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Payal Kumari, daughter of a migrant worker from Sheikhpura district in Bihar secured the first rank in the final year examinations of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala.
She bagged the first position in the BA Archaeology and History (Module 2nd) examinations conducted by the state university in March this year.
Payal's father, Pramod Kumar Singh had left Gosaimadhi village in Bihar with his family and toiled hard to ensure that his children were provided with proper education. He is now employed as a labourer in a hardware shop in Ernakulam.
"It was tough since we didn't know the language and everything was very foreign," The New Indian Express quoted Payal.
"When we left Bihar, I was 4. To ensure that we never had any trouble in completing our education, my father juggled several jobs. Even now, he tells me that I need to only focus on my studies," she added.
Payal passed SSLC or Class 10 final exams with 83% and higher secondary final exam with 95% marks in the Humanities stream. She joined Marthoma College for Women, Perumbavoor, in 2017 as a student of History and Archaeology (BA) and bagged the first position in the undergraduate final year examination, 2020.
Payal was able to pursue higher education with financial and economic support from her college, reported NDTV. She was a volunteer with the National Service Scheme (NSS), and was active in the flood relief campaigns of the college in 2018.
"I might pursue a postgraduation or may even attempt to crack the Civil Services examination," Payal said when asked on her future plans.
