A 12-km mud track through the hills, with 400ft drops on either side, takes Ranjinikant Mendhe to his workplace. The 29-year-old is the government-appointed schoolteacher for the village of Chandar in Bhor. More than 100km from Pune, the village is home to 15 huts whose 60 residents are probably outnumbered by snakes. For two years, Yuvraj Sangale, 8, has been the only student at the village school.
On reaching school, Mendhe’s first job is to go looking for his student. “I often spot him hiding in the trees. Sometimes I get him from his hut. I understand his reluctance. He has to go to school without friends. Why would anyone look forward to classes here?” says Mendhe, who has been making the perilous commute by bike for the last eight years.
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