Prateek Tanmay
3 min readPuneJul 25, 2026 10:06 AM IST
Born with a congenital deformity that left her without a right knee joint, with two fingers on her right hand and four on her left, 18-year-old Kavita Arora from Jammu has undergone years of medical treatment. She underwent an above-the-knee amputation at the age of five and was fitted with a prosthetic leg at Pune’s Artificial Limb Centre (ALC) when she was six.
Now in Pune for a routine medical review and prosthetic maintenance, Kavita is preparing for the next step in her journey — securing admission to a medical college.
“I was not able to attend coaching classes regularly because I sometimes found it difficult to walk, but I studied well and was expecting to score over 300 marks after appearing for NEET in May,” she told The Indian Express. “Then the paper leak led to a re-examination. I was a bit distracted and could not perform that well. I really hope I get admission to a government medical college.”
Calling the episode “disturbing”, Kavita said she was encouraged to see students speak up over the controversy.
As students continue to protest in Delhi and several other cities over the NEET paper leak controversy, Kavita has a message for fellow aspirants.
“I just want to say one thing — never lose hope,” she said.
Her father, 47-year-old Rajesh Kumar, a former Naik with the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAK LI) of the Indian Army, recalled the family’s early years after her amputation.
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“I would carry her to school and sit with her during classes until she got her artificial leg and was able to walk on her own,” he said. Kumar took premature retirement at the age of 35 to care for his children.
Kavita also recalled being teased by classmates while growing up but said those experiences did not distract her from her studies or her ambition of becoming a doctor.
On Thursday, she was among several amputee patients who interacted with Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan during his visit to the ALC’s Saksham Mobility Clinic. As doctors explained her condition, Kavita demonstrated how she uses her prosthetic leg and spoke about her plans to study medicine.
“She has performed well academically and hopes to pursue a career in medicine,” an ALC official said.
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For now, Kavita said, her focus is on securing admission to a medical college and working towards becoming a doctor.
