Gurgaon security guard's daughter excels in Class 10 exams

Gurgaon: Beating all odds, a 14-year-old daughter of a security guard in Gurgaon has excelled in Class 10 CBSE exams by scoring a 9.8 CGPA.

True to her name, Apeksha Singh has come up to the expectations of those who had faith in her abilities. The CBSE Class 10 exams results were announced recently.

Apeksha scored a perfect 10 CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) in four of her five subjects -- Science, Mathematics, English and Hindi. She scored nine CGPA in Social Science.

A student of Drona Public School in Sector 9, Apeksha is surely not the one to rest on her laurels. She aspires to become a doctor and has opted for Science stream in Class 11.

Apeksha wants to ensure a comfortable life for both her father and mother, though her father is not quite appreciative of his three daughters since he pined for a male child.

Her mother is a housewife and has always been a rock of strength for her. Apeksha is the eldest of the three siblings.

Apeksha's academic achievements have not come the easy way. She studied in a Hindi-medium school till Class 5 before switching to another with an English-medium. 

As her father's monthly salary of Rs 8,500 could not secure even the most basic amenities at home, tuitions were simply out of question for the teenager. 

But the gritty Apeksha found her way around all difficulties and with the help of the DLF Foundation -- which took her under its wings -- came up trumps in the exams. 

"It was difficult to shift from a Hindi-medium school to an English one. I was nervous in the beginning but my mother taught me to never doubt my abilities," Apeksha said.

"Soon, I picked up the language and started conversing in English with my classmates. Since I did not even have the basic facilities to study, the DLF Foundation helped me out. I was determined to get good marks in Class 10 and it has happened. I studied only three hours daily and took extra classes only for mathematics," the teenager said.

"I do not want my father to think that a son would have helped him with a safe future. I will study and ensure that my two younger sisters study too. Together, we will build a new and bigger home and fulfil all the dreams of our father," Apeksha added.

A DLF Foundation spokeswoman said: "Despite her father's disapproval, she wants to ensure a secure future for her parents. She was awarded a scholarship by the foundation and shifted to an English-medium school from Class 6 onwards. She is studying under the DLF Foundation's 'Talent Nurturing Programme'."