She braves physical odds to come out with flying colours

CBSE results

A patient of sub-spinal muscular dystrophy Neha Mehrotra surprised every one when the results of CBSE 12th standard were declared on Monday.

Neha, a student of Tagore Public School in Uttar Pradesh’s Allahabad town, not only topped in her school with 94.4 per cent marks but also secured third position in the country among the special category students.

Fondly referred to as ‘wheel chair wali ladaki’ (the girl on the wheel chair), Neha achieved this distinction with subjects like business studies, accounts and economics. She scored an impressive 99 in business studies.

Neha’s father Triloki Nath Mehrotra, a retired government employee, had taken voluntary retirement from the service mainly to look after her daughter, who suffered from muscular dystrophy.

Mehrotra was all praise for his daughter. “She possess tremendous will power,” he said, adding that she had worked very hard to secure this position.

He also narrated the problems faced by her daughter to continue her studies as he found it very difficult to sustain the family with his meagre pension. He, however, said that the people lent all possible help.

“Neha’s examination centre was seven miles away from our home... we had a lot of difficulties in taking her to the exam centre,” he said.

Neha has been a bright student. She always secured good marks at the school examinations. She had scored around 94 per cent in her Class X examinations.

She was given the Bal Shri Award in 2006, Mehrotra said adding that Neha wants to join the civil services.