Inspired by dad’s ordeal, Telangana youth aims to turn his family’s fortunes around by excelling at academics

HYDERABAD: Witnessing his illiterate father getting duped by an agent and spending two months in jail in Saudi Arabia was a turning point in Bhukya Nithin Nayak’s life. It made him understand the importance of education — a realisation that drove him to secure a rank of 8,368 in EAPCET in the engineering stream and an ST-category rank of 586 in the JEE Main.Nithin now dreams of studying at a premier institute like IIT or NIT and eventually becoming a teacher. “I saw my father suffer because of lack of education. I want to become a teacher so that I can help others avoid the same fate. The reason I want to study at a top institute is to benefit from quality teaching and research methodology so that I can guide my students better when I become a teacher,” Nithin told TOI. He added that he wants to work as a software developer before taking up teaching.“My father’s hardships inspired me, my elder brother and elder sister to give utmost importance to academics. My sister completed civil engineering from IIT Hyderabad this year, and my brother is in his first year of MBBS. All three of us studied hard to achieve our dreams. We want to give our parents a comfortable life,” he added.Back in Pandimadugu village in Sirkonda mandal of Nizamabad district, Nithin’s father Kishan farms 20 guntas of family land and tills an additional four acres which he has taken on lease. He also works as a daily wage labourer, earning Rs 400 per day.“I can’t read or write. I can only sign my name. I am happy that all my children are doing well in their studies. All I want is that they live better lives than I did,” says Kishan. Recalling his ordeal, he said he went to Saudi Arabia 10 years ago after being promised a job as a construction worker. “After going there, I was made to work as a goat-herder. I was cheated and even jailed for a while. Police eventually sent me back to India.”