Proved principal wrong by topping: Lakshmi Mittal

NRI steel baron Lakshmi Mittal said on Sunday  that he was able to prove his principal wrong when he topped Saint Xavier’s College in Calcutta even though he was earlier denied admission for not being fluent in English.

Mittal, 62, the UK-based NRI billionaire who was conferred the Global Xavierian Award in an alumni meet, is the Charmian and Chief Executive Officer of Luxembourg headquartered world’s largest steelmaker and mining company ArcelorMittal.

Recollecting memories of his days as a student, Mittal said he was initially denied admission in the college as he could not speak English.

“I came from a Hindi-medium school... the principal felt that I would not fit into an English medium college. Though I topped my class and I got admission to other colleges, I really wanted to study in St Xavier’s.

So I kept on knocking his door every day and finally he gave up and I promised him that I will be a good student and which I did,” he said in an interview.