The results of the chartered accountancy examination results were released on Monday and 25-year-old Mumbai resident Zarine Begum Yusuf Khan became was declared the topper of the exam.
Zarine, who lives in a humble 330-square-foot home in Mumbra, beat over 4,000 candidates to crack the topper position in this year's old CA intermediary examination with a score of 65.86 per cent.
The results were declared on Monday by the Indian Chartered Accounts Institute of India (ICAI) and caught Zarine by surprise. The young Mumbai resident was not even expecting to get a rank, let alone become top the exams.
Zarine, who first applied to CA in 2017, took a gap of two years and started trying again last year. "I used to study all night to focus better as in the morning hours, there is too much noise," Zarine told Times of India.
The daughter of a mechanic father and homemaker mother, Zarine is one of the first in her family to ever apply for a professional course. After topping the exam, however, Zarine has become a role model for her siblings. Her younger sister who holds a BSc degree is currently employed and her younger brothers are also inspired by her to follow serious academics.
Zarine's story is truly inspiring. Being one of the first in her family to become educated, Zarine had no idea what courses to choose or pursue. The Mumbra girl only got interested in CA following her graduation in 2017. After that, she gave a gap year to work in an intership and earn enough money to pay for her CA examination and course books.
Zarine is a truly self-made woman and for her achievements, the 25-year-old was felicitated by the State housing minister Jitendra Awhad during a ceremony in the city.
While Zarine topped the old CA course, the new CA course was also topped by a girl. 19-year-old Shreya Rakesh Tibrewala from Ahmedabad cracked the competitive examination with 87.63 per cent marks, becoming this year's topper.