News Analysis India

Tag: Kota factory

  • Success Story: Meet Ranjan Raj, IIT Bombay Dropout Turned Actor Who Played This Iconic Role In Kota Factory | People News

    New Delhi: Ranjan Raj is a well-known Indian actor whose performance as Balamukund Meena in Kota Factory has been appreciated by everyone. Ranjan had played supporting roles in a number of films and web series. Born and brought up in a small Bihar district, Ranjan became an example for the students preparing for the IIT entrance exams but have different dreams as well.

    He was an academic student in school. To support his family financially, he had aspirations of becoming an engineer. To fulfill his dreams on the advice of two of his mentors, Ranjan enrolled in a Patna coaching facility after school to prepare for the JEE.

    He passed the JEE after two years of effort and suffering, and as a result, was accepted into IIT Bombay. However, he left the school to pursue his acting ambitions.

    When he first arrived at IIT, he observed that the students were interested in activities other than their studies. He was encouraged by his surroundings and decided to participate in a few plays.

    He started loving acting more than studies, he started to enjoy dancing as well as acting. He, therefore, made the decision to take his newly discovered passion seriously in his second year of engineering. The actor, who is 27 years old, dropped out of college to pursue his love.

    He actively participated in events at other colleges after joining the theater society. Ranjan was obstinate about prevailing and realizing his aspiration of being an actor.

    And finally, he left IIT in his sixth year to pursue acting and joined the entertainment industry. He worked in films like Chichore, Rustom, Kota Factory, etc. Ranjan Raj has also worked in short films and videos such as Interval 3D, Raju, Lots of Love, The Monetisation, Padh Le Basanti, and How to Pass an Exam?

    Ranjan Raj has come a long way, from commencing as a junior artist in TVF Pitchers to being duped for a model photoshoot to currently playing roles in one of the most loved online series, like TVF Kota Factory. His acting career has only just begun, he is yet to see more success.

  • Students return to Kota as coaching institutes reopen with Covid measures in place 

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: Thousands of students have now started flocking to Kota, the coaching capital of the country. 

    The economy of the city that revolves around the coaching industry has been badly dented by the Covid pandemic. People in the city are now praying for a rapid return to normalcy so that their earnings can start picking up.

    Over 1.5 lakh students come to this city to train for engineering and medical entrance exams every year. 

    The educational institutes in Rajasthan reopened on Wednesday after a five-month gap. Thousands of students who are willing to resume physical classes have restarted their coaching stints and about 30,000 students have come in from all parts of India over the past 10 days.  

    On the first day of offline classes, students clapped in unison to welcome their teachers when they arrived to conduct classes. All coaching centres have put in place several safety measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. “Due to online classes, we had almost forgotten how offline classes can be so much fun. Our parents are worried about our safety but we will tell them that the arrangements in our centres are very good and there is nothing to worry about Covid here”, said Priyanka Gupta. 

    Another student Amit Kumar remarked: “As soon as we got the message about offline classes, we were keen to get back to Kota. I and all my friends are very excited on the first day of regular classes because now we can interact with our teachers and fellow students and there is simply no way that online classes can replace this in any way.” 

    ALSO READ | ‘Kota Factory’ season two heading to Netflix in September

    Kota has around 35-40 major coaching institutes. Around 3,000 hostels and as many messes and eateries offer food and accommodation to the students. These are crucial to boost the local economy which has been hit hard by the pandemic. The coaching industry generates annual revenue of over Rs 4,000 crore which has become the virtual backbone of the local economy. 

    From the autorickshaw driver to the small trader/vendor to mess and hostel owners, everyone is thrilled with the return of students. The president of the Hostel Association, Navin Mittal, confirms that over 30,000 students have returned to the city in the past 15 days. While assuring that all hostels/messes have put in place all Covid protocols, Mittal said, “it’s a very big relief for all of us as 70% of the city’s economy directly or indirectly depends on the coaching industry. The return of students is like oxygen for our hopes. We hope that the good times that we have lost over the past 18 months will soon return to Kota.”

    All coaching centres are following various safety measures. At hostels, messes and coaching centres, biometric attendance has been replaced with registers that have a column for categorising students with influenza-like illness (ILI). They are also being advised on regular medical care and are monitored by medical teams. The institutes say they have ensured that vaccination and complete compliance of Covid protocol take the top priority and almost the entire staff, faculties and students above 18 years have been inoculated at most of the coaching centres. 

    The coaching institutes have also been asked to ensure the students have RT-PCR negative report and vaccination certificates. The deputy director of the education department has been deputed as the nodal officer to supervise the reopening of classes and will also arrange special vaccination camps for students above 18 years.