Skip to main content

An inspiring journey from the slums of Mumbai to ISRO


 

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." – Henry Ford

Prathamesh Hirve, Scientist, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) never took his eyes from his goal despite it all. His hard work, self-belief and determination helped him realize his dreams.Hirve completed his engineering from Smt Indira Gandhi College of Engineering in Navi Mumbai and has also interned in companies like TATA steel and L&T. Getting selected for a Diploma was the initial step to his achieving his dream. But his journey to success was not an easy one.




When he attended a career guidance session, he was told to choose a stream different from science as he may not have aptitude for it. Coming from a Marathi medium school, he faced difficulty in understanding the technical terms and concepts in English when suddenly exposed to them while pursuing diploma. Many advised him that engineering wasn’t his cup of tea and it required immense talent. Living in a densely populated slum at Mumbai in a small deteriorated residence with very little resources could have added to his problems. These were a few of his problems but it never made him disheartened and lose faith. 

He was blessed with two supportive parents, though they couldn’t help him in terms of imparting knowledge they acted as his constant support at all times. From 2014 to 2017 Hirve gave his best at UPSC and ISRO but unfortunately didn’t see much result in the initial years. But finally in the year 2017, out of 16000 candidates who had applied, 9 were selected. Prathamesh Hirve was one among them. This journey of a studious boy from an under privileged area in Mumbai  getting selected into one of the esteemed organizations of the country shows us that dreams can indeed come true with perseverance and self belief. 

His life has inspired and continues to inspire many young minds of the country! 

-Rugmini

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Voice of Slum - Part 1

There is a saying “ It takes only one voice at the right pitch, to start an avalanche ”. Hers is a story about a girl from the slums who herself held a pencil at the age of 10 and now she is reshaping the life of many children who dare to dream and desire to fulfil them. This story must be told to everyone and this is a voice that must resonate ,so that children in the streets are taken care and are equipped to lead their lives better. It’s also Story of a past filled with suffering, a Present full of hope and endurance, and a Future that promises to be brighter than ever before. I am talking about Chandni Khan who was born in the slums of Noida, a place where several kids are born and die in oblivion. But she refused to lay back and make her peace with her grim destiny as she climbed out of the darkness and now she is extending her hands to pull others out of the same misery too. This girl started working from a very young age. “From the age of five, I used to travel along with my fa...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Other India we hardly know about !

  What is the first thing that comes to our mind when we think about slums? Do we know what deplorable health and environmental conditions exist in slums? Every now and then we come across news that reports eviction of slum dwellers due to encroachment? Their houses are demolished and asked to leave. Do we ever wonder where would they go after getting evicted? They just get settled in another government or private land only to get evicted again just when they think that they have a home now. The cycle just keeps occurring again and again. Why aren't we able to solve this problem and help them to give a sense of belonging? Slums are the other India that we should focus on. Ok, let's understand the cycle first before thinking about a plausible solution. Due to rapid urbanization more and more people come to cities with a dream to improve their lives. They get settled on lands that are open and unclaimed what we call slums. These slums have people who work as daily wagers, dr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hope amidst the Dual Crisis

Pursuit of Happiness What is it that gives you joy? For some its power, while others say its pride. For some, it’s money while for some, its wisdom. But for the people of Basanti slum, S urvival made them happy. The Dual Disaster Basanti slum, Kolkata , the city of joy had been home to approximately 6625 according to 2011 census but this was in 2019 and people around the globe were struggling with Covid-19. But for the people of the slum, another disaster was in line. It was when Amphan hit. This dual disaster shook West Bengal and Orissa to its core but the severely affected were the slums. The Fateful Survival “Wind blowing at a speed of 115km/h blew off the houses made of vinyl sheets, scarp, tarpaulin and cardboards leaving just the skeletal roof. The cyclone left the narrow streets clogged with filth, fallen trees and broken electric wires. Amidst the howling winds and incessant rainfalls, those who survived considered themselves to be lucky. Hunger and fear started t...
Post a Comment
Read more