Bhagubhai Makanji Patel -- a 66-year-old man considered to be an encyclopedia with all the relevant information on courses after class 10 and class 12 -- from Parab village in Kamrej taluka of the district has jointly organised this exhibition with the information department.

Students can access information on medical, engineering, science, commerce and arts colleges of the state, along with detailed information about the number of seats available in each college, the cut-off percentage required to get admission in these colleges and a full-range of diploma courses that could be pursued after class 10 and 12.

Befittingly, state HSC (science stream) topper from the city Saurabh Mehta will inaugurate the exhibition on Thursday morning.

When asked about the reason for holding such an exhibition, Patel said that the difficulties he faced in 1982, while getting his sons admitted into professional courses, motivated him to hold such guidance centres.

Though a farmer and a class six drop-out, Patel proudly says that he had managed to get one of his sons admitted into a medical college and the other into an engineering college. While the elder now runs a private clinic in the city, the younger son is a professor in the SVR Engineering college, he said.

Since then providing career guidance to SSC and HSC students has become the Patel's primary concern. ``Approximately one lakh students have benefitted from the exhibitions and seminars that I have conducted,'' he claimed.

``My aim is that students must be informed of the choices that they have. If a person diligently pursues something, there is no reason why he should not succeed,'' he announced.

After the exhibition in the city, Patel will hold similar exhibitions at Mandvi, Vyara and Bardoli in the first ten days of June. ``This is the time when students require the right guidance,'' said Patel summing up the purpose of the exhibition.