Son turns teacher as Kashmiri Pandit woman clears Class 10 exams after 22 years
At 45, Renu Hans has returned to a dream she was forced to leave behind more than two decades ago. The Kashmiri Pandit woman, who is deaf and non-speaking, has cleared her Class 10 examination with 82 per cent, 22 years after her first attempt.
Behind the achievement was her only son, Naman Koul, a Class 12 Science student who helped his mother prepare for the examination while keeping up with his own studies.
Renu had appeared for the Class 10 examination before her marriage but could not clear it. Her formal education stopped, but her desire to study and find a job remained.
“I felt that my mother should not be confined to the house. If she studies, she can move forward in life,” Koul told PTI. “She always dreamt of studying and getting a good job. Completing Class 10 was the first step towards fulfilling that dream.”
The family lives in a government flat in Lower Roop Nagar on the outskirts of Jammu. They migrated from Chawalgam village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district during the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in the early 1990s.
Renu’s husband, Bablu Koul, who is also deaf and non-speaking, works from home as a tailor. Despite the family’s limited means, the couple supported their son’s education. Years later, it was Naman who helped his mother return to hers.
Getting her enrolled was the first hurdle. Koul said he initially knew little about the scheme under which she could register. When he approached the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education, he was told that it had been discontinued. He continued following developments and eventually managed to register his mother for the biannual examination held in April.
The results, declared on September 10, brought the family the moment it had waited years for.
Renu was anxious when she arrived at the examination centre and found herself among candidates of different ages.
“She was a little scared because there were students much younger than her, as well as older candidates. But with time, she settled down and became comfortable,” Koul said.
Preparing for the examination required the mother and son to build a routine around Naman’s own Class 12 studies. He fixed her study hours in the evening and cleared her doubts at night after completing his schoolwork.
Communication between them had never been a barrier. Naman learnt to understand his parents through gestures while growing up, with help from his maternal grandparents and aunt.
“Slowly, I began to understand what they were trying to say. My maternal aunt and grandparents also supported me, and I continued moving forward with them,” he said.
Bablu also backed his wife’s decision to resume her education and encouraged her to consider working.
“My father gave her his full support. He told her that even if she wanted to work, he would stand by her. She should not be afraid and should always remain confident,” Naman said.
Renu, who is also interested in painting, is now looking beyond Class 10. The result is more than a certificate for her. It is the first step towards the education and independence she had imagined for herself 22 years ago.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 13, 2026 19:24 IST
