WHEN HRITIKA Thakur was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, she had to discontinue studies on account of her strict medical regime. Having battled the illness for two years and after one relapse, Hritika appeared for her Class XII exams, and came out with flying colours.

That she scored 80 percent in her Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams reflects her determination. “I have always been a hard worker, studying regularly. I began preparing for the boards from day one of my classes,” says Hritika, who took the exam as an external candidate from Gurunanak Khalsa College, Matunga.

In 2014, Hritika was diagnosed with stage two of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a kind of blood cancer. It was only in 2016, when she was on the path to recovery, that she decided to complete her education.

The gritty teenager scored 92 out of 100 in accountancy, her favourite subject, and plans to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree it.

In yet another tale of the triumph of determination, a student at KJ Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce, with a vision of only 25 percent, has scored 72 per cent without the help of a writer. Nidhi Dedhia, who suffers from the genetic disorder Albinism, uses magnifying glasses to study. A trained singer, she aspires to go professional after completing her BA and BEd degrees in music.

“I am comfortable with the way I am. I do not want to make any changes,” said the 17-year-old who lives in Mulund. She has scored 81 in her mother tongue Gujarati, her favourite subject.

At KJ Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce, an 18-year-old visually-impaired student had a similar story of strength. Tanmay Mirgal from Powai has scored 77.38 percent in the Arts stream. “I have books and notes in Braille. If I missed anything during classes, my friends would read it out to me later. Everyone has been really supportive,” he said. He said the audio notes made by the National Association for the Blind (NAB) had been very helpful.

With 85 marks in his favourite subject, Political Science, Tanmay says: “I will appear for the UPSC Exams after graduation and masters.”