the first line on me, and rest on IITs. IIT was numbered among top 5 (technical universities) in 200x in the world ranking: First MIT, Second Imperial College, .... And, later I heard from my Alumni discussion forum that IIT was even ranked top 3 (I have not confirmed, yet). FYI, my own classmate (one of my best friend of my life) from Nepal got best outgoing student award, and his overall percentage was third in the class. My performance in IIT is not important here in Sajha.com. I know who am I, and where I lie on the rank. I can tell this much. When I took the very first entrance exam in Engineering in Nepal, I got the highest score on entrance exam part. I did not have to see the list to know my result, the dean of IOE stopped his car on main road asked me "Are you ...?". It is not Mapai. It is what I am proud of, and I remember my friends who were waiting to see the list went to store in front of the gate, and bought some Abir, and had Abir Jatra .... Wow. In fact, I sneaked out of a relative's Bihe ko Janti, and went to see the result. When returned to Janti, people were amazed to see me red colored everywhere. Imagine, people wanted to get scholarship to study any engineering any where in the world, and there is this chance right on your backyard, how happy would you be? Well, having said that, these don't count now, now I am working hard to move ahead, and I am not going to do like in Nepali Proverb: "Baje le ghiu khaye ka thiye bhanera naak dadi nichorera hundaina". I don't call me a lucky, I got based on what I did.
Let me give you my background on how I went to Roorkee, the oldest "modern" engineering college in asia. When I was in a college in Kathmandu, we did not have enough teachers. Some of our classes like chemistry, had only 5-6 classes in the whole academic year, because our Chemistry Guruma became pregnant, and we never had replacement despite of our continous requests. I do not blame her preganancy, and I consider her one of my great chemistry guruma I ever had. There were HADTAAL almost every month if not week, as you know. I remember one of my teacher whom I met in Bus on that day was asking, why the hell you guys have hadtaal every other day. I told him, it is akhiles, and he asked the like minded to come, and he will teach us. I hate Akhile "skin heads" for all these things. Then we had a final, as you know, courses not covered, and questions splashed from everywhere. What will you do? Boycot. First year's exam postponed for next year, TU did not listen to our requests to give us a second chance. We spent days in TU's VC's office picketing. Next year, we had to take exams of two year's course in just a month or so. Every alternate day we had exam, its weight was 80%. Finally, exam was over. Result was on process. It took 8 months to get my result of the exam. It was TU's style, poor performance. My two years course needed me 5 years to finish it (between SLC result to admission to BE program).
In the meantime, my father gave me an assignment at the age of 20, and that was to make one BRAND NEW house on a land that he got as a part of "Ansa" when my big family separated. He gave me 20,000 a loan from Sanchaya Kosh. Making house in 20,000 by a 20 year boy? What a dream my father had! I had to take it, because I was doing nothing, but with a condition that I told my father that after this, I am allowed to leave KTM for my entrance exam prepartion, because I wanted to go to Roorkee. My uncle got BE degree a long time ago when I was kid, it was also from Roorkee, and I used to hear great stories about Roorkee as a child, and when I was kid I was watching the Bridge construction in Bijayapur Khola in Pokhara by Chinese engineers .... I remember 1000s of people came to watch the girder being lifted and placed in position. Chinese Engineers and labors were wearing helmets. All these inspired me, to go to take Roorkee Univ's entrance exam in Kathmandu. Unfortunately, I saw the bridge washed away. In the morning of the night (rainfall: about 560 (if not 360, I forgot the exact number) mm in 24 hours) I went to see the same bridge lying on the river bed. I feel very sorry for the replacement we have on that river.
So, I started from ground zero to construct the house. In fact, we had 3 parters in the earlier biz and we got 1/3 of land, so separating 1/3 from existing house was a tough job, to me at an age of 20. I hired a man who was a contractor in nearby house construction site. I explained what he has to do. You know what he trimmed a seasoned timber girder, and told me that he will pay 20 rupees, and I did not know that it was SAAL, and let him take away, and he asked a timber company to take it. I informed my father about selling that log, and my father certainly got furious over the contractor, and asked me to take the wood piece back, and he told me to use it to make doors and windows, and its a seasoned wood. Learning by doing. I did not sell anything after that, any thing left I took it back to home.
Dismantling the old was over, and now about foundation, wow, I had to dig a foundation trench between two houses. The contractor did it withotu worrying about adjacent house's safety (I won't do it second time, NOPE), and it did not have any support to existing house. If its in US, I would have already landed in Jail for risking other's house. I did not know the consequences .... Then, placed column foundations, and an old guy behind our land used to come and watch every day, and warn me every day that if I occupy even an inch he will bring people and dismantle my house. I was scared, and I decided to leave few inches off to avoid a trouble. The construcion kept going much faster than I anticipated. Since it was right on chipledhunga, people wanted to rent it. The previous guy who had a bicycle store in same property, told that he want to continue. I asked him to pay one year's rent in advance because I have to pay the price to construction material, and my father's budget to me was only 20,000. I got metal rods, cement from a store right infront of our site, and he trusted me because the construction was on his front. Thanks to him for the trust he had on me. I still love to remember the lunch I used to have at Thakalni Didi's resturant, it was so great. For two months her resturant was my favorite. From early morning (I left home 6:30?) to late evening I was watching like video movie. On bicycle, every day 10km. Finally, I had 32,000 in my hand, and later one of former school teacher came offered another help. He told me that he has a big truck, and he had money stucked (FASEKO) in a Concrete brick factory, and he wanted me to use his bricks and pay him later whenever I can ... years later. Wow, k khojchas kana ankha. I had a great deal, he brought all bricks that I needed. A metal worker helped me out to make shutter in loan to be paid later (4,000). I am amazed to find people's helping hand. The house was ready exactly on 60th day. My father came only for 3 times during the whole period of construction. He trusted me, right? Thats how I will consider to make me feel better, but my mom joked later that he was in fact afraid of anyone coming to complain against my actions, and my father denied it, and said "Yatro 20 barsha ko manche le garchha bhanne malai thaha chha ni ta". Anway, I enjoyed the 60 days challenge. I gave key to the tenant, and left for Kathmandu. I still did not have result on final exams. So, what! I have to prepare for Roorkee Entrance exam, my long time dream, and it had to be achieved.
Before the result was out, there were Bagmati coaching center in KTM run by a Amrit Sc College teacher, Mr. Gyawali. I joined it, paid 200 admission fee, and paid 200 tuition fee. I went there only 2-3 three days, then the teachers did not come. The owner of the coaching center Mr. Gyawali told that he can not help. What about my 400? He said, it can not be returned. He did not provide another teacher. Many students had already joined about 1 month ago, and I was in the middle. For them, it was time to pay second installment, but for me 3 days, and all money gone. I was ashamed. My friends who where in the coachign center approached the same math teachers who were just 500 m away from my residence, and asked me to join them. I told them I don't have money. Now, I am going to study on my own. Later I found that these teachers started working in the same coaching center, and it was a drama by Mr. Gyawali. Well, I had no choice but to get admission at Roorkee. I continued my studies alone without help from anyone. I did not have a single guide book, and the only things that I had were only book and white paper.
In the meantime, Pulchowk campus announced entrance exam, and my Inter result was not yet. Finally, we had result only a couple of days away from deadline for application. Out 500 students in our batch, only 35 passed that year, and I was one of them. I remember I spent a whole day in Ministry of Finance to find someone to sign my certificates ATTESTED. One guy came out said, Bhai timi dinbhari khojda pani koi bhetenou, I will help you. He took me to a section officer and requested him to do. I filed my application. I tood the entrance exam.
I took the entrance exam (first ever entrance exam in undergraduate Engineering education Nepal's history), and passed it. Got admission. My dream of becoming an engineer done, but I have another i.e. going to Roorkee and see what my uncle did there. Finally, roorkee entrance exam was held in Padma Kanya campus. Passed the entrance exam, the exam was fully controlled / monitored by Roorkee Univ Professors/team. Interviewed. We got it.
You know what, the result of entrance was on my birthday. It was greatest birthday gift to me. My father gave me a tie, who went to check the result separtely. I still have that tie. Now, comes to selecting Roorkee or Pulchowk. My mom wanted me to stay in Nepal and study there, but certainly every one else wanted me to take a new ride. My mom wanted it, because my elder brother was in Russia, and he did not return for last couple of years since he left Nepal. He was not sending even letters for last one year. We knew nothing about him, and his current situation, and when we approached the USSR(Russian) embassy in Nepal, and Nepal's Education Ministry through which he went there for higher studies did not show any interest to help us find him. Neither foreign ministry helped us. My self and my father went here and there seeking help. That was frustrating moment to my parents.
I told my mom, I am coming home every five months. I promised that, because I didn't want to miss this great opportunity to study in Roorkee Univ. Then, I resigned from Pulchowk campus's admitted student's list to let someone else have get the opportunity to become an engineer. I left for Roorkee. My very first score in Roorkee started with 0 Zero, and my last exam score was I believe 100 out 100. In first semester, in order to catch the speed of UOR's education, I slept only between 4 am to 7 am (just 3 hours). First midterm test was over. My thermodynamics teacher called "Who is ...?" in lecture class, and he said this guy got almost perfect in the exam, congratulations. At that moment, I had high fever (104), and in the later afternoo I found my place in Univ hospital bed just in 1.5 month of stay in UOR. Imagine what would you do? Emotionally.
I met several Nepali seniors in the hospital. Learned their stories and they counseled me: an informal, but a great relief. We went to see movies in town while officially in hospital bed. Gradually we were on track, and final exam was over and returned to Nepal in Indian Railways. Wow, another amazing experience in Lucknow, Gorakhpur .... and in Nepal-India border. In January, we went back to campus. In a couple of days, we had great stories to hear about grades. Wow, .............. story unfolded all over hostel, mess ... senior started asking who is GP!!!!! GP became a brand.
FYI, we Nepalis had serial number odd, and Indian students had even. We studied with them in 50/50 class, and certainly there were students in Roorke from Africa and middle east. But, Nepalis lined up with Indians, teachers never gave special favor to neither side. We were equally treated all throughout 4 years. There were batches from Africa separately taught (away from Indian student's class). In few batches, Nepalis bagged the highest prize for outstanding achievement in exams. Roorkee graduate brough a new standard in Nepal, because Pulchowk campus has to set higher standard to compete with Roorkee Alumni in Nepal in consulting to job, and today, Pulchowk Campus graduates are pride of Nepal, and Roorkee Alumni brought a new standard to Nepal's technical education --particularly in engineering--. I was on fifth batch of Karnali, and there were two more batches in Mahakali, plus colombo plan scholarship based students, and I guess Roorkee Alumni Association in Nepal is probably the largest association of Nepalis who graduated outside Nepal. Roorkee gave majority of Nepal's engineering secretaries in different ministries. I love Roorkee. I want to take my family one day there. Whenever we went somewhere in India, when we said we are UOR students, we got special favor, best treatment, polite replies, even from TT babu in Indian Railways, to India-Nepal border custom officers.
I was very surprised to see my uncle's classmate as my teacher, and some of his teachers were my own teacher. Now, my friends are teacher as well. After 2001(?), UOR changed to IIT/R even after a strong objection from public, because while it was roor univ. in-state people had special quotas, but once the funding started coming from central govt. the state does not get any special favor. The main reason for shifting to IIT/R from UOR was shrinking funds from state (Pradesh) government. IITs were no more UOR's rival, because UOR is now IIT. Our cut throat competition is over with IIT. It changed name several times, in its 160+ years of history. If you are going to Haridwar-rishikesh, you can drop by Roorkee. It is about 185 km fro New Delhi on the way to Haridwar, and 75 km from Dehara dun (we used to go to Deharadun to see special movies in great halls), and 500 km from Lucknow towards Punjab. It is a safest city in India. I stayed in IIT Delhi's hostel for about 1 month during our summer intern at Delhi Metropolitan's "Mayor" Office. IIT Delhi campus is huge, but IITR's campus is not that big but everything is in short walking distance. IIT/D has very dry life, but IITR has wonderful life just outside the campus. Have Fun. Rest later.
GP
Last edited: 14-Dec-07 11:26 AM