PRAYAGRAJ, April 26 -- It was Shiv Prasad Jaiswal's third oldest child that brought him instant recognition among people in a non-descript village of Kaushambi district and elsewhere, too. The father of four children, Jaiswal runs a roadside tea stall in Kokhraj, but lives with his family in Kanehti in Phulpur tehsil, 23 km away from here.

Bounded by several financial constraints, Mehak, like her elder sister, made sure that she remained strong-willed, followed a disciplined schedule and, above all, stayed confident throughout her preparation for UP Board's intermediate examination.

The 18-year-old was announced on Friday to have topped the exam.

As the news reached the hamlet, the pockmarked road that leads to Mahak's village was fill...