Sister sacrificed her studies for me; want to give her a good life, says IIT aspirant from Hyderabad

Hyderabad: At the tender age of 10, Ramavath Pavan Kalyan’s sister, Anitha, had to drop out of school as their parents did not have the means to provide for two children. Now, Kalyan wants to work hard and earn a degree that will let him take care of his sister for life.On Sunday, he secured an impressive 4,347 rank in EAPCET, assuring him a free engineering seat in a state college. “My sister had to discontinue her studies in class 5 when I was born, 10 years after her. My family did not have the funds to send us both to school. Now, I want to study well and give everybody a better life — especially my sister Anitha,” said 18-year-old Kalyan, a student of Tribal Welfare Residential IIT Study Centre, Rajendra Nagar. Son of small-time agriculturalists, he is the only educated member of the family. Kalyan, who secured an 802 rank in JEE Mains in the ST category, said his sister is married and lives about 50 km from their place—KK Thanda in Nalgonda. “My sister’s family, just like ours, is dependent on agriculture. I feel it is my responsibility to take care of her and ensure that she lives comfortably,” he added. He also mentioned that he aims to study at an IIT and start his own venture so that he will be in a position to employ others and help them earn a living.Talking to TOI, a proud Anitha said that all she wants is to see her brother succeed in life. “It’s true that I had to discontinue my studies when Kalyan was born. But that is not his fault. I don’t want him to feel pressured that he has to take care of me or do something for me. I am happy that he is studying well and want to see him reach great heights,” the sister said. She also expressed her desire for her sons, who are in class 6 and class 5, to follow in their uncle’s footsteps and earn themselves a degree.