Age No Bar: Reclaim Your Life Without Losing Focus

5 times The ‘Best Parliamentarian’ has achieved a remarkable feat by clearing the SSC examination at the age of 58, overcoming a significant regret in his life.

WFY INDIA: Shrirang Barne, the two-time Member of Parliament from Pune’s Maval, has an impressive track record; he has received the Sansad Ratna (Best Parliamentarian) award five times and the Maha Sansad Ratna once. However, he regrets that his 2014 and 2019 affidavits stated his educational qualification as “10th class fail.” That is no longer the case.

In his affidavit, the 60-year-old Shiv Sena MP, who has filed his nomination for the Maval seat for the third consecutive time, proudly stated that he has recently achieved an SSC pass.

In 1980, he took the SSC examination, but unfortunately, he did not pass the science subject. Despite achieving success in politics, the lingering memory of his 10^th class exam failure has remained a constant source of distress throughout the years. He took the exam in 2022 and successfully passed.

In 2022, he chose not to publicise this accomplishment, unlike his approach with the Sansad Ratna Awards. With patience and precision, he bided his time until the perfect moment arrived—the moment when he could unveil his third affidavit for the upcoming general elections.

During his early years, Barne assisted his father in agricultural work. In 1997, he decided to pursue a career in politics, inspired by his older brother Hiraman Barne, and successfully became a corporator in Pimpri Chinchwad. With over 15 years of experience in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), he established himself as a prominent figure before Shiv Sena recognised him and gave him the opportunity to compete at the national level. In 2014, he successfully ran for the Lok Sabha from the Maval constituency, marking his debut in national politics. He emerged victorious once again in 2019, defeating Parth, the elder son of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

However, his close friends revealed that despite his political achievements, the tenth unsuccessful tag seemed to weigh on him. During his time in Delhi as a Member of Parliament, Barne came to understand the significance of education. Uday Awate, a close associate of Barne, would consistently admit that the setback at SSC in 1980 continued to trouble him, despite receiving numerous accolades as the best parliamentarian.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the limitations on movement, Barne dedicated himself to studying in order to successfully pass his SSC exam.

His passion for reading enabled him to effortlessly comprehend various subjects, even at the age of 58. He avidly consumed books during the lockdown period, and shortly after its conclusion, he sat for the examination and successfully passed it in 2022.