The resident of Bhadangi village in Haryana's Rewari district cleared her Class 10 examinations through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) with 79.6 percent, securing a first division. For Sushila Devi, the certificate itself was never really the point — she returned to studies specifically to become eligible to contest her village's panchayat elections and fulfil a long-held ambition of serving as sarpanch.

Her educational journey had been cut short decades earlier. Family circumstances forced her to leave school after Class 5, and she carried the "Class 5 pass" label through marriage, raising children and years of household responsibility that left little room for formal study. But her interest in learning never fully disappeared — she kept up with newspapers daily, staying informed even as classrooms became a distant memory.

The push to return to formal education came from her son, Vishnu, who filled out her NIOS application and supported her through months of preparation. Subjects like Mathematics, Science and English felt daunting at first, but with her husband, daughters and son all pitching in, she gradually built the confidence to tackle them. Balancing household duties with her studies, she carved out three to four hours a day for exam preparation, working alongside family members who helped her through difficult material.

When the April 2026 NIOS results were declared, Sushila Devi's effort paid off in full. Her achievement has since drawn widespread appreciation in her village and beyond, with many in her community describing her as proof that learning carries no age limit.

With her Class 10 certificate now secured, Sushila Devi has cleared the educational qualification needed to contest village panchayat elections — moving her firmly closer to the sarpanch role she's aspired to for decades, and offering a rare, direct example of how education requirements at the grassroots level are pushing some of India's aspiring local leaders back into the classroom, however late in life that return comes.