E-Paper
Ludhiana: This GCG girl did not let disability define her
Urvashi Sharma, a commerce graduate from GCG, arrived on a wheelchair to collect her degree, instantly striking an emotional chord with those in attendance
Even as a large number of students were elated to collect their degrees during the annual convocation at Government College for Girls on Wednesday afternoon, one of them was the cynosure of all eyes for her grit, determination and positive attitude.
Urvashi Sharma, a commerce graduate, arrived on a wheelchair to collect her degree, instantly striking an emotional chord with those in attendance.
Chief guest Sanjeev Arora, Ludhiana member of Parliament from Rajya Sabha; and guest of honour Amit Thapar, chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Punjab, got off the stage to hand Urvashi her degree. The heart-warming gesture instantly sent the audience into a thunderous applause.
The 22-year-old commerce graduate aspires to be a chartered accountant. She lives in Jamalpur Colony on Chandigarh Road and was a regular at college until the Covid pandemic struck and half of her graduation was spent studying online. Her disability has never been a deterrent to her and she regularly started attending classes again as soon as colleges opened in full strength.
Her leg movement had been limited at the age of three. Undeterred, Urvashi completed her education and writes exams by herself. No one can beat her in quick and hectic calculations on a calculator.
“My teachers and college were extremely helpful and used to shift classes to the ground floor for my convenience. My classmates would never forget to include me in their celebrations,” she added. She passed her final examination in June 2021 with 75% marks.
After passing Class 10, she found her vocation in commerce and cleared her Class 12 exams with 90% marks from Bhartiya Vidya Mandir.
“My aim is to lead an independent life, I have never felt myself at any disadvantage, I want to become financially independent and live my life with dignity, which is why I chose to pursue a professional course,” she added.
Despite the college being from her home, her parents and younger brother would make sure that she never misses a class. She said that as people around her positively adapted according to her situation, it filled her with the motivation to reach new heights.
