Payal Kumari, the daughter of an e-rickshaw driver, secured the third rank in the commerce stream intermediate exam conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB). State Education Minister Chandra Shekhar announced the results on March 21. Payal scored 94.4% by obtaining 472 marks out of 500. She now aspires to become an IAS officer.
Payal passed out from JNKT Inter College in Bihar’s Khagaria district. She told Hindustan Times that she felt thrilled after seeing her result. “I was aiming to secure a place in the top 3, and I worked very hard to achieve it. I was very happy after seeing my result. My hard work paid off. I attribute my success to my teachers, parents and God,” she said.
Payal’s father, Munna Poddar, is an e-rickshaw driver, while her mother, Rina Devi, is a homemaker. She also has a younger brother Satyam Kumar who cleared the class 10th exam this year.
“I wanted to take Science stream, but my family couldn’t afford tuition fees. Therefore, I decided to take up the Commerce stream. Irrespective of the stream, my only aim is to become an IAS officer. IAS officer Srushti Jayant Deshmukh is my inspiration,” Payal told HT.
Payal, unlike other students, didn’t study for long hours or taken tuitions to prepare for her board exams. Instead, she worked on understanding the concepts covered in her syllabus. “My school teachers helped me a lot if I struggled with any topic or had questions. In the beginning, I took tuition to make my concepts clear. Later, I was able to grasp the concepts on my own and referred to textbooks and lessons on YouTube,” said Payal Kumari.
Despite being the sole breadwinner in the family, Payal’s father didn’t let their financial condition become a hurdle in his daughter’s education. While talking to HT, Payal shared, “My parents did not let us feel that there was any financial problem. He works very hard to support the family. My parents always supported me and my brother in our studies.”
Payal has a clear vision of what she wants to achieve. She expressed, “If there is a will to do something, then nothing can come in the pursuit of your goal. One should set a goal and continue to work towards achieving it.”
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