'Knew my kid was capable': Street vendor whose son gave up IIT seat

Balwant Singh has been selling towels in Noida for 28 years. (Representational image: Pixabay)

Balwant Singh, a 47-year-old towel seller in Noida is a proud father. His son has just managed to secure a seat at IIT. But Singh is prouder that his son gave up the seat to pursue his dreams.

Sujal Singh, 18, recently got into IIT Delhi’s civil engineering department for a BTech degree but decided to take up computer science at Delhi Technological University (DTU) instead, Indian Express reported.

“I never forced a career upon my kids, I want to see them excel at what they choose," Balwant Singh told the publication. His daughter is preparing for the UPSC examination.

Originally from Aligarh, Singh has been selling towels in Noida as a local vendor for 28 years, but he was always particular about his children's education. "No matter what you do, make sure your child has an education. Nothing can be more important than being properly educated," he told Indian Express.

Speaking about his son, Singh said Sujal would study all day. “I knew my kid was capable, he used to study all day. He woke up early in the morning and studied till late at night. Whenever I would wake up at night to get water at about 2-3 am, he would still be studying. He never spent much time outside with friends also," he said.

But, studying at DTU will mean paying an annual fee of about Rs 2.2 lakh. Singh earns less than Rs 20,000 a month. Paying college fees is a challenge and he does not want to take a bank loan. “I had to take money from relatives to get him into this college. Sujal’s uncle lent Rs 1 lakh for his education,” he said. “I will manage somehow, I have to educate my kids and I will pay it any way I can,” he said.