Bravehearts: The winners of the Surrendra Paul Memorial courage awards with special guest Kapil Dev and host Barry O’Brien at The Telegraph School Awards for Excellence at the Science City auditorium on Saturday. Pictures by Pradip Sanyal and Rashbehari Das

All of them wear uniforms, attend classes and write exams. But school students across Bengal are divided — by their urban or rural upbringing, economic backgrounds and medium of education. They go to different school programmes, fests and competitions, even if they share a game of cricket in the para with the same eagerness. But at an event like The Telegraph School Awards for Excellence, presented this year by Adamas International School, they come together to learn from each other and share their lives. On Saturday, the relatively privileged students of city schools got a glimpse of the hardships that their counterparts face in the rural areas and learnt a lesson from how they triumphed over the odds.

Amongst the champions of courage was 15-year-old Biswajit Sardar of Rajat Jubilee High School in South 24-Parganas. Nine years ago, his mother was killed in a crocodile attack right in front of his eyes. His father remarried soon. Since then, Biswajit had to take on the responsibility of bringing up his two younger sisters and brother. Despite all the impediments, the tribal boy has continued his education with the help of an NGO.

From the same school came another real life hero. Kartick Chandra Sardar’s father was killed by a tiger. He now pays for his education by working as an agricultural labourer. This was his first visit to Calcutta, when he received the Ashin Dasgupta Memorial Scholarship at the School Awards.

A scholarship was given to Rajib Debnath by students and teachers of La Maternelle High School. The students pooled in their pocket money every day for the scholarship. Rajib set a record in his village Uttar Shyambati by scoring 800 in the arts stream in his Higher Secondary. Rajib’s family had struggled in acute poverty since his father passed away eight years ago. The headmaster of his school Parulia Kulokamini Uccha Bidyalaya extended help so that Rajib doesn’t have to quit studies. Though the young man wants to graduate in English honours, he also wishes to do research on poverty. All he wants is to find a way so that every child from a poor family is able to finish his or her education.

The Sada Sukhi Raho Scholarship went to a girl with a ‘spring in her step’. Kalpana Mondal is a second-year student of BA. She lost her right leg in a fire when she was just 21 days old. Keeping her company in her treks on muddy kutcha roads and boat rides to Hazi Desharat College, in Pathankhali, are her crutches and her books in a weathered sling bag.

Chandan Roy of village Bairiguri, in Alipurduar, is a multi-tasker. He works in a garage, helps his widowed and ailing mother in other chores and also studies. He scored 639 in his Madhyamik appearing from Jittpur High School. The credit, he says, goes to his school teachers. Though he couldn’t turn up to accept the Sujata and Kanti Prasad Memorial Scholarship on Saturday, the audience saluted his tenacity with a round of applause.

Akash Singh has greater concerns in life than clearing his Class VI exams in Jainti High School, Alipurduar. Before and after school, he does the washing, cleaning and other odd jobs for tourists. The money helps him buy his study material. But more importantly, it keeps him and his siblings from starvation. Their father passed away when they were very young and their mother barely manages to earn something. The Margaret Mallon Memorial Scholarship was given to encourage little Akash to keep on the fight and fulfil his only dream — “to grow up fast and get a job”.

If you come across a chopwala by the name of Gopal Santra in a Bagnan-Sadpur local train, do try out a piece. For from every rupee that Santra earns, at least a portion will help his son Shubhash realise his wish of doing research in chemistry and physics. Shubhash secured 620 in Madhyamik and 686 in HS, appearing from Kola Union High School. He got the Vijay Dudeja Memorial Scholarship.

Another youngster with a never-say-die spirit was Tarun Saha, a Bengali honours student of Nabadwip College. Tarun passed Madhyamik in 2004 with a first division and got 668 in his HS. His father, a vegetable vendor, wanted Tarun to join him at work, but he didn’t, or rather couldn’t. Tarun’s legs are affected by polio from a very tender age. The determined boy made use of the opportunity in disguise and despite a leaking roof, no power and one meal a day, fared very well in his school exams. “I have to become a teacher. That’s the only way I can earn a decent living and help others in need,” Tarun said at the School Awards where he received the Hariyana Vidya Mandir Scholarship.

For little Aditi Thakur, keeping family before self came naturally. She was preparing for her Madhyamik when her father became physically and mentally handicapped after a fall from a staircase in 2004. More than Rs 2 lakh was spent on his treatment. Financial constraints soon forced the six-member family to sell off their property and even household items like utensils. But the little Florence Nightingale stayed by her father’s side after a major operation and has to attend to his every need. Aditi passed her Madhyamik from Ranihati High School with 69.25 per cent and accepted the Ronald Robertson Memorial Scholarship on Saturday to help her continue studies.

For his age, Biswajit Barman of Hurinan village, in East Midnapore, is busier than the busiest of people. Since his father is ill and can’t work, Biswajit goes with his mother at dawn to catch fish from the Rupnarayan river and sell it on its bank. He rushes back home, eats whatever little is there and runs to school. Back from classes, he sometimes has to cook as his mother doesn’t keep well. Then he studies under an oil lamp before going to bed late in the night. During the harvest season, he misses school to work in the fields. Yet, he passed Madhyamik from Krishanaganj Krishi Shilpa Vidyalaya with a letter in five subjects. The KK Verma Memorial Scholarship was given to him to take some of the burden off his young shoulders.

Life has already dealt a double blow for Biswajit Das, of Chotosehara village, in North 24-Parganas. His father left Biswajit and his mother when he was very young. Since then just staying alive has been a struggle for the duo. His mother works as a house-maid and earns Rs 750 in a month. Since his Madhyamik examinations, Biswajit has been suffering from a severe form of anaemia. His HS scores of 612 from Chhoto Sehara High School belie all the hardships he has gone through. The Chittajit De Memorial Scholarship was given to him to help him hold on to his dream of becoming a Geography teacher.