If one has determination to achieve something, there is nothing that can stop them. The story of 19-year-old Paridhi Varma from Jaipur is exactly this statement. Paridhi is the youngest student in her batch and the most thrilling thing about her is that she has received calls from all the IIMs but two. The fact that Paridhi has lost 90% of her vision to macular degeneration and still has managed to receive admission into IIM makes her achievement an inspiring tale.
Paridhi has enrolled in the PG programme and will be staying away from her parents. “Initially, I was not able to manage because preparations involved a lot of reading. At home, dad read out lessons for me. There was a time when I thought of quitting, but then my seniors came forward and volunteered to help me overcome my challenges. I have a disability, but I focus only on my abilities.” Paridhi told TOI.
Paridhi had a lot of challenges to overcome. She slipped in the campus and had a ligament tear right after she joined IIM Lucknow. “I slipped due to poor vision. I have problems in walking in the campus at night. In hostel, I manage everything on my own as my senses are really sharp.”
Paridhi was originally born in Jabalpur; MP however, spent her early years in Delhi. Her parents, Satendra and mother Krishna Prabha Varma work in Defence Ministry. They moved to Dehradun when Paridhi was in class VI after her parents has a transfer. Later, she studied in a private school in Jaipur and the graduated in the city.
Paridhi is a BBA graduate from ICG, Jaipur, and holds a diploma degree in mass communication and video production. Paridhi wanted to be a civil officer until her friend suggested she take a CAT test. “I took it lightly and just studied for two and a half months for the exam. The CAT results were a surprise for me.”
Paridhi is passionate about radio jockeying and had planned to pursue it after finishing MBA. “RJing is all about talking which I can do the whole day. No one would come to know that I am visually-impaired.”
Her eye ailment was discovered later when colours during Holi went into her eyes. Before that, her parents felt she was not focusing on studies because she had failed in class V.
“My parents first thought I was becoming dumb with each passing year because I don’t study. They felt I am not focusing on my studies. But the problem was that I couldn’t read the blackboard even when I sat in the first row. We consulted a local doctor who offered me glasses, which obviously were of no use. My vision was getting blurred. And then I was taken to Shankar Netrayalaya where my disease was diagnosed. By the time I came to class IX, I was put under the visually-impaired category.”
Paridhi scored, 8.2 Cumulative Grade Point Average, in class X. She wanted to study science and math but she couldn’t due to her ailment.
Paridhi even had issues with the writers who wrote her exam for her as she dictated the answers to them. “In class 10, my scribe wrote COBRA instead of COPRA (Consumer Protection Act) in my economics exam.”
She has a writer assigned to her too in IIM-L. “Errors committed by the scribe would definitely make my academics suffer.”
Paridhi’s close friend and senior, Rupika, who helped her in mid-term examinations has a lot to stay about her friend. “She (Paridhi) is a very bubbly, fun-loving girl. She loves to talk and is fond of music. Besides, she loves nail art. While helping her with economics, I found her really bright and enthusiastic. She has a knack for building mental maps for concepts introduced to her. This is what helps her memorize things for a long time.”
Paridhi’s story is both tragic and inspiring. The girl has an undying desire to make her own career path and does not have any time to face any setbacks. We wish her good luck with her studies and may she get to be the RJ she always dreamt of becoming.
News Source- Times Of India
Representational Featured Image Source
