Mumbai: Visually impaired girl scores 61% in HSC; wants to do BA

Reshma Gotpagar, (17), a visually challenged student from Ruia College, has managed to fulfill her parents' expectations by scoring 61% in the HSC examinations.

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Reshma, with her mother and brother, celebrating after the HSC result

Reshma, who is 90 per cent visually impaired due to retina dysfunction, did not let this deter her in any way and now wishes to pursue teaching as a career. "I want to be a teacher. But in case it doesn't work out, I always have my singing skills to fall back on," said the gritty teen, who is being trained in singing at the Sharada Sangeet Vidyalaya in Bandra.

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She plans to do a BA and said she will choose whatever subject her father tells her to. Reshma's father, Aba, who is a police constable, has big dreams for his daughter. "I know she is very capable and I am going to help her study further," he said. "We took her diagnosis as a challenge and had decided to bring her up as a normal child," said Rekha, her mother.

"My parents bought me an iPod, on which I listened to the subject material. My parents and my younger brother, too, read out to me. At times, I studied with the help of Braille as well," said the girl, who completed her primary education from Kamla Mehta School for the Blind in Dadar.

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A resolute Reshma also chose not to go to a tutor. "Money has never been a problem for us, as I have a small family with only two children, and also live in a joint family. Due to this, I always managed to give her the attention she needed," Rekha told mid-day.