I am not educated,and that is why I wanted to ensure that my children are, said Jayakumar Perumal,an autorickshaw driver from Malad,whose daughter Prema topped the nationwide chartered accountancy exam on Monday.The 24-year-old and her brother cleared the tough exam in their first attempt,leaving Jayakumar and his wife ecstatic.Prema,who acedtheexam with a score of 607 out of 800 (75.88%),attributed the success to her parents and teachers.Studying in a 300 sq-ft room in a chawl might have been a bit stifling,but it never proved a deterrent.If you are focused in life,nothing is unachievable.I was determined to complete my CA in first attempt, said Prema.

Premas father is a class 5 dropout,while her mother,who worked as a house help until a few years ago,studied only till class 3.Despite several hardships,they ensured nothing got in Premas way.I made sure our financial status never affected her studies, said Jayakumar,who earns around Rs15,000 a month.The stipend she got during her articleship helpedher financially,too.I knew I would clear the exam,but getting a first rank was least expected.
Prema added,I studied along with my brother,who pursued CA along with BCom,which was a plus point.It was easier for both of us as we could discuss and solve questions together.Giving the exam together proved helpful for us.

After graduating from Nagindas Khandwala College,Prema pursued MCom from Mumbai University,during which she prepared for the CA exams.She appeared for the common proficiency test (CPT) entrance conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) in December 2008.In November 2009,she cleared both groups of the integrated professional competence examination (IPCE),which made her eligiblefor two-and-a-half yearsof articleship,which in turn made her eligible for the finals in November.

We gave her everything she needed for a good education.She is very intelligent and I knew she would always do well in whatever she attempted.Now I can sit back and relax, said Jayakumar. Dhanraj (22),Prernas brother,also registered at ICAI with her.He called Prema his mentor.Although he scored only 450/800,he is proud of his sisters achievement.We will complete our articleship by April,after which we will join the corporate world.We have everything planned, he said.