Sushma Verma, a 13 year old prodigy became the first student to enroll for a Masters in Microbiology at Lucknow University. Born to a family with limited means the girl was also the youngest student to complete her 10th standard at age seven which earned her a spot in the Limca Book of Records. She was also the youngest ever to complete her plus two education at the age of 10.
She credits her success to the sacrifices and encouragement of her uneducated and impoverished parents. The 13 year old was initially denied admission at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar (central) University but she was later accepted. However, Sushma did not want to waste a year and she asked her father, Tej Bahadur Verma, a daily wage earner, to pay the first installment of Rs.25, 075 to block the seat at Lucknow University. Sushma, completed her graduation in zoology this year, from an LU – affiliated college before applying for masters.
According to Dr S B Nimse, Vice-Chancellor of LU, Sushma's age will not become a barrier in achieving her dreams. "The college (Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar (central) University) was close by and my father would drop and pick me. LU campus is far and the everyday commute may be troublesome but I'm looking forward to studying there," says Sushma.
She dreams of becoming a doctor. However, she cannot write the test until she turns 18. The ambitious girl has decided to pursue her doctorate after completing her masters. She hopes that the way her parents motivated her to dream big and ultimately achieve it, every girl in India should have the freedom to choose what they want to do.
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