Tarun Nandi/Kolkata

Selima Molla, a Class IX student from the Sundarbans in West Bengal, lives in a modest shanty and comes from a family with limited means. Yet her determination and academic achievement have earned her a special invitation to the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort in Delhi.

Selima received an e-invite to attend the Independence Day celebrations for participating in an online essay competition on the theme “Role of AI in building a Viksit Bharat by 2047”, hosted by the Ministry of Defence and The Ministry of Defence and the MyGov app in the English category.

The two toppers of the competition have also been awarded a cash prize of ₹15,000 each, while among hundreds of entries, Selima and many others have been given the privilege to attend the Independence Day function.

Selima with her mother

However, as the day of the celebrations approached, Selima faced a heartbreaking hurdle: her family could not afford the journey to Delhi. She feared that she might miss the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity despite having earned the invitation through her own merit.

Her plight came to the attention of Canning West MLA Paresh Ram Das through media reports. He then approached the family and stepped in to sponsor Selima’s trip to Delhi.

According to the latest reports, Selima, her parents and a teacher from her school took a midnight flight from Kolkata to Delhi. She will now be among the young achievers seated in the invitees’ gallery as the Prime Minister addresses the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day.

The trip has been sponsored by Canning West MLA Paresh Ram Das.

Selima with Canning West MLA Paresh Ram Das

Selima lives in a shanty in the Basanti area of South 24 Parganas. Her father, Selim Molla, works as a daily-wage labourer, while her mother, Rehena Begum, is a homemaker. Selima is the eldest of their four children.

Despite the hardships, Selima attends school regularly and travels there every day on a bicycle provided by the government. She has also consistently performed well in her studies.

When reporters visited her before the trip to Delhi, Selima was in tears. She knew that her parents did not have the money to send her and that she could end up missing the opportunity she had earned through her hard work.

Earlier, her sadness was evident even as people came to congratulate her on her achievement. Her parents said they deeply regretted being unable to afford the journey to Delhi for their talented daughter.

Canning West MLA Paresh Ram Das with Selima's family

Selima is a Class IX student at Phulmalancha Ritu Bhakat Higher Secondary School in Amjhara village of Basanti, in the Sundarbans region of South 24 Parganas district.

Her achievement has also brought immense pride to her school and the local community. Headmaster Ambarish Da said Selima’s success is a matter of pride for the entire Sundarbans. It is also the first time that a student from the school has received such an honour.

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For Selima, the journey from a modest home in the Sundarbans to the historic ramparts of the Red Fort is not merely a trip to Delhi—it is a testament to talent, perseverance and the power of dreams despite adversity.