ALLAHABAD, March 19: When 65-year-old Akhtar Ansari entered the classroom at Nara School Examination Centre in Kaushambi, the examinees present mistook him for an examiner.
However, they were shocked as he simply walked to his allocated seat and sat down waiting patiently for the UP Board’s high school exams to begin.
“I want all of my family members to be a graduate. Being illiterate means remaining cut off from the rest of the world which I cannot afford in today’s era,” said Ansari, who opted for subjects of arts stream in class X UP Board exams. He had registered online for the exams.
Ansari decided to return to schools after his sons completed graduation and took admission in post-graduate courses. “People of my age generally shy away from studies but they need to realize that by doing so they are also missing out on treasure trove of knowledge,” he said. “Last year I decided to complete my studies and started devoting a few hours daily for preparations. It is difficult to study after a gap of around five decades but the practice of reading newspapers and keeping in touch with happenings in and around the world helped,” said Ansari, who is not bothered about writing exams with students, who are of his grandsons and grand daughters’ age.
A cynosure of examinees, examiners and parents alike, Ansari hails from Khaga village of adjoining Fatehpur district. He had to drop out of school after class VIII to meet family obligations. Thereafter, he spent his life earning bread and butter for his family till the age of 65, when he decided to return to school.
Suhail Ahmad, who is appearing in UP Board exams along with Ansari said, “Seeing an aged man appearing in exams along with us is a motivational factors. His preparations and commitment towards the exams can be gauged by the fact that he stops writing only when the final call for tying the copies is made.”
Ansari hails from Khaga village of Fatehpur district. He had to drop out of school after class VIII to meet family obligations. Thereafter, he spent his life earning for his family
