Mumbai : In a remarkable achievement, Shifa Budhwani has made history by becoming the first Chartered Accountant (CA) from Dhanora taluka, a region in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district known for its Naxal-affected background.
Raised in a modest family, Shifa faced numerous challenges while pursuing her education in the remote region. She completed her early schooling at Carmel Academy in Gadchiroli, often traveling long distances. On one occasion, her path to school was blocked by Naxals who felled trees on the road, forcing her to relocate temporarily to continue her studies.
To ensure better educational opportunities, her parents enrolled her in a prestigious school in Mahabaleshwar, a town over 1,000 kilometers away. Despite financial constraints, her parents made regular long-distance journeys, sometimes taking multiple trains and taxis, to support her education.
Shifa excelled academically, scoring 98% in Class 10 and 92% in Class 12, and later earned a B.Com degree from Symbiosis College, Pune. After years of rigorous preparation, she successfully cleared the challenging Chartered Accountancy exams.
Speaking after her success, Shifa said with emotion, “My parents are everything to me. Their sacrifices and encouragement helped me reach here. This achievement belongs to them.”
Her success story is now being hailed as a source of hope and inspiration for students in underdeveloped and conflict-prone regions, proving that with determination and support, no goal is out of reach.
