(Left) Shravani told the commissioner that she dreams of becoming a teacher (Express Photo)Amid incessant rain on Wednesday, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh sprung a suprise as he visited the residence of Shravani Deepak Tonge — the bright meritorious ‘scholar’ who has drawn praise from citizens, teachers and politicians from across the industrial city for bagging a scholarship of Rs 1 crore to pursue a two-year diploma course at a college in Germany.Living with her family in two rooms of 10x10ft in Kasarwadi—a congested suburb of Pimpri-Chinchwad clustered with several tiny houses—next month, Shravani will walk into Robert Bosch College, one of the prestigious institutions under the United World Colleges (UWC) network, on a full scholarship — the only student from Maharashtra this year to do so. Officials said this is also the first such instance when a civic school student has received a scholarship of a foreign-based college.On his visit to Kasarwadi, Singh first went to the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj School, where he interacted with Shravani and the school staff, including principal Parijat Prakash. He then walked up to Shravani’s chawl and interacted with her family. The PCMC chief congratulated the Tonge family and assured all possible help to Shravani on behalf of the PCMC. He also enquired if Shravani had received her visa and completed all formalities before joining college.”When you reach Germany, you might get a cultural shock because of the different cultures of the two countries…Humour is the most difficult thing when you change cultures or countries. Our Marathi humour, North Indian humour, Tamil honour are all different…you need to pick up the nuances,” said Singh even as he advised her to read local newspapers and be aware of what’s happening around her.“Enjoy what you do. Go wherever your dream and destination takes you… I am sure you will remain grounded in whatever you do….On behalf of the PCMC, we will continue to extend all possible help. I also have a few friends in Germany and will tell them to help you in case you require help,” said the commissioner.Shravani told the commissioner that she dreams of becoming a teacher. ”I will do my two year IB diploma course in Germany and then might proceed to US for further studies. I want to become a teacher and return to my country to guide the future generation,” she said.Her parents thanked the commissioner for taking time off and visiting their residence to guide their daughter. ”Since the news of her scholarship was declared, we have been flooded with congratulatory messages not only from Pimpri-Chinchwad but also from Ahilyanagar which is our native place. We are immensely proud of our daughter’s achievement. The school, led by principal Parijat Prakash, constantly guided Shravani,” said her father Deepak Tonge.Story continues below this ad”The commissioner’s visit has generated lot of interest among citizens…I don’t remember any commissioner who ever visited a chawl in Kasarwadi and that too, to guide a successful student. This will certainly send out a positive signal among students,” said Avinash Prasad, a local activist who was present when Singh arrived.Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj is the first English medium school of Kasarwadi which was set up jointly PCMC and Akansha Foundation. It has been funded by popular actor Rekha who had donated Rs 2.5 crore for construction of the school. Local corporator Shyam Lande had taken the initiative for setting up the school.Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner