Nirjharani Chakriborty, principal of Rishi Bankim Chandra College for Women, never hesitates to pick up a broom and sweep a classroom or verandah if she finds it even slightly dirty. After all, she started her career that way.
Nirjharni, who began as a ‘group-D’ employee in a school – where she cleaned cups and plates, dusted benches and chairs, swept the floor and rang the bell – not only heads a women’s college today, now is also an M.L.A.
This extraordinary story of struggle and perserverance started when she was just 15, and was given the job of cleaning the very school she passed out from.
"The job saved my family and helped me study", recalls Nirjharani. "I was just 15, so it was an unofficial arrangement. For three years I worked as a group-D employee and after reaching 18, the position was regularized."
She started the sweeper’s job with a monthly salary of Rs.60.
"Soon there was vancancy for a clerk and the teachers recommended my promotion. So I started handlingthe school accounts, the attendence registers and correspondence. My salary was raised to Rs.115. By that time I had also taken admission for a BSc. degree at Bankim Chandra College for Women at Naihati", recalls Nirjharani.
Now she is the Principal of this college and also working for the Legislative Assembly of Kolkatta.
*(This report is extracted from Times of India news paper)
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