Kolkata/Ranchi: At a time when reports continue to highlight the declining participation of girls and Muslims in science education, the latest results of the Jharkhand Academic Council have delivered a powerful counter-narrative.
The top three ranks in the Science stream were secured by students who not only broke academic barriers but also challenged social stereotypes. Among them is 17-year-old Rashida Naaz, a Muslim girl from Dhanbad who topped the entire state with an extraordinary 97.8 percent.
Rashida scored 98 in Mathematics, 99 in Chemistry, and 98 in Physics — marks that reflect not just brilliance, but determination forged under financial hardship. What makes her achievement even more remarkable is that she never attended private tuition classes during her Plus Two studies.
A student of DAV +2 High School Pathardih, Rashida had earlier secured 94 percent marks in her secondary examination from USS Barari Colliery Jharia, already showing signs of academic excellence long before becoming the state topper.
“I could not afford tuition, so I studied online. I watched science classes on YouTube and prepared on my own,” Rashida told eNewsroom over the phone.
She lives with her family in a modest concrete-sheet house built on colliery land in Dhanbad. Youngest daughter of Md Rustam Ansari and Gulafsha Parween, her father works as a storekeeper in a private company, struggling to support the family’s education. Yet education became the family’s strongest pillar. Her elder sister, Kaniz Fatima, completed a Master’s degree in English, while her brother, Junaid Ansari, is pursuing Bachelor in Computer Applications (BCA).
From Tin-Roof Home to State Topper: Rashida’s Academic Triumph
Despite becoming the state topper, Rashida’s biggest challenge still lies ahead — higher education.
“I want to study BTech. But I could not sit for IIT-JEE because my family could not bear the expenses. If I get admission in Indian School of Mines or BIT Sindri, since both are in Dhanbad, I would love to continue my studies there,” she said.
Her role model is APJ Abdul Kalam, whose words continue to inspire her journey.
“I love Kalam sir’s quote — ‘Dream is not that which you see while sleeping, it is something that does not let you sleep,’” Rashida says with quiet confidence.
Yet, two days after the results, neither financial assistance nor official support has reportedly reached the young topper from the Jharkhand government.
“We want her to continue studying the subject of her choice. If the government supports us, it can help fulfil her dream,” said her brother Junaid.
Defying Social Barriers: How Jharkhand’s Girls are Leading in Science
The Jharkhand Science toppers’ list itself tells a larger social story. Alongside Rashida, two girls — Akanksha Kumari and Sana Afrin — jointly secured third rank with 481 marks.
Meanwhile, Faizan Alam secured second position in the state with 483 marks.
In an environment where minorities and girls are often portrayed as lagging behind in science education, these results send a strong message from Jharkhand: talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not.
And perhaps that is what makes Rashida Naaz’s story bigger than a board examination result. From a small tin-roof home in Dhanbad, a young girl studied under economic constraints, relied on free online lessons, and emerged as the brightest science student in an entire state.
Now, all she needs is a chance to keep dreaming.
