Bathinda: Two students from underprivileged rural families in Punjab have cracked one of India's most competitive entrance examinations, securing spots at top engineering colleges through a HMEL-backed free coaching programme.
Arjanveer Singh, the son of a labourer from Sarainaga village in Muktsar district, has secured admission to IIT Kharagpur in mining engineering. Prabhjot Kaur, who worked in Bathinda's paddy fields to fund her studies, cleared JEE Advanced and is now in counselling for a top engineering seat. Both students were supported by the HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL) and Centre for Social Responsibility and Leadership (CSRL) under the National Super 100 Programme a CSR initiative providing 11 months of free residential coaching in Delhi for meritorious students from low-income families.
Prabhjot, who scored 93% in Class XII, aspired to become a pilot but nearly abandoned her dream due to financial hardship. "Super 100 gave me hope. They paid for everything coaching, accommodation, and food. I cleared JEE Mains and then Advanced. Now I hope to enter aviation engineering." she said. Arjanveer, who studied at Bathinda Meritorious School and scored 95% couldn't afford the Rs 1,500 fee for JEE Advanced or any formal coaching. "The Super 100 programme changed my life. I'm now the first from my village to reach an IIT. It's a proud moment for my entire community," he said.
The initiative has shown consistent results. In the year 2023-24 batch, Khushi from Bathinda secured civil engineering at IIT Guwahati, while Pawandeep, Sahil Kumar, and Harpreet Singh gained admission to NITs in mechanical engineering and AI (artificial intelligence).
In the current 2024-25 batch, alongside Arjanveer and Prabhjot, Sukhdeep Kaur is also in the counselling process. Looking ahead, eight new students from Bathinda have been selected for the 2025-26 cohort and will begin coaching in Delhi soon. The programme reflects how targeted educational support can transform talent into opportunity even from the humblest of origins.
Source: Times of India
