Prachi Nigam, who topped the Class 10 UP Board examinations this year by securing 98.5 percent marks, has responded to trollers who have been trolling her for her facial hair.
“Trollers can live with their mindset; I am happy that my success is now my identity,” she said to IANS on Wednesday.
Nigam stressed that all her attention was focused on her studies and that no one ever pointed towards her excess facial hair before her photo went viral.
“My family, my teachers, and my friends never criticised me for my appearance, and I never bothered about it either. It was only after my photograph was published that people started trolling me, and then my attention was drawn to the problem," she told IANS.
She stated that her aim is to become an engineer, and what will ultimately matter are her marks and not the hair on her face.
Netizens flocked to support her on social media. A user on X said, "It's sad to hear that people are trolling her. PCOS is a debilitating condition, not only physically, but also socially and mentally. Very proud that she has achieved her success despite her health issues".
In a BBC video, Nigam said, "When my picture got out on social media, some people may have felt weird after seeing my facial hair. At the same time, there were people who tried to spread awareness about the hormonal issues that may lead to more facial hair in some girls".
"When I saw that people were trolling me, it didn't affect me much because I have faced trolls all my life," she said in the video, attributing people's trolling to their lack of awareness of the hormonal issues that a growing number of young women face today.
In the video, her Nigam's father, Chandra Prakash Nigam, is seen extending his support to his daughter. He says, "People troll her because their minds are filled with hate. How can we help that? They don't see the positive qualities in my daughter. She has topped her exam, and I am absolutely proud of her".
Previously, Niga’s picture was discussed widely on social media. While some reprimanded trolls, others talked about polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a condition that many young women have, which is caused by hormonal imbalance and can lead to hirsutism (facial hair), acne, scalp hair loss, weight gain, and menstrual issues.
