Simran Halder, a student of Jadavpur Sammilita Balika Vidyalaya, lost her father a month before her Class XII board examinations.

Suraiya Sardar, also a student of the same school, was abandoned by her family but found support from teachers at the Rokeya Shiksha Kendra community learning centre.

Brishti Patra lost her father, who was murdered when she was a child, and grew up in difficult circumstances.

The three girls, despite all odds, cleared their Class XII board exams this year.

On June 27, they were honoured with the Shakti Samman 2026 scholarship by Shilpojo, a cultural organisation, at Uttam Mancha for their resilience.

Conceived around the theme of girl-child empowerment through education, the programme — Amritasya Saga — brought together dance, theatre and music to celebrate the transformative power of learning while honouring the three first-generation learners with the Shakti Samman 2026 scholarship.

Simran hopes to study psychology or English, Suraiya dreams of becoming a microbiology researcher, and Brishti aspires to become a teacher.

Students from several schools, including Vivekananda Mission School, Bidya Bharati Girls’ High School and Modern High School for Girls, presented cultural performances at the event.

The evening opened with Shiv Tandav Stotram, followed by the Abol Tabol er Aaynay segment, inspired by Sukumar Ray’s nonsense verse.

The programme featured a dance drama, Agun Snan — based on the theme of a phoenix rising from the ashes — and a play, Alik Premer Chupkotha, adapted from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

“Every child possesses extraordinary potential,” said Ahanaa Bhattacharjee, managing trustee of the organisation. “These young minds only need opportunity and encouragement to shine.”

The cast of the Bengali film, Pratyabartan, also attended the event.

“Education is the strongest tool we can place in a girl’s hands,” added Bhattacharjee.