Award for 18 years of 100 per cent attendance

While children yearn to absent themselves from school and bunking college is a favourite pastime among college youth, Sri Saravanan has not missed a single class for all of 18 years.

The 22-year-old software engineer at Robert Bosh was recently honoured by collector Archana Patnaik for securing 100 per cent attendance throughout his academic life, 14 years of schooling at Carmel Garden matriculation school and four years at Amrita School of Engineering.

“As I was a single child, I never had issues about attending school even when I was a toddler. I never cried about going to school when I was in lower kindergarten because I had lots of friends there. Initially, it was my parents who motivated me to go to school every day and never let me take leave. But, as I grew up, I wanted to set a record by being present in school every single working day,” says Sri Saravanan.

The cups, medals and certificates that trickled in for 100 per cent attendance spurred him to create a record in classroom attendance.

“My teachers motivated me to a great extent and showered me with appreciation in the form of cups every year. Then it slowly grew as a fire in me. I wanted to be a role model to my juniors. I wanted to show them that I was better than the others and I made it a point to attend school, and subsequently, college, every single working day,” he says.

Had he never fallen sick or skipped school or college? Yes, he had been hospitalised and put on drips the whole night. But next day, he was out of bed and rushed straight to his college campus, he says excitedly.

“I was feeling weak and drained out. I was worried that I might have to break the record as my health was not cooperating. But, somehow, I managed to take drips for the whole night and dragged myself to college the next day,” he says.