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Renu Hans, who is speech-and hearing-impaired, returned to her studies more than two decades after leaving school and appeared for the Class 10 board exams again.
Behind Renu Hans’ achievement was the unwavering support of her family, particularly her only son, Naman.
As people grow older, unfulfilled dreams are often pushed aside as responsibilities and life’s challenges take precedence. For 45-year-old Renu Hans from Jammu and Kashmir, however, an unfinished dream remained alive for 22 years. Unable to speak or hear, Hans returned to her studies decades after leaving school and appeared for the Class 10 board exam again.
Renu Hans belongs to a Kashmiri Pandit family. She had appeared for the Class 10 exam before her marriage but could not clear it. After marriage, family responsibilities took priority and her education was put on hold. But her desire to study never disappeared.
Nearly 22 years later, Hans picked up her books again and appeared for the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) Class 10 biennial board exam, held in April. The results were announced on September 10, and Renu secured 82%.
Her son, Naman Kaul, recalled that his mother was initially nervous when she arrived at the examination centre. The atmosphere felt unfamiliar after such a long gap, but she gradually settled in and was able to take the examination without difficulty.
Behind Renu Hans’ achievement was the unwavering support of her family, particularly her only son, Naman. A Class 12 science student himself, Naman took responsibility for helping his mother prepare for her Class 10 examination while continuing with his own studies.
Naman believed his mother should not be confined to the home and wanted her to complete her education and move forward in life. According to him, his mother had always wanted to study and eventually find a good job. Clearing Class 10, he felt, was the first step towards reviving that long-held dream. He tutored his mother, explained lessons, answered her questions and helped her overcome doubts during her preparation.
Balancing his own Class 12 science studies with his mother’s Class 10 preparation was not easy. Naman created a routine that allowed him to manage both responsibilities. He would teach his mother in the evenings and help her with questions and difficulties at night.
For months, the two studied side by side in the same household — Hans preparing for her Class 10 board examination and Naman preparing for his Class 12 science exams. Naman did not see helping his mother as an obstacle to his own education. Instead, he regarded it as a responsibility he wanted to fulfil.
Even getting Renu registered for the examination required persistence. Initially, Naman did not know that there was a provision through which his mother could return to education and appear for the examination. He approached the JKBOSE office to find out about the process.
He was initially told that the scheme under which he hoped to register his mother had been discontinued. Following subsequent developments and changes to the scheme, however, the family eventually managed to complete her registration.
Hans then appeared for the JKBOSE Class 10 biennial examination in April. When the results were announced in September, years of determination and effort finally translated into an 82% score.
The family’s own journey has been marked by hardship. Renu’s family migrated from the Kashmir Valley to Jammu in the early 1990s. Their ancestral home was in Chawalgam village in Kulgam district of South Kashmir. During the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, the family was forced to leave their ancestral home.
They were later allotted a government flat in Lower Roop Nagar, on the outskirts of Jammu, where the family continues to live. The modest home consists of a bedroom, lobby, kitchen and bathroom. It was from this very house that Hans resumed her education after 22 years.
Renu Hans’ husband, Bablu Kaul, is also speech and hearing impaired. He supports the family by working as a tailor from home. Despite financial and personal difficulties, the family has consistently prioritised Naman’s education. Now, their son has returned that support by helping his mother pursue the education she had once been forced to leave behind.
Bablu also supported Renu’s decision to resume her studies. According to Naman, his father never opposed the idea. Instead, he encouraged Hans to continue studying if that was what she wanted and assured her that he would support her even if she eventually wanted to work. He told her not to be afraid and to keep moving forward with confidence.
That support became especially meaningful because Renu was returning to the same stage of education she had left unfinished before marriage. 22 years after failing to clear Class 10, she was once again preparing for the same exam — this time with her entire family behind her.
Renu Hans’s story is about more than an 82% score at the age of 45. It is about a dream that survived 22 years of marriage, migration, family responsibilities and personal challenges. For her, the Class 10 result is not merely a board exam score. It is proof that an unfinished dream does not necessarily have an expiry date.
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Ask News18Renu Hans is a 45-year-old speech and hearing-impaired Kashmiri Pandit woman who scored 82% in the JKBOSE Class 10 biennial board exams. She successfully cleared the exam 22 years after her first attempt before marriage was unsuccessful.
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September 15, 2026, 08:32 IST
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