Thursday 14 / November / 2024
Ranchi: Cancer failed to deter Ranchi boy Tushar Rishi from crossing the 90 per cent mark in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 board examinations 2017, the result of which was declared on Sunday.
Rishi had to visit the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi every 3 months for a checkup but has secured 95% marks in the exam without any additional coaching. He scored 95 in English, 95 in physics, 93 in mathematics, 89 in computer and 100 in fine arts. "I am in a much better condition now after all the treatments. But I have to visit AIIMS in every 3 to 4 months for checkups and updates on my health," Rishi, who believes that studying regularly reduces the pressure of exams to a large extent, said.
But it has not been an easy journey for the 19-year-old student of Delhi Public School (DPS) and his parents. The struggle started in 2014 when he was detected with cancer in his left knee and failed to appear for the Class 10 board exams. "The bone cancer was detected just after my Class 10 mock exams in 2014. I was under chemotherapy for around 11 months. It has obviously changed me a lot, but I try and stay focused on my academics," Rishi said. However, he returned after chemotherapy and secured a perfect 10 CGPA in 2015.
Unlike other science students, he doesn't want to go for engineering but pursue graduation in either English or economics from the University of Delhi. His mother, Ritu Agarwal, is a professor at the Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, and father Shashi Bhushan Agarwal works with the state agriculture department.
"He was solely dependent on the classes at school as he did not go to tuition. I am more than happy with his performance. I have seen him battle cancer and I know how difficult it was for him. I hope he stays healthy and achieves all his career goals," Ritu said.
Rishi has written a book - The Patient Patient - about the story of his struggle as a young cancer survivor. His book, he said, was doing well on Amazon. He still has to follow a line of treatment, a strict diet, and take care of his health to avoid any recurrence of the cancerous cells. His fight against cancer still continues, but this strong-willed boy has learned to overcome the fear and drawbacks of one of the deadliest diseases in the world.
