Girl overcomes debilitatingdisease to make it to IIT-K

Time of India

4 days ago

Lucknow: She was denied admissions into mainstream schools in her early years. But, now 19-year-old Riddhima Paul, daughter of a policeman from Malda city in West Bengal, has secured a berth at the premier IIT-Kanpur.
Admitted under the persons with disabilities (PwD) quota for the academic session 2025-26, she will pursue BS in Mathematics and Scientific Computing.
Born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a debilitating condition that affects voluntary muscle movement, wheelchair-confined Riddhima defied all odds to become a beacon of hope for many. "I am delighted to be part of IIT-K. My admissions prove that 'where there is a will, there's a way," said Riddhima, sitting in her hostel room at IIT-K.
Citing Riddhima's journey through higher education as a powerful testament to her resilience, extraordinary courage, and determination, IIT-K's dean of student affairs Prof Pratik Sen said, "Riddhima has not just faced challenges, she has embraced and mastered them. Her remarkable strength inspires those around her."
Riddhima took JEE in 2024 and had a PwD rank of 12, but was one mark short for admissions to formal courses at IITs.
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Thereafter, she undertook a mandatory one-year preparatory course at IIT-Indore. At the course, she cracked the qualifying esam to make it to IIT-K's BS course this year. "My parents never wanted me to go to a special school. After many denials, I got through one mainstream pre-school where I topped the nursery exams.
The teachers were astonished at my performance and told my parents that I was fit for class 1. Every year till class 4, I stood as class topper," recalled Riddhima.
Despite her whole body, right from the limbs, digestive system, respiratory system and spine, being affected, Riddhima had extraordinary cognitive abilities. When she was in class 8, she watched the Bollywood movie Super-30 starring Hrithik Roshan, which inspired her for IITs. In her class 10 and 12, she performed brilliantly, securing 94.8% and 90.8% respectively.
"Her dedication and positive attitude were truly inspiring.
Seeing her succeed in such a prestigious exam reaffirms my belief that with the right support and perseverance, no limitation is insurmountable," said Dipanka Shekhar Sanyal, who guided Riddhima in her JEE preparations.
The Pauls first noticed indications of the disease when Riddhima, like other kids, could not crawl or roll. They consulted local doctors who hardly knew about the malady. With the suspicion of a genetic component, the Pauls were advised to take Riddhima to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, when she was barely three years old, the time to go to school.
The NIMHANS report confirmed SMA.
"Doctors told us that Riddhima would not live longer than 10 years. But we believed that there is hope as long as she breathes (saans hai to aas hai)," said Riddhima's mother Arunita Paul, who is her biggest pillar of support and stays with her on the IIT-K campus.
Growing up to be an attractive, intelligent, and articulate baby, Riddhima could already sing in tune when she was 18 months old and showed interest in chess at five.
A year before, at four, she could raise herself from a sitting position. "With limited resources, we could organise physiotherapy sessions for her weekly. When she was eight years old, the first symptoms of scoliosis (spine bending) began to appear," said Riddhima's father, Rajib Paul, ASI, Malda police.
Despite her mental stamina, she could not walk, which attracted insensitive remarks from relatives and neighbours — an irritant Arunita learnt to live with.
"There was not a single day without struggle. People mocked her and us for making her study. Many even told us to get rid of her, which made us stronger, and we rose to the challenge, keeping our morale high," said Arunita.
Finally, in 2022, a team of doctors in Bengaluru performed a scoliosis surgery that lasted for almost 10 hours. "The surgery gave me strength to pursue higher studies. My love for mathematics is from an early age of three. I used to sit with my uncle when he took tuitions for elder students, and that helped me learn numbers quickly," said Riddhima.