RANCHI: The stories of girls outshining boys in most board exams are now passé. What we have now are bright young girls from poor backgrounds overcoming their limitations and getting to the top. Here’s Nandita Haripal, daughter of a domestic help, in Jamshedpur. Nandita has topped Class-XII Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) Board exams.
July 17 was the golden day for her. Within minutes of the results' declaration, the student from Jamshedpur Women’s College was flooded with congratulatory calls. "My father did not believe it… he asked me to first confirm if they were calling the right person," says Nandita. Her own disbelief gradually gave way to a victor’s smile.
Nandita has topped in Arts stream with 83.8 per cent, securing a maximum of 90 in Hindi. She is extremely thankful to her parents who did not let money come into the way of their daughter's success. Nandita taught and earned whatever little she could by teaching two children of her locality even while sticking to her time-table. "Discipline matters, no matter what," she says.
Nandita’s mother Rashmi works as a domestic help for three houses. "It was really difficult for us to arrange money for the studies of our three children. Nanidita’s success has made us forget about our financial problems.” Rashmi would take an advance to pay for her books and other expenses. “I have trusted my daughter. I am sure she would do something in her life," says a proud Rashmi.
Nandita’s father Rajesh Haripal works as a tailor at a boutique. "I will do whatever it takes to help my daughter to study further and achieve her goals," he says. There is an essential one more person who has always motivated Nandita: her tutor Pinky Kumari. "Nandita was very obedient and followed the instructions given to her. She will be a source of inspiration to many others," says the tutor.
Nandita wants to be a journalist who can relate to the people through impartial reporting. "Only a journalist can raise issues related to the common man," she says. "On TV, for example, we must raise relevant issues without being abrasive and take views from all sides so that an opinion is firmed up for the betterment of the society," says Nandita. That’s not a tall order, is it?