KOLKATA: From struggling with rare health conditions to coping with personal loss during the pandemic, a number of CBSE students had to brave difficult circumstances to ace the exams.
Born with an extra finger on her right hand, Ridhini Khilani from Lakshmipat Singhania Academy was forced to take up writing with her left hand. It slowed down the function of her brain. This condition, coupled with the fact that she was born with a hole in her heart, however, did not stop Khilani from scoring 82% in her Boards. Khilani also wears a prosthetic leg, something she has done since she was 2 years old as she was born without the right leg. “My daughter did not take any tuition, she was very dedicated and the teachers were also very helpful,” her father said.
Kinkini Chatterjee, another student of Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, scored 75% despite multiple rare health conditions. Having been born with moebius syndrome, Chatterjee has had to grapple with impaired speech, eye function and limb movement. She also suffered from epilepsy. “My disability can’t stop me from pursuing my dreams,” said Chatterjee.
South Point student Amritanshu Lahiri, who scored 88.4%, has been suffering from Ankylosing Spondylitis since 2001, which affects the spine and larger joints. South Point School principal Rupa Sanyal Bhattacharya said, “Amritangshu is a brave boy. He went through a 14-hour surgery just before the term 1 exams. We are happy he has done excellent.”
The sudden shift to online classes had also been an impediment to many. South Point’s Mahadev Bagal and Rohit Kumar Mandi from from Jhargram scored 74% and 67.4% respectively despite issues with network connectivity. “It has been a long, but fruitful, journey from 2015, when the two joined Class VI,” said South Point trustee Krishna Damani.
The pandemic brought about a nervous disorder in DPS Howrah student Arpita Dutta, who scored 91%. As her condition worsened, even the sound of a fan was triggering. CBSE allowed her to take her exam in a room devoid of fans or AC.
