23 Middle-Aged BMC Workers Clear Class X Exams, Hail Boss as Guide

Following in the footsteps of Kashmir’s Super 40 and Bihar’s Super-30 is Mumbai’s ‘Miracle 23’, a set of 23 class IV workers from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), who have successfully cleared their Class X board exams, thereby earning a hike of up to Rs 3,000 in their salaries.

The 23 workers, all aged between 30 and 50 year, are sweepers, manhole cleaners, and road and pipeline repairmen. The group consists of 21 men and two women – Jayshree Kamble and Kalpana Jadhav – who travelled over 44 km after work to attend school everyday.

Speaking to PTI over their success, Assistant Municipal Commissioner Udaykumar Shiroorkar said:

Their determination has not only made them a role model for other such employees in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), but also paves way for their salary increment and improves their chances of getting promotions.

Shiroorkar is the man behind the the ‘Miracle-23’, encouraging them to dream the impossible, as per a Mumbai Mirror report. He had reportedly gone to the Dongri Municipal School for his driver’s admission, when he learnt of the school being shut down due to lack of students.

That is when I thought of sending BMC employees from my ward there

Udaykumar Shiroorkar to Mumbai Mirror

Nilesh Sawant (37), a road maintenance worker with BMC, who got 62 per cent in the Maharashtra Board's Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Class X examination this year, said:

I am a matriculate today and all the credit goes to Shiroorkar saheb without whose support it would not have been possible. He persuaded us to study, filled up our forms and even arranged stationery. 

Kalpana Jadhav, the mother of a seven-year-old boy, said she has now realised the importance of education.

I had to quit school in 1998 because of my family’s financial constraints. The situation forced me to take up the class IV job. But now that I have realised the importance of education, I would make sure that my son never quits his school.

Jayshree Kamble is happy that she has cleared the Class X exam.

Me and my entire family are thankful to Shiroorkar. I am happy that now I will be acknowledged as a literate person in our department.

The 23 workers were felicitated at the Dongri Municipal Night School, which is where they prepared for their examinations, by Shiroorkar on Saturday.

(This admission season, The Quint got experts from CollegeDekho.com on board to answer all your college-related queries. Send us your questions at [e-mail].)