CHENNAI: In a heartwarming story of determination and community support, a government school student who scored an impressive 492 out of 500 marks despite studying by the flashlight of a mobile phone has received a free electricity connection for her household.

Hailing from Koradacheri town in Tiruvarur district, Durga Devi studied at Koradacheri Government Girls Higher Secondary School from Class 6 to 10. She secured 492 out of 500 marks in the Class 10 board exams and topped her school. The achievement placed her as the second-highest scorer in the district.

Durga Devi lives with her family on Sivan Kovil Street in Koradacheri. Her father works as a mechanic, and her mother, Sudha, is a homemaker.

Speaking about her challenges, she says she had studied without electricity for the past two years as her family could not afford installation. "I studied Class 9 and Class 10 without electricity. I studied every day by a phone flashlight. When the battery died, I had to rely on candlelight."

Hearing about Durga Devi's story, Tiruvarur MLA Poondi Kalaivanan and local electricity board officials stepped in to provide a free electricity connection to her household.