13 February,2021 10:12 AM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
Photo for representational purpose
Zarin Khan from Mumbra spent nights studying in the kitchen of her 300 square feet house inhabited by her parents and three younger siblings, battled her fears of not even clearing the exam and eventually, came out as the India topper in the chartered accountancy (CA) intermediate examination.
About 4,094 students took the exam in the old syllabus.
Khan couldn't believe her ears when she got the news from her friends. "I had not expected to be a ranker, let alone be the first in the country as I was too scared to even take the exam. I had applied in 2017 and took a two-year gap. But with my family backing me, I decided to take the exam last year. I used to study all night to focus better as in the mornings, there is too much noise," Khan, whose house is alongside a main road, told The Times of India.
It was a crucial time for her siblings too as both her brothers took their Class 10 board exams last year.
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State housing minister Jitendra Awhad felicitated Khan on Thursday. Former IPS and special director, Intelligence Bureau, Yashovardhan Azad praised Khan on her achievement and also sought full scholarship and crowd funding to finance her further studies.
She is among the first generation of learners to pursue a professional course in her family. While her father, who could study only till Class 9, is a mechanic, her mother is a homemaker. Seeing their oldest sibling ace the CA exam, her sister and brothers are now keen to pursue academics more seriously. Her younger sister has completed BSc and is working.
"As no one is well-educated in the family I wasn't even aware about the courses available or what I should pursue. It was not until 2017 after I completed my graduation that I applied for CA. Later, I did an internship for a year, post which I worked in a Thane-based company. I used the money to pay for my CA classes." After completing her articleship, Khan will pursue her CA final exams.
