From SBI's Sweeper To Assistant General Manager, Here's One Inspiring Story of Pratiksha Tondwalkar

The Saga of 58-year-old Pratiksha Tondwalkar, who started as a sweeper at the Mumbai branch of State Bank of India (SBI) and 37 years later she has closed out as an Assistant General Manager of SBI. She has proved her mettle and sent a strong message to the world that a situation can't control destiny if the ambition is enormous.

She was born in a below-middle-class family in 1964, and at 16, she got married to Sadashiv Kadu, adding that she also had to leave her secondary education. Her husband worked as a bookbinder at the Mumbai branch of SBI. Years after the marriage, the couple had their first son.

The duo was on their way to the native village when Kadu died in a road accident. At age 20, the tragic incident left her fend for herself and her little son. She used to visit the Mumbai branch of SBI to collect the payment dues of her husband. Meanwhile, she always thought that she would be required to take up a job to make ends meet, informs Times Now.

Being unqualified was a challenge for her to get a job at SBI. She asked the bank to get help and started working as a sweeper soon after. In her job, she was involved in activities like dusting the furniture and cleaning bathrooms and premises. After doing all the hard work, she used to earn a sum of Rs 65-70 per month.

"Whenever my son (Vinayak) asked for a packet of biscuits, I would get off one stop early on the bus just so that I could save the money to be able to afford them," Tondwalkar said.

Her Ambition Took Her Miles Ahead

She toiled by involving in such drudgery and got inspired by seeing the high-paid jobs of other employees in the bank. She defied all the social norms and challenges and started working to achieve her dreams, leading to a meaningful life.

Her relatives helped her arrange the books for her studies, and she cleared the class 10 examination through her consistent efforts. She had a target to secure a high-end job, but it required a minimum qualification of the 12th standard. She enrolled in a college at Vikhroli in Mumbai and passed the 12th exam in 1995.

The bank promoted her to the post of clerk. She married Pramod Tondwalkar in 1993, who was a bank messenger. Later she proved her mettle as a clerk and got promoted to trainee officer in 2004. Over the next 18 years, she was promoted many times and was finally designated as the Assistant General Manager of SBI in Mumbai.

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