Chhattisgarh Board 10th Results 2025: Meet Ishika Bala, cancer survivor who scored 99.17 per cent in CGBSE exams

A student of Government Higher Secondary School in Gundahur village in Kanker district, she shares the position with Naman Kumar Khuntia of Swami Atmanand Govt Utkrisht Eng Med School, Jashpur district.

Ishika, who hails from a modest family in PV (Paralkot Village)-51 village in the tribal-dominated and Naxal-hit Kanker district, said she aspires to become an IAS officer. But even now, the 17-year-old could be an inspiration to many.

Paralkot villages are located in the Pakhanjore area, where Hindu Bengali refugees from the erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, were settled.

According to her family, Ishika was diagnosed with blood cancer in November 2023 when she was in Class 10th. The 17-year-old recently overcame cancer, but she will be under observation for the next 2-3 years, they said.

She could not take her board exam last year due to cancer, as she underwent treatment in a private hospital in Raipur. “I want to pursue engineering and will opt for Maths in the next class. I will then prepare for the UPSC exam as I dream of becoming an IAS officer,” Ishka told PTI.

Throughout her treatment, Ishika did not let her ambition take a back seat and continued her academic journey with full determination. “At times, I thought I would not be able to study further. But I didn’t give up as I had trust in myself. It is important to have confidence in yourself,” said the teenager.

Her farmer father, Shankar Bala, said she was treated at Balco Medical Centre in Nava Raipur and was recently declared free from cancer. She will need to undergo routine check-ups for the next 2-3 years to avoid a recurrence, he said, adding that Ishika is the third among his five children.

“She defeated cancer with her willpower and courage. The entire family cared for her during her treatment and kept encouraging her to continue her studies. Her perseverance paid off, and she topped the board exam,” said the proud father.

Despite having modest means, Shankar said he would ensure the best education for all his kids so that they can have successful careers. The Chhattisgarh Board held the Class 12 board exams between March 1 and March 28 and the Class 10 board exams took place from March 3 to March 24.