IDIA strikes again: Eight scholars make it to leading law schools through first CLAT allotment list

IDIA (Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access to Legal Education) continued its success this year as well, with eight of their scholars making it to the leading law schools in India through the first CLAT allotment list. More scholars are expected to make it, with other lists yet to be released.Following is the profile of this year’s achievers, as retrieved from an IDIA release: Pavan KallemPavan’s story is one of true grit and determination. Despite his visual impairment and poverty, Pavan’s inspirational efforts have secured him admission to NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, rated as amongst the top three NLUs in the country.Pavan admits to always being interested in legal affairs. Described as a focused and hardworking student by the IDIA volunteers who trained him over the last two years, Pavan hopes to indulge his deep interest in the law, and aims to make a difference to the society at large through this newfound knowledge. Pavan enjoys playing chess in his spare time. Rahul SutharRahul’s father is a factory worker and the only earning member of the household, earning hardly INR 85,000/- per year.Neither his visual impairment nor financial disadvantage prevented this inspiring young man from translating his dreams to success. He excelled in CLAT 2016, scoring 127 and ranking among the top-performing IDIA trainees across the country this year. This enabled him to secure admission into the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, rated amongst the top 3 NLUs in the country today.In Rahul’s own words, he wants to pursue law to “ensure that speedy and affordable legal aid is made available to all, especially those hailing from lower economic strata.” He has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and likes reading in his spare time. RishabhRishabh’s father is a tent decorator with an annual income of about INR 70,000/-. The difficulties he has faced due to the lack of financial resources have not dampened his cheerful optimism about his future.A bright scholar who had been trained by the IDIA Delhi Chapter, Rishabh finished school from a Government Senior Secondary School in Delhi. His hard work as an IDIA Trainee has paid off, with him gaining admission into Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar.Rishabh’s eagerness and capacity for learning new things is remarkable, and his IDIA trainers attest to his ability to excel as a lawyer. He was drawn to the study of the law because of a long-running curiosity about legislative processes in India, and how laws are interpreted and implemented here. Apart from studying, he enjoys drawing and sketching, and is a skilled portrait artist. Dharu RamDharu, who hails from the village of Sointra in Jodhpur district, Rajasthan, completed his intermediate exams in 2015 with the Rajasthan State Board.His father, a humble farmer barely cobbles together INR 50,000/- each year, to support a family of seven! Being the oldest child in the family, Dharu has had to take on some of the responsibility of looking after his family on his already strained shoulders. But he transcended all of this through his academic excellence.After training with the IDIA Rajasthan Chapter for two years, Dharu cracked CLAT and secured admission to the Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar, one of the top ten law schools in the country.Dharu wishes to pursue a career in litigation, having been inspired by friends and relatives, so that he can bring justice to those who cannot afford it. Apart from being good in studies, Dharu is a gifted cricketer and is an avid reader. He has a great interest in reading biographies and mystery novels, and loves reading Nehru's works. Aritra MondalAritra Mondal, a dynamic and determined scholar who trained under the IDIA West Bengal Chapter, secured admission into Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar.Tragedy struck a few years ago, when Aritra lost his father while in Class XI. His father’s unfortunate demise threw his family into serious financial instability; neither his mother, who is a homemaker, nor his sister who was still in school could provide a source of income for the family. Aritra temporarily suspended his studies after Class XI, and realized after a year that a formal education- preferably in law- would better enable him to support his family. As luck would have it, his neighbor was an IDIA volunteer, and helped Aritra take the first step towards his goal of getting a legal education by introducing him to IDIA.Aritra’s motivation to excel in the legal profession is driven not just by his need to support his family, but also by his passion for justice. He enjoys playing the guitar in his spare time. Javadhi Eshwar RaoEshwar, a resident of Ameerpet, Hyderabad, belongs to a family for whom tragedy is no stranger. Around six years ago, his father was paralyzed, rendering him incapable of employment. His mother, the lone earning member of the family, works at a supermarket in Hyderabad.This did not dampen...

IDIA strikes again: Eight scholars make it to leading law schools through first CLAT allotment list

Apoorva Mandhani

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