The rare poor child who breaks the glass ceiling

Posts celebrating the 'cobblers daughter' who 'got into IIT', or the 'sweepers son' who is a 'scientist' need to stop.

These are the exceptions and they hide the bleak reality. That the odds are so heavy against the poor and disadvantaged that without far reaching affirmative action, they are defeated despite the best efforts from their side.

These also imply that hard acedemic work will allow the poor to rise out of poverty. Illiteracy, poverty, malnourishment, very poor government schools, first generation learners, no support outside of school, family problems. My children work very very hard. Most drop by the wayside.

Swati Shukla seriously...they put all the emphasis on "hard work and passion"..as if with hard work and passion alone will make you pass from a school with no books or teachers..the poor only come into news when there are these celebratory stories..not when they r dying in huge numbers.. :(

Krishna Kanth Telikepalli But isn't it an inspiration for others to emulate and not limit their thinking them as improbables...

Aparna Krishnan it distracts from the reality.

Karthik T Duraisamy well two ways to look at it. In reality we got to have a fair systems for every kid born to learn, experiment and come up in life. But if we don't know or can't or won't fix it - then atleast celebrate few kids who escape the reality and make it in life, market it aggressively to give a ray of hope even if it masks the crude reality

Aparna Krishnan Reality counts. Masking discounts possible action.

Swati Shukla yes it gives hope.. a false hope that you too can do it if have a little more passion and work hard...such individual celebratory stories paint a false picture that poverty is accidental or worse a state of mind..and makes other poor people look like lazy bums who dont work hard..