Kerala-coolie used railway Wi-Fi to prepare for KPSC while carrying-luggage
What's the story
Most people would drown themselves in books while preparing for civil services exams, but not Sreenath K. The coolie at the Ernakulam railway station couldn't give up his work; he needed to earn his livelihood. So he did his best: he used his phone and the free station Wi-Fi to listen to his coursework while carrying luggage. And amazingly, he cleared the written round.
Work+study
Of three attempts, this was first time he used Wi-Fi
Sreenath, a Munnar native, has been working at the station since five years. He has been appearing the KPSC exam since three. While his colleagues do their daily work, this school dropout goes a mile extra: he balances luggage on his head while listening to study material on his earphones. "This is the first time I used the Wi-Fi" for preparation, he says.
Wi-Fi
The government launched the free Wi-Fi scheme in 2016
The Wi-Fi service that helped Sreenath is part of the government's Digital India initiative. Launched in 2016, it provides free internet under Railwire, the retail broadband distribution model of RailTel. As of May, Wi-Fi hotspots have been installed in at least 685 stations across the country. The goal is to extend it to all 8,500 stations by March'19 at a cost of Rs. 700cr.
Preparation
Wi-Fi opened up a whole new world for Sreenath
Sreenath says the Wi-Fi opened up hitherto unknown avenues to him- he could now access an unlimited database of question papers, downloadable at speeds of up to 40Mbps, as well as free reading material, and gained awareness of various competitive exams. And he could save money on books. "I revised all my work at night when I get free time," he said.
Status
Sreenath wants to bring change to his village
If Sreenath clears the interview, he would like to be a village field assistant under the land revenue department. But he's also applied for other exams, like a recent railways test for 62,000 posts. His ideal job? "A person of some authority to change things in my village." "If I appear for enough exams, I'm bound to get a good job," Sreenath is hopeful.