Aarthi Velmurugan, an orphaned tribal girl from Sittilingi in Dharmapuri district, has qualified in the Joint Entrance Examination (Mains) and has applied for JEE (Advanced), fighting all odds.
She also appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) on Sunday. Aarthi has a brother, who has written his class 10 exams, and a sister in class V, to take care of.
Her father, Velmurugan, a lorry driver, died in a road accident in Lucknow when she was in class 8. “My mother had ulcers in the stomach, and she was taking medications. But it did not help, and she died later,” said Aarthi, over a phone call. The three children are being supported by Velmurugan’s older sister.
