Meet Shiksha Sankalp Scholar Priti Kumari

What Priti Kumari has learned, even before fully stepping into her career, is that education does not always move in a straight line it often bends around family responsibilities, financial limits, and second chances.

In a small farming household in Siwan, Bihar, life is closely tied to the land. The family of five depends on agriculture for its livelihood, where income is never steady and every season carries uncertainty. Priti is the eldest of three siblings, all of whom are currently pursuing undergraduate studies. Her younger brother and sister are also studying professional courses, making education a shared responsibility rather than an individual pursuit in the household.

Her father is the only earning member. He works as a farmer, but farming here is not a predictable occupation it rises and falls with rainfall, soil conditions, and market fluctuations. Over time, this uncertainty has made financial planning extremely difficult. Recently, the situation has become more fragile as he is also dealing with medical problems, limiting his ability to work consistently and adding to the family’s strain.

Priti’s academic journey reflects quiet persistence. After Class 12, she attempted NEET three times with the ambition of becoming a doctor. Each attempt did not lead to the outcome she hoped for, but it gradually steered her in a different direction. She chose to step into BSc Agriculture at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, not as a compromise, but as a conscious shift toward a field she now sees as deeply relevant. For her, agriculture is no longer just her father’s profession it is a space where science, innovation, and rural livelihoods meet.

But behind this academic path lies a constant concern. The cost of education, hostel fees, and daily living expenses remains a monthly challenge. In a household where three children are studying simultaneously, even basic educational needs stretch the family’s finances. At one point, her father even said he would be willing to sell a part of their agricultural land if it became necessary, so that all three children could continue their studies without interruption. In their family, education matters so deeply that they are mentally prepared to make even this kind of sacrifice, seeing it not as a loss of land, but as a way of protecting their children’s future.