Ilham, a hijab-clad student from Dakshina Kannada has bagged the first rank across the district and second in the whole of Karnataka in the recently announced 2nd Pre University results.
With a score of 597 marks in the science stream, Ilham from St. Aloysius PU College in Mangaluru wants to pursue a career in clinical psychology. She told The Cognate that she has been preparing for her dream to become a psychologist since her tenth class examination. “I have really been interested in clinical psychology since my Class 10 days. I was fascinated by the subject and the working of the brain.”
“My journey was easy. It wasn’t so hard because I started my preparation at the start of the year. We had many problems due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Sometimes there was so much uncertainty about exams and exams used to get delayed. Board exams used to be pre-planned and postponed. So, every time we had to give a full preparation which is why I started preparing from starting itself because that in the end I wouldn’t be burdened. Normally, I would study for like three hours a day,” Ilham said adding that she never went to any coaching classes or tuition. “But I did self-study and got this rank.”
She also said that she was surprised at her marks and was not expecting the rank. “I was not expecting that I would get 2nd rank in the state. When I got the news, I was really happy. I’m really thankful to my parents for getting me into this college and my lecturers supported me and encouraged me. That is why I stand here,” she said.
Ilham is the younger daughter of Mohammed Rafeeq, who is a manager in a retail chain outlet, and Moizatul Kubra, a homemaker.
A proud father Mr Rafeeq told The Cognate that he is happy with her daughter’s achievements. “Alhamdulillah, we did not expect she would secure second rank for the whole State or even top rank in her college. It is by the grace of Allah and her hard work, she achieved what she wanted.”
“My daughter wants to do post-graduation in psychology,” he said adding that his daughter has already received a scholarship from Yenepoya Deemed to be University to pursue her BSc in the course.
Ilham’s success comes as a major glory at a time when Muslim students in Karnataka are being denied permission to attend classes wearing a hijab and several students even dropping out of colleges.
The Karnataka High Court on March 15 upheld the ban on Muslim girls wearing hijabs with their uniforms in schools and colleges.
Rejecting the petitions submitted by Muslim students seeking permission to wear hijab in colleges, the court said that hijab is not an essential religious practice.
