Chhattisgarh Class 10 topper battled with blood cancer for two years, missed exam last year

The Print

07-05-2025

As the results of the Class 10 exam conducted by the Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education were declared on Wednesday, Ishika's name figured at the top of the list with a score of 99.17 per cent.
The teenager battled with blood cancer for two years before emerging triumphant recently. She missed the board exam last year due to her health condition, but that could not shake her determination.
Raipur, May 7 (PTI) Ishika Bala, who topped the Chhattisgarh Class 10 board exam, is a fighter of a rare breed.
A student of Government Higher Secondary School in Gundahur village in Kanker district, she shares the position with Naman Kumar Khuntia of Swami Atmanand Govt Utkrisht Eng Med School, Jashpur district.
Ishika, who hails from a modest family in PV (Paralkot Village)-51 village in the tribal-dominated and Naxal-hit Kanker district, said she aspires to become an IAS officer. But even now, the 17-year-old could be an inspiration to many.
Paralkot villages are located in the Pakhanjore area, where Hindu Bengali refugees from the erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, were settled.
According to her family, Ishika was diagnosed with blood cancer in November 2023 when she was in Class 10th. The 17-year-old recently overcame cancer, but she will be under observation for the next 2-3 years, they said.
She could not take her board exam last year due to cancer, as she underwent treatment in a private hospital in Raipur.
'I want to pursue engineering and will opt for Maths in the next class. I will then prepare for the UPSC exam as I dream of becoming an IAS officer,' Ishka told PTI.
Throughout her treatment, Ishika did not let her ambition take a back seat and continued her academic journey with full determination.
'At times, I thought I would not be able to study further. But I didn't give up as I had trust in myself. It is important to have confidence in yourself,' said the teenager.
Her farmer father, Shankar Bala, said she was treated at Balco Medical Centre in Nava Raipur and was recently declared free from cancer.
She will need to undergo routine check-ups for the next 2-3 years to avoid a recurrence, he said, adding that Ishika is the third among his five children.
'She defeated cancer with her willpower and courage. The entire family cared for her during her treatment and kept encouraging her to continue her studies. Her perseverance paid off, and she topped the board exam,' said the proud father.
Despite having modest means, Shankar said he would ensure the best education for all his kids so that they can have successful careers. PTI TKP NR
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