Lucknow You have to hand it to Riyaz Ahmed. Fourteen years after losing his hands and right leg while saving five children playing on a railway track unmindful of an approaching train in 2003, this 20-year-old has battled all odds to secure an overall percentage of 79.25% in the Indian School Certificate (ISC) examination this year.
Super achievemer: Twenty-year-old Riyaz in class, 14 years after he lost his limbs in a bid to save the lives of five children. (Handout)
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Ahmed, who has practised the art of writing with his toes, scored 99 in Hindi and 92 in English, said Vineeta Kamran, principal of the City Montessori School (CMS) Kanpur Road branch. He had to engage a writer for the ISC examination due to the need for speed in the test.
“I am glad that all my hard work and my teachers’ efforts paid off. My self-belief and my family’s support helped me overcome hardship,” Ahmed told HT.
Winner of the National Bravery Award as a child, he has not let his special needs stop him from leading a normal life and interact with his peers, said his father Mohammad Ahmed, a daily wage labourer.
“He is a humble and disciplined student, always smiling and taking part as far as possible in all school activities. Never once did he boast about being a National Bravery Award winner,” said Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, president and chief operating officer of CMS.
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Making notes: Riyaz Ahmed at work. He has perfected the art of writing with his toes after losing both arms in a rail accident.
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His teachers ensured Ahmed was not given special treatment in school and this enabled him to live without self-pity, Kamran said.
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His teachers ensured Ahmed was not given special treatment in school and this enabled him to live without self-pity, Kamran said.
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“His determination inspired all of us to help him with his studies,” she said.
Impressed by Ahmed’s determination to improve his live, Francis Fanthome, the then secretary of ISC, felt the young man deserved a proper education.
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City Montessori School founder-manager Jagdish Gandhi ensured that Riyaz was educated at CMS free of cost from the Montessori standard (nursery) to Class 12.
“CMS took care of all my education needs and meals,” Ahmed added.
Rajeev Mullick, Assistant Editor, is a Lucknow-based journalist with over 26 years of experience covering governance, public policy and administration in Uttar Pradesh. His reporting focuses on the district administration, the Divisional Commissioner's Office, the Regional Meteorological Centre, and government policies relating to technical, higher, secondary and primary education. Known for impactful public-interest journalism, his investigations have led to significant policy attention, including a report on deficiencies in a state-run school footwear distribution scheme that prompted widespread national coverage and High Court intervention. He broke the story on the Uttar Pradesh government's One District One Cuisine initiative, highlighting the inclusion of sweets and the exclusion of non-vegetarian dishes, triggering widespread public debate. He covered Mahakumbh 2025 at Prayagraj, reports on the event's administrative, logistical and civic dimensions. From 2012 to 2024, he headed the Lucknow City Bureau, leading coverage of the state's administrative and civic developments while mentoring young reporters. He loves to travel, listen to music. He is fond of eating good food both veg and non veg. He has travelled to several states like West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Family Nadu, Kerela, Bihar, Jharkhand and home state UP.
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