Born with 10 siblings in a poor tribal family in a remote hamlet on the Bargur Hills in Erode district of Tamil Nadu, all that U. Chandran wanted after completing Class 12 was to pursue a degree programme in agriculture or veterinary science.
“My family did cattle rearing and farming, in which I also took part. Naturally, I was inclined to become a trained professional in that field,” he said.
After studying in a school run under the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) for few years, Chandran subsequently stayed in a Tribal Welfare department-run hostel to complete Class 12 by specialising in the vocational stream — Agricultural Practices — in 2019.
