Due to the pandemic, several students were unable to take important exams this year. Many were forced to skip an exam as they tested positive for the virus and many more remained indoors in fear of it.
However, a woman in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, recently wrote the Public Services Commission (PSC) exam from inside an ambulance after she tested COVID-19 positive, reports News18.
The woman, Gopika Gopan, had been preparing for the exam for weeks in order to get a job as an assistant professor. Even though she was infected by the virus, she chose not to give up.
“Once we start writing, we usually forget about the surrounding environment. It wasn’t any different from sitting inside an examination hall and the venue hardly mattered to me,” TOI quoted her saying.
“Upon testing positive, we checked with the PSC authorities about the possibility of COVID-19 patients attending the exam. I was told that there was no hurdle if I could arrange an ambulance and write the examination inside it. Since I did not step out, I was not asked to wear a PPE kit but I was allowed to wear a mask,” she revealed.
However, the ambulance driver was asked to wear a PPE kit for his protection.
Lauding the grit of the woman, Shashi Tharoor took to Twitter to share the news.
“What admirable resolve to face adversity & fulfil her aspirations! My salutations to the brave & determined Gopika Gopan,” he wrote.
What admirable resolve to face adversity & fulfil her aspirations! My salutations to the brave & determined Gopika Gopan, one of my constituents. #covid19 #WeShallOvercome pic.twitter.com/Muyxryi77R
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 3, 2020
We hope that Gopika’s efforts don’t go to waste and her dreams are fulfilled. You go girl!