Kendrapada: When life doesn’t give you a bountiful, you have to make do with what you have and extract the best out of it. So was the case with 17-year-old Sneha Behera from Arasa village within Rajkanika block. Born without a right hand, Sneha has secured a seat in the coveted Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi by securing the 113th rank in the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) 2023 under the PwD category. She will be pursuing B Tech in electrical engineering.
A farmer’s daughter, Sneha didn’t have an easy childhood. Apart from the disability that she was born with, villagers would often throw snide remarks at her for being a curse on them. Disturbed but undeterred, Sneha continued working towards her dream.
She pursued her primary education in Saraswati Sishu Mandir and completed Class X from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Baro in Kendrapara district. She then completed Plus Two science from JNV Bundi in Rajasthan.
Sneha said she accepted all the challenges that life threw at her, which meant a lot of struggle. Her father, Saroj Behera is a marginal farmer but was a constant companion and supporter. He ensured that he took care of Sneha’s needs so that she could reach for the skies. Finally, his hard work paid off.
According to Sneha, hard work and determination can make one achieve anything in life. Saroj’s joy knew no bounds when he got the news of his daughter’s admission. He said he had done everything that was within his reach to educate both his daughters.
Upon learning of her achievement, district collector Amrit Ruturaj on Saturday gifted Sneha Rs 30,000 and stated that the administration will help her to pursue higher studies.
