Meet Nihar Ranjan - The IIT Grad Who Quit His Job To Work For The Welfare Of Odisha's Villagers

Ostensibly aimed at empowering our own country, premier institutes like the IITs and IIMs produce thousands of erudite students every year, only to lose the talent to countries like the US or UK.

With people like Nadella and Pichai making headlines across the globe, how often do we see these people coming back to India?

Meet Nihar Ranjan Beura (50), an IIT Kharagpur alumnus, who has set his goal to transform the life of the villagers in Odisha.

Odisha, a place that is already infamous for activities that trouble people, has now piqued the interest of this bright mind. Nihar has come to fight the rural body polls in Dumuka gram panchayat in the politically sensitive Kendrapara district of Odisha.

Nominated myself for MPS(member of panchayat samiti) from my panchayat Dumuka, Marshaghai Block yesterday, first step of my political career pic.twitter.com/bHF2oLZ9bT

¡ª Nihar Beura (@ProfNiharBeura) January 17, 2017

¡°I filed nomination papers for member panchayat samiti from my native Dumuka gram panchayat today. I have earned money and fame. There is a general perception that people get involved in politics to earn money. But I have pledged to prove it wrong,¡± he said.

His resume and past experience boast of a highly educated profile and praiseworthy career records. Having worked in multinationals across India and the US, he has now come to set up a dairy farm in his village from where locals can buy pure milk at cheaper rates.

¡°I was born and brought up in Dumuka. Time has come to pay back to my ancestral village. It is everyone¡¯s duty to give back to the society which has contributed to one¡¯s success,¡± Beura said.

¡°Despite generous flow of government funds, my village failed to march in the path of progress. If people elect me, I will try my level best to give a facelift to the agrarian economy of the gram panchayat,¡± he said

He's also helping the destitute find better career options by holding counselling sessions for them.

Program on Gandhigiri - Nation moves on as villages progress, for Bayababa college students at Mahakalpada, is a huge satisfying experience pic.twitter.com/4DOT1He7gi

¡ª Nihar Beura (@ProfNiharBeura) December 27, 2016

¡°We feel he will serve the village better,¡± an unemployed youth from the region said.

Rural youth taken for granted always in India by all so called policy makers and implementors.

¡ª Nihar Beura (@ProfNiharBeura) December 4, 2016

None have time to think longterm development and rather use them for short term gains. Its never a good sign of building a good nation.

¡ª Nihar Beura (@ProfNiharBeura) December 4, 2016

¡°I have seen poverty and hunger since childhood. I lost my father and elder brother to the 1996 cyclone. My mother brought me up amid much hardship,¡± Beura said, adding, ¡°When I was well-established and drawing a fat salary, I made up mind to go back to my roots and serve my village.¡±