Hyderabad: A 62-year-old retired LIC officer from Adilabad stunned candidates at an ICET exam centre after calmly locating his seat and writing the test — eventually securing 178th rank in the competitive MBA entrance exam.
Ravula Surya Narayana of Teachers Colony, Adilabad town, lost both his younger son and wife within months. His younger son, a medical student, died of illness. Shortly after, his wife, a government teacher, succumbed to COVID-19. Surya Narayana, who had opted for voluntary retirement from LIC in 2020, sank into depression and moved to Parbhani, Maharashtra, where his elder son works in a central government job.
Deeply disturbed by news of student suicides over exam failures, he resolved to send a message about perseverance and the value of life. With ICET having no age bar, he began preparing with study materials and YouTube videos. In his first attempt last year, he secured 1,828th rank. This year, he rose to 178.
Surya Narayana, who lives alone, studied for three to four hours daily. He practised past papers, made notes, and corrected his errors. “I wanted to show youngsters that one failure isn’t the end. If even one person sees hope in my story, this effort will be worth it,” he said.