Against All Odds: How a Young Mule Handler from Uttarakhand Made It to IIT Madras

In the high reaches of Uttarakhand, where the mountains breathe silence and life is shaped by nature’s rhythm, a young man named Atul Kumar dared to dream beyond the path carved out for him. Born into a simple family in a small village in Rudraprayag district, Atul’s childhood was shaped by steep hills, harsh weather, and the seasonal rhythm of the Kedarnath Yatra.

For years, Atul worked as a horse-mule handler during the pilgrimage season, helping transport tired pilgrims and their belongings along the demanding trails to the Kedarnath shrine. It was backbreaking work. He spent months in the mountains, often sleeping in tents with no electricity, no mobile signal, and barely enough to eat. It was a life of quiet sacrifice, shared by thousands like him who keep the wheels of the pilgrimage turning yet remain invisible to the crowds they serve.

Until his late teens, Atul didn’t know that places like the Indian Institutes of Technology even existed. The idea of attending one, let alone living on a college campus or studying advanced mathematics, felt as distant as the city lights he had never seen. Schooling in his region was basic, and higher education was a vague concept, mostly unaffordable and out of reach.

But sometimes, it only takes one spark.

That spark came in the form of a teacher who casually mentioned the possibility of studying at an IIT through an entrance exam called IIT-JAM. The idea lodged itself in Atul’s mind. It didn’t matter that he had never seen an IIT or even understood what it fully meant. Something about that dream stuck. When the Kedarnath season ended in July 2024, Atul came down from the mountains carrying more than just luggage. He brought back purpose.

With no coaching centers, no money for private tuition, and unreliable internet, Atul began studying anyway. A friend, Mahavir, who had once taken the IIT-JAM exam, offered him old notes. That became his only study material. Every evening, after helping out at home or taking up small jobs to earn, he would sit down with those pages and try to make sense of the formulas and theorems. There was no guide. No classroom. No one to explain things when he got stuck. Still, he kept going.

He studied under dim bulbs and oil lamps. He scribbled problems late into the night while others slept. During the day, he often questioned himself. Was it foolish to believe he could do this? But deep down, something told him not to stop. He wanted a life where he could use his mind, not just his hands and feet. He wanted to be something more than what circumstances had assigned to him.

In February 2025, Atul took the IIT-JAM exam. He did not expect much. He just hoped that his efforts would be worth something. And then the results came.

He had cleared the exam.

He was going to IIT Madras.

The news hit him slowly, like the warmth of sunlight after a long winter. At first, it felt unreal. But soon, the village found out and everything changed. Teachers who once taught him called to say how proud they were. Neighbors who had watched him carry mules and luggage now saw him as an inspiration. He was not just Atul anymore. He was proof that dreams could grow even in rocky soil.

For Atul, the idea of leaving his mountain home for the first time to live and study in Chennai is daunting. The language, the people, the city, the sea—all of it is new. But he is ready. Nervous, yes. But ready. His goal is to complete his MSc in Mathematics, and then go further. A Ph.D., perhaps. And then, to teach. To return to places like his own village and tell other kids that they, too, can reach higher.

Atul’s journey is not just about one student cracking an exam. It is about the power of belief in places where dreams are usually postponed or abandoned. It is about the strength of one boy’s will to change the story he was born into. It is about resilience in the face of hardship and the quiet courage to keep going even when no one is watching.

There are thousands like Atul in India—young minds with fire in their hearts waiting for someone to hand them a match. His success is a reminder that brilliance does not belong only to the well-connected or the well-coached. It exists in remote villages, in the hands of those who guide mules up mountains and read borrowed notes by candlelight.

As he packs his bags for IIT Madras, Atul carries with him not just books and clothes but the dreams of a village, the hopes of a region, and the silent pride of every parent who has watched their child rise above limitations. And somewhere, in the thin mountain air, a quiet message echoes. You are more than where you come from.