Who will help this poor girl from Pimpri realise her dream?

Saraswati Shahaji Jadhav, the SSC topper in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) run schools, who missed the PCMC’s Rs 1 lakh prize by a narrow margin of half a per cent, is now worried whether her dream of becoming a doctor will ever be realised. Saraswati says she relied on the prize money to chase her dream.

dna had carried a report on Saraswati missing the prize money meant for students of PCMC schools on Saturday. The civic body gives a prize of Rs 1 lakh to students scoring 90% or more marks in SSC exams and Saraswati had secured 89.45%.

A student of PCMC-run high school at Pimple Saudagar, Saraswati lives in a 10x15 sq ft room near Bhairavnath temple at Rahatani gaon along with her parents, three sisters and a brother. Her father works as a security guard on a monthly salary of Rs 6,500 and her mother rolls chapatis to earn Rs 4,000 per month.

Speaking to dna, Saraswati said, “Becoming a doctor has been my aspiration for years. Since the house is overcrowded and always bustling, I used to study in the wee hours of the day while everyone slept. I did not attend any private tuition as my parents were unable to afford it.”

She added, “But my family members extended every possible support to me. My sisters and mother did not ask me to do any household work. I would study from 4 am to 7.30 am everyday and attend school between 12 noon and 5.30 pm. After returning from school, I would take a nap for an hour or so and then complete the homework. Then I would study again till late night.”

Her mother Sulbha Jadhav told dna, “I could not pursue my education after standard XI as I got married. I want my daughter to pursue higher studies and achieve something big in life.”Saraswati’s father Shahaji Jadhav also had to quit studies after passing HSC due to financial reasons.

Both parents are proud that Saraswati has topped the students of PCMC-run schools but feel sorry that she has missed the Rs 1 lakh prize. She will now have to be content with the civic body’s scholarship of Rs 50,000.