E-Paper
Delhi girl Lavanya Jha trumped visual impairment to score 97%
Lavanya, a visually impaired student who studied at Delhi Public School, RK Puram, scored a total of 487 points out of 500. She was diagnosed in Class 9 with a genetic disorder leading to visual impairment.
Delhi girl Lavanya Jha has scored the third-highest among differently abled students who appeared in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) class 12 examinations, scoring an overall percentage of 97.4%.
Lavanya, a visually impaired student who studied at Delhi Public School, RK Puram, said she moved from her hometown Patna to Delhi when she was in Class 11 to pursue her plus-two education.
Lavanya scored a total of 487 points out of 500, notching the highest marks in psychology, 98. She now hopes to pursue psychology as a bachelor degree course from Lady Shri Ram College, which had a cutoff percentage of 98.5 in the first round of admissions last year for the subject.
“I never really expected to perform this well. Of course I was extremely happy to know that all my hard work had paid off,” she said.
Lavanya was diagnosed in Class 9 with a genetic disorder leading to visual impairment. But, she did not let her impediment come in the way of academic excellence.
“I soon got used to my impairment. Now I don’t see that as a hindrance anymore,” she said. Lavanya’s father, Abhay Deepak, said that Lavanya has lost “40-43% of her vision” by now.
A family of four, Lavanya’s younger sister and parents live in Patna. She stays in the DPS RK Puram’s hostel.
“I moved to Delhi to study better course subjects. I always knew that I wanted to do Humanities in Class 11 and 12,” she said. She pursued subjects like sociology, Psychology, Political Science, English and Informatics Practices, in her Class 11 and 12.
“Lavanya’s success mantra was simple — a combination of self-discipline and regular practice. She fixed her goals and pursued them with determination and ambition. Sticking to goals is a difficult feat,” her father said.
“My teachers were very helpful and the notes they gave me were crucial to the high score that I achieved,” she said. “Also self-study is the key, there is no point in procrastinating. It is best to study regularly and with focus. I did most of my studying for boards after the summer vacations,” she said.
“I would suggest working on time to avoid stress. Always believe in yourself and work hard towards your dream... Take school tests seriously and do not leave things for the last minute,” she said.
