From a Small Village to one of the State’s Topper: Chanchal’s 99.83% is a Lesson in Quiet Resolve

In a small village in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district, 15-year-old Chanchal Mehra has secured 499 out of 500 in the RBSE Class 10 board exams. With 99.83%, she is among some of the highest scorers in the state depicting how determination can define success irrespective of the resources available.

A student with few resources from Pandeka village, Chanchal lives there in a joint family with grandparents, uncles, aunts, and siblings all under one roof. Her father, Dharmpal, works nearly 600 kilometers away from home, to support the family. This meant that during her crucial academic year, he was rarely present. Much of the day-to-day support came from her mother and younger brother, while her father tried his best over infrequent phone calls.

“There were days with no electricity in the evenings, and without an inverter, I couldn’t even charge my mother’s phone to watch online classes,” Chanchal recalls. “At that point, I honestly thought I might not clear the exam.”

With patchy electricity, no coaching classes, and limited access to academic tools, Chanchal’s preparation was far from structured. She didn’t follow a strict timetable. Instead, she studied in short stretches – between rest, helping around the house, and playing with her brother.

In October, she began preparing more seriously. But it wasn’t until January, just two months before the exams, that her family managed to install an inverter, which made a difference. “Once we had better access to electricity, I started attending PhysicsWallah’s online classes on my mother’s phone. I’d wake up at 5 am to attend the Maths sessions. They made things easier to understand,” she says. “I completed the syllabus chapter-wise and stayed consistent.”

Chanchal would travel by bus to school every morning, finish homework on campus, and revise in the evenings whenever the power allowed. Her confidence grew gradually. “When I saw the question papers, I felt I could handle them. I didn’t think I’d top, but I was sure I’d pass.”

While her surroundings presented constant challenges, whether it was studying on low battery or dealing with long hours, Chanchal credits her family for creating a space where she felt supported, even without extra resources. “We didn’t have much, but I could talk to them about anything,” she says.

Her father remains one of her strongest cheerleaders. “My dream is that she should become an IAS officer. She is very intelligent and hardworking. I will try my best to support her in whatever she wants to do,” he says.

Chanchal shares this dream but first she wants to become an engineer. So, next up she’s beginning her preparation for JEE. And after that, she says, the civil services.