Giani Zail Singh College student makes it to ISRO

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 20

Hailing from a humble family of Palanga town near Patna in Bihar, 24-year-old Sonal Kumar has brought laurels to the Giani Zail Singh Campus College of Engineering and Technology (GZSCCET) by becoming a scientist in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

As per a note issued here on Friday, he has got his first posting at Hassan (Karnataka). Sonal, who has excelled throughout his academic career, scored 89.8 percent in high school and his score set the foundation for his dreams. It was then that he decided to become a scientist at the ISRO.

He had no idea what it should entail or how hard he would have to work for it, all he knew was that he wanted to get there. Many among Sonal’s family members and relatives had never heard of ISRO until he landed a job there, but now they are thrilled by his success. His father Yogendra Pratap Singh distributed sweets to celebrate the occasion.

“When I came to know that my son would be working with such an elite organisation, I was in tears. I remembered all the hard work he had put in since childhood, this is what he had wanted to achieve,” said Singh.

Sonal gives credit to his family members, but says his role model is former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. “Kalam sir had worked for the country as a scientist and became the President of India. I want to be like him,” says Kumar. Talking about his journey, he says, “There is no shortcut to success. One has to work hard to make it big in life. Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to always try one more time.”

On his days at the college here, he said, “GZSCCET has been a crucial milestone in my journey. It has acted as a stepping stone for my success graph and opened the door to a world of opportunities. I am really grateful to my teachers.”

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU) Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohan Paul Singh Ishar, Registrar Dr Jasbir Singh Hundal and Mechanical Engineering Department Head Dr Balwinder Singh Sidhu congratulated Sonal and decided to facilitate the achiever soon.