First PVTG grad's story draws Rashtrapati Bhavan's attention
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Ramgarh: The success story of Rashmi Birhor, a member of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), has drawn the attention of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and President Murmu met the girl from Ramgarh at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi on Thursday evening during her stay here.
Rashmi, daughter of Sudhanshu Birhor and Sayan Devi, is the first tribal girl from the Birhor community, a PVTG, from the Birhor Tola under the Basantpur panchayat of Ramgarh district.
In TOI's story on Rashmi titled 'Inspired by Prez Murmu, PVTG girl becomes first grad in community' published on May 27, 2025, the tribal girl said she was inspired by the president who visited her hamlet in 2019 when she was the governor of the state.
Speaking to TOI over the phone from Ranchi after she and her mother met President Murmu, Rashmi said that during her struggle for education, she received support from the Akanksha Project of Tata Steel, West Bokaro Division in Ramgarh district.
She said, "We spoke to President Murmuji in Santali and told me that I have become a celebrity and should inspire more children, including from tribal communities, to pursue their dreams."
Notably, the Birhor community faces significant socio-economic challenges, including low literacy rates, limited access to education and widespread poverty. These barriers hinder the community's younger generation's ability to break free from the cycle of deprivation.
This is where the Tata Steel Foundation comes in to fill in the gaps by taking up the Akansha Project to provide comprehensive financial support, covering tuition fees, uniforms, books and other educational needs.
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