Girl Escapes Child Marriage, Tops Intermediate Exams in Andhra Pradesh

A girl named S Nirmala in Andhra Pradesh has achieved something remarkable. Despite facing the threat of child marriage, she didn't give up on her education. 

This year, she topped the intermediate board exams, scoring an impressive 421 out of 440 marks.

As reported by Times Of India, Nirmala, who comes from Pedda Harivanam in Kurnool district's Adoni mandal, had already performed well in her SSC exams last year, securing 537 marks. However, her parents, facing financial difficulties and having married off her three sisters, wanted to end her education and marry her off too.

But Nirmala was determined to continue her studies. She reached out to YSRCP legislator Y Saiprasad Reddy for help during his "Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam" program. Moved by her story, Reddy alerted the district collector G Srujana, who intervened to stop Nirmala's forced marriage.

With the district administration's support, Nirmala was enrolled in Kasturba Gandhi Balikala Vidyalaya at Aspari. Her hard work paid off as she topped this year's intermediate exams.

Speaking to TOI, Nirmala said she dreams of becoming an IPS officer to fight against child marriages and help girls like herself achieve their dreams. Saiprasad Reddy believes Nirmala's success is a testament to the government's efforts to empower girls through education under Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's leadership.