Kolhapur Student Defies Illness to Write Board Exam from Hospital Bed
In an inspiring display of determination, an 18-year-old student from Kolhapur district refused to let severe illness derail her academic year. Rupali Namdev Shisal, a Standard XII student from Sarud village in Shahuwadi tehsil, wrote her crucial biology board examination on Wednesday not from her designated center but from a private multispecialty hospital room where she had been admitted just hours earlier.
Health Crisis During Critical Exam Period
Rupali, a student at a local junior college, had already successfully completed her English, physics, and chemistry papers conducted by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. However, as her biology paper approached after a week-long gap, her health deteriorated dramatically. The teenager battled high fever, debilitating giddiness, and a severe bout of diarrhoeal infection that left her weakened and hospitalized.
Her father, Namdev Shisal, a construction worker, initially sought treatment at a local hospital. When her condition showed no improvement, he urgently transported her to a hospital in Bambavde on Wednesday morning, the very day of her biology examination. Despite receiving emergency symptomatic treatment, Rupali remained consumed with anxiety about missing her crucial board paper.
"She kept muttering about the paper," her father recalled. "She knew the exam center was barely five kilometers away, but reaching there in her condition was completely impossible."Father's Determined Appeal and Swift Official Response
Determined not to let his daughter lose an entire academic year, Namdev rushed to her college and appealed to teachers for assistance. At approximately 11:10 AM, while verification of student details was underway at the examination center, officials received the desperate request for special accommodation.
Block Education Officer Vishwas Sutar explained that the team immediately escalated the matter to Maharashtra State Board Chairman Rajesh Kshirsagar and Secretary Subhash Chougule. Recognizing the medical emergency, the senior officials granted special permission to conduct the examination within the hospital premises.
Examination center official Kundlik Patil and special supervisor Uday Patil were promptly deputed to transport sealed question papers and answer sheets to the hospital. The medical facility arranged a separate room specifically for the examination and deployed a doctor to remain present throughout the process, while CCTV surveillance was established as required by examination protocols.
Examination Conducted Under Medical Supervision
"Rupali began writing at noon and continued until 2:15 PM," Sutar reported. "She managed to attempt most of the questions despite her weakened condition."
As Rupali wrote her paper, mandatory documentation was prepared simultaneously, including a written request from her father, a medical certificate verifying her condition, and verification of her hall ticket. The entire process demonstrated remarkable coordination between educational authorities and medical professionals.
Namdev shared that while Rupali remains hospitalized, she is gradually recovering. Her final examination paper in Marathi language is scheduled for March 7, and the family hopes she will be sufficiently recovered to write it at the regular examination hall. "She wants to become a civil servant," her father revealed, highlighting her academic aspirations.
Board's Policy on Special Examination Arrangements
Board Chairman Rajesh Kshirsagar clarified that such permissions are granted exclusively in cases of extreme urgency. "If a student is hospitalized and the request comes in advance, we allow examinations to be conducted in hospitals," he explained. "In this instance, it was nearly impossible for her to reach the center in such poor health, especially at the last moment. Deploying our staff to her location ensured she didn't lose an entire academic year."
This extraordinary case highlights both a student's remarkable determination to continue her education despite severe health challenges and the education system's flexibility in accommodating genuine medical emergencies. The incident serves as an inspiring example of perseverance and institutional responsiveness during critical academic milestones.
