Thyrocare Founder Revisits Tamil Nadu Railway Platform That Shaped His Future: ‘Fortunately, I Was Poor’

A quiet railway platform in Tamil Nadu played a role that no classroom ever could for one man’s journey into science. What looks like an ordinary place today once shaped years of discipline, struggle and

steady learning for a young student who had very little but refused to give up.

That story was shared by Dr. A. Velumani, who spoke about how tight finances, long travel hours, and strong focus helped him build the base of his career. His account offered a close look at how patience and routine mattered more than comfort or resources during his student years.

A College Choice Shaped By Money Limits

Dr. Velumani recalled his time as a student between 1974 and 1978 at Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya in Coimbatore. He said the decision to study there had nothing to do with choice or ambition. It was simply the only option he could afford. Colleges inside the city charged between Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000, while hostel fees alone were around Rs 200 per month. His college, located about 25 km away, charged Rs 300 in fees and Rs 75 for hostel stay. Even that was out of reach for him.

Since he could not afford the hostel, he stayed at a government Harijan hostel in the city, where accommodation was free. But getting to college was not easy. Bus travel cost 60 paise one way, adding up to Rs 30 every month. To save money, he chose to travel by passenger train. A quarterly student pass cost just Rs 7, and that made all the difference.

A Strict Routine And Long Waiting Hours

His days followed a fixed pattern. The morning train left at 5:50 am and reached by 6:25 am. The return train was at 6:10 pm, arriving back at 6:45 pm. College classes started at 9 am and ended well before evening. That left him with nearly six hours every day on the platform. “So what did I do?” he asked. He sat there and studied Maths, Physics and Chemistry.

Dr. Velumani said those “1000 days and 6000 man hours” spent studying concepts like “Avogadro’s, Ohm’s and Pythagoras” helped him later secure a job at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). Behind this effort was a deep sacrifice. His mother earned just Rs 3 a day and was the family’s only income source. At one point, she even gave up her four bangles to support his education.

Values That Stayed With Him For Life

He described his guiding principles as “Patience, Focus, Frugality and Discipline,” saying they lead to slow but lasting success. Years later, he returned to the same platform with his wife to show her “how a railway platform made a Scientist.”

1974 to 1978 I studied in Sri Ramakrishna Misson Vidyalaya, Coimbatore.
Reason to go there :

City colleges fees: Rs 1000 to 3000.
Hotel fees : 200 per month.

In SRMV: (25 kms from city)
College fees: 300
Hotel fees : 75 per month.

Reason to travel by train:
I could not… pic.twitter.com/MPmvbS6Ag9

— Dr. A. Velumani.PhD. (@velumania) January 30, 2026

Social Media Users React To His Journey

Dr. Velumani’s post struck a strong chord online and drew praise from many readers. Several users said the story was not just about money troubles, but about clarity and purpose at a young age.

A user commented, “This is not a story of poverty. It is a story of purpose.”

Another wrote, “Wonderful story. We have to make sure the next generation is able to access education, transport and hostel for free at the point of use.”

“Sir, I would have started the header like this. This is the story of me (Mr Velumani) born in a poor family and how a railway platform helped a highly intelligent school student who went on to become one of the top Scientist of BARC,” a person shared.

Others shared their own family stories in response. One long comment spoke about a mother who balanced household work, studies and financial hardship, yet scored high marks and went on to build a career through steady effort and support from scholarships and community help.

Many users thanked Dr. Velumani for reminding them that success does not always come quickly. Several pointed out that his story stood in contrast to today’s focus on instant results and highlighted the value of consistency over time.