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He failed Class 10th, now his Rs 125 ‘rooftop classroom’ has caught the eye of Sridhar Vembu

What began as a classroom for four students now runs from 5 am to 5 pm.

3 min readNew DelhiFeb 15, 2026 05:57 PM IST

Despite the noise, Rohit Kumar was determined and won hearts with his simple science lessons (Image source: @svembu/X)

Rohit Kumar, a vegetable seller from Bihar, has become a source of inspiration for thousands. A 10th board fail, Kumar turned his rooftop into a classroom for nearly 1000 students.

What began as a classroom for four students now runs from 5 am to 5 pm. According to a video report by The Better India, Kumar aspired to be an artist; however, financial strain challenged his dreams, with just his mother running the household by selling cow dung cake. After selling vegetables for years, he decided to do something for the society.

Kumar transformed his rooftop into a classroom, charging just Rs 125 per student. However, locals mocked him for taking on a teacher’s responsibility without passing his Class 10 board examination. Despite the noise, Kumar was determined and won hearts with his simple science lessons.

Later, his students created an Instagram handle, which is now making waves. Reacting to the viral video, former CEO of Zoho, Sridhar Vembu, wrote, “I see this and I feel pride and optimism for Bharat. All these kids, from humble backgrounds in Bihar, so eager to learn maths and science, will define the future of our nation. We will be happy to support this effort through our foundation.”

Watch here:

I see this and I feel pride and optimism for Bharat. All these kids, from humble backgrounds in Bihar, so eager to learn maths and science, will define the future of our nation. We will be happy to support this effort through our foundation. https://t.co/oAYX9el3YF

— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) February 15, 2026

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The video quickly gained traction, winning plaudits for Kumar. “Sir , talent is everywhere, opportunity just needs to reach it. feels good to see this is how our nation is being built,” a user wrote. “Inspiring story, but notice how we romanticize struggle while ignoring why it had to be that hard in the first place. Individual grit makes heroes, functioning systems make them unnecessary,” another user commented.

“Marks don’t define success determination does. Inspiring story,” a third user reacted.

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