This story is from May 18, 2016

Tea seller's daughter nurses dream of becoming eye doctor

Every day, Sindhu sees her father toil for hours selling chai and cigarettes at a roadside stall in bustling Yelahanka. K Shivanna has taken loans to pay her fees. On Monday, when the teenager scored 82% in the SSLC exams, she was on cloud nine. She felt her father's relentless efforts had not gone in vain.
Tea seller's daughter nurses dream of becoming eye doctor
Daddy’s girl: Sindhu, 16, celebrates her success with her grandmother and father Shivanna. (TOI photo: Md Asad)
BENGALURU: Every day, Sindhu sees her father toil for hours selling chai and cigarettes at a roadside stall in bustling Yelahanka. K Shivanna has taken loans to pay her fees. On Monday, when the teenager scored 82% in the SSLC exams, she was on cloud nine. She felt her father's relentless efforts had not gone in vain.
"I studied for roughly four hours a day.
I was determined to do well because I desperately want to improve my family's financial condition. Seeing my father and grandmother struggle to make ends meet only strengthened my resolve," the gritty girl told TOI.
The 16-year-old harbours the dream of being a doctor. "My goal is to become an eye specialist because eyes are most important organ of the body. I want to help others see the world," she said. Sindhu's residence, school and Shivanna's tea stall are located close to one another. There have been days when she has seen him wake up at the crack of dawn to go about his business. He has worked tirelessly to be able to afford Sindhu and her younger brother's school fees. "I want to ease his burden as soon as possible," she said.
While Sindhu studied at Little Angels Garden English School in Yelahanka, her brother is a class 8 student of another private school. Her mother HR Indira is a homemaker.
"I wanted to give them (the children) a good education. I have taken loans to ensure nothing stands in the way of their bright future. I know private schools are expensive but they are worth it. I'm proud of her," is all an overwhelmed Shivanna could say as he went about preparing another pot of tea for customers who had gathered after watching a movie at the nearby Ganesh theatre.
3 centums in girl's kitty
It rained centums for Rakshita S Kumtakar, who got the perfect score in mathematics, general science and social studies. That's not all. The brilliant student bagged full marks in Sanskrit too 125125 -clocking 622 out of 625 in the SSLC exams. Rakshi ta's father Sanjay N Kumatakar is a deputy manager in a private company and mother Sujatha S Kumatakar is a homemaker.

Apart from excelling in academics, Rakshita is known for her singing skills. She's also a fine volleyball player. "I made it a point to study regularly and that helped. The key is to focus and have a thorough understanding of concepts. I want to pursue engineering from IIT, Bombay," said the student of VVS Sardar Patel High School.
Scholarships up for grabs
Sarojini Damodaran Foundation has invited applications to provide scholarships to poor students who have scored more than 75% in SSLC exams. Students' parents whose annual income is less than Rs 2 lakh are eligible to apply. Write to vidyadhan.karnataka@sdfoundationindia.com or contact 9986325234.
BBMP schools clock 56%
BBMP schools have recorded a pass percentage of 56.17% in the SSLC examinations, whose results were announced on Monday. In all, 1,773 students wrote the exams. "As many as 18 students have passed with distinction; they have secured above 85%," said K Nagabhushan, chairman of the BBMP standing committee on education.
Fathima Tabassum from Byraveshwaranagar high school is the best performer from BBMP schools with 91%. She's followed by Sneha from Srirampura high school, who scored 90%. Byraveshwaranagar high school (85.3%), Kodandaramapura school (84.61%) and Herohalli high school (84.41%) have performed well, said Nagabhushan. He said they plan to recruit 450 teachers.
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