Slum-dweller defies odds, turns topper

Five years ago, Jaishree P lost her home after slum-dwellers in Porur were evicted. Her family moved to a 200sqft room in a Jafferkhanpet slum. Her father, a lorry driver, earning a daily wage of Rs 700 pulled her out of a private school and put her in corporation-run Chennai Girls Higher Secondary School, Saidapet. However, Jaishree, a class topper throughout, emerged a topper among all corporation school students. She scored 479 out of 500.
She dreams of cracking NEET and becoming a neuro surgeon. “I will take up science stream and want to change the fate of my family,” she said.