An amputation, a prosthetic leg and a NEET setback: 18-year-old remains focused on her dream of becoming a doctor

Kavita Arora says the NEET re-examination affected her performance, but not her plans to pursue medicine.

3 min readPuneJul 25, 2026 10:06 AM IST

On Thursday, Kavita 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. (Express Photos)

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.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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