Being surrounded by books is a matter of routine for civil services aspirants, but for Sreenath K., a porter who cleared the written test of the Kerala Public Service Commission, the preparation is just about his phone and earphones as he goes about his job.
Sreenath has been earning his livelihood carrying heavy luggage at the Ernakulam Junction Railway Station in Kerala for the past five years.
Unlike his colleagues, he deftly balances the luggage on his shoulders and listens to his digital coursework at the same time—his teachers speaking to him through the earphones.
A high school pass-out, he takes advantage of the free Wi-Fi internet service available at Ernakulam station to learn.
"I have appeared thrice for the exam and this is the first time, I used the Wi-Fi at the station. What I do is put on my earphones and listen to the study material as I carry the luggage or solve questionnaires in my mind. This way, I can study while I work. I revise all my work at night when I get free time," Sreenath told reporters.
The Wi-Fi service, launched in 2016 as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India initiative, provides free internet to passengers under RailWire, the retail broadband distribution model of RailTel Corporation of India Limited.
As of May 2018, at least 685 railway stations have been equipped with Wi-Fi technology across the country, with the Indian Railways setting a target of providing this facility at all 8,500 stations by March 2019 at a cost of Rs 700 crore.
Sreenath hails from Munnar, a town in the Western Ghats mountain range. The name Munnar is believed to mean "three rivers," referring to its location at the confluence of Mudhirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly rivers.
Ernakulam is the nearest major railway station from Munnar.
Sreenath said the free Wi-Fi service at the station opened up opportunities for him he never thought were available in the first place—reams of practice question papers downloadable at speeds of 20-40MBPS, easy access to online examination forms and, above everything else, saving money on books.
If he qualifies for KPSC after interview, he is likely to be a village field assistant under the land revenue department.
"I will keep studying. While I work as a coolie because I have the pressure of running my house, I will keep studying and appearing for exams. If I appear for enough exams, I am bound to get a good job," Sreenath said.
He has also applied for exams advertised recently by the Railways for 62,000 Group D posts of trackman, cabinman, leverman, pointsman, gangman and others.
"What is my ideal job? A person of some authority to change things in my village maybe," he said.