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Guwahati, June 3 : Till yesterday, Assam boy Avradeep Bhowmik’s only Bengal connection was an uncle in Alipurduar.

Today, most of Bengal learnt his name — he has just secured the sixth position in the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination.

He used the Alipurduar uncle’s address to appear for the Bengal exam.

The soft-spoken, versatile Avradeep attributed his success in the joint entrance examination to the support of his teachers in Cotton College, family and friends.

For the Bhowmiks, the result of the examination came as the icing on the cake, as Avradeep has also secured the 34th position in the IIT entrance, the results of which was announced last month.

“I want to study electrical engineering as I like the subject,” Avradeep said, taking a break from playing his Hawaiian guitar at his Srinagar residence in Guwahati.

Music and painting are his two passions.

“He even played the guitar at a programme for the All India Radio, Guwahati. But after the HSLC examinations, he had to put his two passions in the back seat to concentrate more on studies,” said mother Dipanwita.

She said Avradeep’s art teacher had suggested he could make it big even if he pursued art. “Whatever he does, he does it passionately,” said Dipanwita.

The wall paintings adorning Bhowmik’s apartment only proves the art teacher’s observation.

“I paint or play the guitar to relax,” Avradeep said.

Like any teenager, computer games are another obsession.

But unlike most, Avradeep does not follow cricket. He prefers tennis.

Avradeep’s father Anjan Kumar, who works with the Reserve Bank of India in Guwahati, thanked all the well-wishers and teachers for their guidance and support.

Indra Kumar Bhattacharyya, principal of Cotton College, said Avradeep’s success in the exam held in the neighbouring state was a proud moment for the institution.

The teenager’s Bengal connection, uncle Santanu Bhowmik, said: “Avradeep has always been the best in the family in studies. We are very proud of him”.

“They have always been in Assam. Avradeep, incidentally, is the third generation in the state,” he added.

Guwahati, March 20 : The 33-year-old Guwahati Blind High School today received a corporate touch to improve healthcare and other basic facilities for its students.

“Students were facing problems in terms of getting timely healthcare, pure drinking water and Braille textbooks. Now things are set to change as a corporate house has come forward to address these problems. Students have been included under a health scheme, which will provide free health check-ups and treatment at a private hospital thrice a year.

“A water purifier has also been installed at the school. Musical instruments have been given to students. More importantly, the corporate house has decided to provide free Braille books for students of Classes VIII-X,” the headmaster, Bhaben Barman, said.

The Guwahati Blind High School is a residential institution located at Pilingkata near Basistha. It caters to students from Class I to Class X (till High School Leaving Certificate). The teachers are trained in Braille.

Set up in 1976 by the Society for Welfare of Blinds, the school provides training to under-privileged children. The school has now 74 students, including 28 girls.

Today’s initiative was taken by Amway Opportunity Foundation, the corporate social responsibility wing of Amway India Enterprises Pvt Ltd.

Barman said even though the school receives funds from the state government to pay salary to its staff and bear essential expenses, it cannot look to the government every time to meet other requirements. He said the corporate sector and other NGOs must come forward to improve condition of the school.

“Most of the students are from very poor families and their parents cannot afford their basic healthcare requirements. The health scheme introduced by Amway Foundation will be a great boon for the students and they would be able to lead a healthy life. Musical instruments will help the students to relax,” the headmaster said.

Bickramjit Paul, area manager (Northeast) of Amway India said the health scheme would include free health check-ups by medical specialists and all necessary medical tests of children.

He said the company would ensure that not a single student of the school suffered from any ailment. “We have been facing problem of getting Braille books in time. Today we received some books and were assured that all other books will be distributed soon. I can now concentrate on my studies and do well in the next examination,” Madhab Das, a student of Class VIII, said.