Prema Jayakumar, Daughter of an Autorickshaw Driver, Tops CA Examination

Surmounting all odds, Prema Jayakumar, daughter of a Mumbai-based autorickshaw driver, topped the all-India Chartered Accountancy (CA) examination.

Residing in a crammed 300 sq ft one-room chawl in suburban Malad with her parents and brother, the 24-year-old was ecstatic to have secured the first rank in the examination conducted in November 2012 by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, the results of which were announced on January 21, 2013.

The marks

Prema scored 607 out of 800, topping the country in her first attempt. It was no fluke: she had stood second in her third-year B.Com examinations at the University of Mumbai with 90 percent, studied at Nagindas Khandwala College in Malad, completed her M.Com, and did her articleship with Kishore Seth and Company.

The family

Her father Jayakumar Perumal, originally from Tamil Nadu, had been driving an autorickshaw in Mumbai for 20 years, earning around Rs 15,000 a month. Her mother Lingammal had worked in a small private company to supplement the household income, stopping only when Prema and her brother began earning about Rs 12,000 a month during their articleship. A Rs 40,000 scholarship from her coaching institute had solved the family's most acute financial problem.

"But my parents never restrained us from studies because of monetary issues," Prema said.

The double celebration

The achievement came with a bonus: her 22-year-old brother Dhanraj Jayakumar cleared the CA examination in the same attempt. The two siblings had studied together in that single room.

What she said

"It's my lifetime achievement. For me, the key to success is hardwork," Prema said. "The day I start working, I will ensure that my father can rest at home. He has always toiled for my welfare."

The offers poured in: job proposals from top companies, an offer from Indian Bank, and awards from educational institutions and the Tamil Nadu government.

FAQ

Who is Prema Jayakumar? A 24-year-old from Malad, Mumbai, who topped the all-India CA final examination in January 2013.

What did she score? 607 out of 800, All India Rank 1, in her first attempt.

What is her background? Her father drives an autorickshaw; the family of four lives in a 300 sq ft chawl room.

Did anyone else in the family succeed? Her brother Dhanraj, 22, cleared the CA exam in the same attempt.

How did she afford it? School and college scholarships, nominal college fees, a Rs 40,000 coaching scholarship, and articleship earnings.

The takeaway

A 300 sq ft room, a father's Rs 15,000 a month, and 607 out of 800. India runs on stories like this.