Girl power! Incredible story of Rajasthan woman, who was married off at 8, set to become doctor

A woman from Rajasthan, married off at 8, is all set to become a doctor.

Jaipur, July 1: Even in the 21st century, child marriage is prevalent in several parts of the country. The scourge of child marriage, where girls as young as 4 years are married off by their family, as they are still perceived as "burden", has denied many such girls their right to education and a normal life.

Here comes the story of a 20-year-old woman Rupa Yadav from Kareri village near Jaipur in Rajasthan which will lead you to think twice about what girls can achieve if given right opportunity. Rupa was married off at the tender age of eight.

However, this gusty girl decided to continue with her education. Now, 12 years after her marriage, Rupa is all set to attend a medical school to become a doctor. Along with Rupa's hard work and determination, it is her husband and her in-laws who should also be given due credit.

Her husband's family supported her decision to pursue her dream and helped her financially to continue with her higher education. Recently, Rupa cleared the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) for medical education. In her third attempt, Rupa scored 603 in the NEET and is currently attending counselling for admission.

Rupa got married when she was a student of class three. She said it's her husband, Shankar Lal, who was just 12 at the time of marriage, and her in-laws, particularly brother-in-law Babulal, supported her in pursuing her dream.

"I scored 84 per cent in my Class 10 examinations. Everyone, including our neighbours and relatives, told my in-laws to let me continue my education and they agreed. I am very thankful for their support," Rupa told The Indian Express.

In fact, her in-laws and husband made sure that Rupa got proper coaching in a Kota institute to help her write her entrance exams well.

"My in-laws, like my parents, are farmers. The income from farming is meagre. So, my husband started plying a cargo taxi to sponsor my education," she said. Rupa's story once again brings to light why every girl in India deserves to go to school.

OneIndia News