SSC exam: Peon’s daughter who had to borrow books to study for exams scores 98.2 pc

In between bites of pav bhaji, her favourite food made to celebrate the day, Apeksha Kale said she also enjoyed watching movies on television, listening to songs and cycling nearby during the lockdown.




As the phone screen flashed her SSC exam results, 16-year-old Apeksha Kale knew she had successfully taken the first step towards her dream of becoming an IAS officer. Kale, who scored 98.2 per cent, is the daughter of a peon in a construction company. While preparing for her exams, she couldn’t afford to buy all the practice papers and books, and had to borrow them from her cousins and friends.

The terrace of her residential society was Kale’s favourite spot to study. The teenager, who wishes to enroll in the science stream of Fergusson Junior College, hopes her marks are enough to get admission. “… I have already begun my studies as I have some books to study from… apart from that, I watch free videos on YouTube on the topics which help me clear my concepts,” said Kale.

Her proud father, Tanaji Baburao Kale, said no one in the family had expected such a high score. “I work at a construction company in the morning while in the evenings I supervise odd jobs at the society premises we live in. Apeksha was very dedicated and focused in her studies. Unlike other parents, we never had to ask her to sit and study for her exams. It used to be the other way around… we had to ask her to take breaks in between,” he said

In between bites of pav bhaji, her favourite food made to celebrate the day, Kale said she also enjoyed watching movies on television, listening to songs and cycling nearby during the lockdown.

“Due to the lockdown, several of our plans were cancelled. I love being around water and we would have definitely taken a trip to Konkan or maybe a water park. I had even planned to join a computer and spoken English class, as well as become the member of a library for access to more reading material,” she said.

Instead, Kale used the time to teach and play with her two younger brothers. “My 12-year -old brother Pratham is physically and mentally disabled, and he goes to a special school. But during the lockdown, we used the time in hand to sing songs together. Meanwhile, my younger brother Yash, who is now going to Class II, has been dancing around the house after the news of my results. I guess he is more excited for me,” said Kale.

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