Driving an e-rickshaw to fund her studies, Assam’s Reema Terangpi scores big in Higher Secondary exams

In Assam’s Biswanath district, the sound of an e-rickshaw moving through busy roads has become closely tied to the daily life of Reema Terangpi. For many passengers, she is simply the young driver taking them to their destination. For her family, she is a source of support during a period of severe financial hardship. And now, for her school and community, she has become an example of perseverance after securing a first division in the Higher Secondary examinations.

Reema’s achievement stands out not only because of the marks she scored, 307 in total, but because of the circumstances in which she prepared for the examinations. While many students spend their mornings revising lessons or attending coaching classes, Reema begins her day transporting passengers in an e-rickshaw before heading to college.

A student of Biswanath Commerce Senior Secondary School, Reema has spent more than a year balancing academic responsibilities with the pressure of earning for her family. The decision to start driving the e-rickshaw was not driven by ambition, but necessity.

Her mother has been unwell, while her father suffered a fractured leg, leaving the family in a difficult financial situation. As the eldest among four sisters, Reema stepped into a role that required her to become both a student and an earning member of the household.

Speaking to the media after the declaration of the results, Reema admitted that she had been uncertain about even passing the examinations.

“I was nervous whether I would even pass. I never thought I would secure first division,” she said.

She described the challenge of balancing work and studies, explaining that managing both had become unavoidable due to the family’s economic condition.

“There was no other way,” she said. “Before going to college, I drive the e-rickshaw and ferry passengers. I also go to college on the same e-rickshaw.”

Despite the financial strain, the family has reportedly received little external assistance apart from benefits under Assam’s Orunodoi scheme received by her mother.

Reema’s study environment also reflects the limitations she continues to face. She does not have a study table and studies while sitting on her bed. Yet, those conditions did not stop her from preparing for examinations that often determine the course of a student’s future.

Even on the day her results were announced, Reema continued to work instead of taking time to celebrate. The routine remained unchanged because daily earnings are still necessary for the family’s survival.

Her immediate dream is to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce degree. However, she is also considering a diploma course, keeping in mind the financial realities at home.

“I want to continue my studies, but I am also thinking about doing a diploma because it would require less money and less time,” she said.

Reema’s story reflects a reality experienced by many students across rural and semi-urban India, where education often progresses alongside economic struggle rather than in the absence of it. Her achievement is not built on access to privilege or institutional support, but on discipline shaped by responsibility.

In an education system where success stories are frequently linked to coaching centres, expensive resources and structured preparation, Reema’s journey offers a different perspective — one where determination operates within scarcity, and achievement emerges despite exhaustion and uncertainty.

For her community, she has already become more than a successful student. She represents the growing number of young people who carry adult responsibilities early in life while still holding on to aspirations for education and independence.

Her first division result may be a milestone, but for Reema Terangpi, it is also part of a larger journey, one that continues each morning when she starts her e-rickshaw and heads out once again to balance survival with hope.