This 22-year-old mom drives an auto as she prepares for IAS exam

Ever heard of a 22-year-old single mother of a two-year-old driving an autorickshaw to support herself while she prepares for IAS exams? No, she isn't a character from an unrealistic, borderline fantasy Bollywood film. She's a real human being from Bangalore, and her name is Yellamma.

Yellamma was forced to marry when she was 18-years-old, and at the age of 20, she gave birth to a boy. She is now a single mother.

Yellamma learned to drive an auto with help from her brother-in-law. Recounting the difficulty she faced in renting an autorickshaw, she says, "Autorickshaw owners refused to rent a vehicle because they won't give one to a woman. A mechanic finally agreed to rent me an auto for 130 rupees per day."

Yellamma drives the autorickshaw from 6am to 8pm. Since this leaves her with very little free time, in between fares, she studies for her exams, and reads newspapers and magazines to prepare herself for the Indian Administrative Services, through which she wants to help other women.

While Yellamma faces hostility from male autorickshaw drivers, who have ridiculous concerns about her 'snatching their customers,' her passengers are generally curious about her story.

"They are curious and ask me to narrate my story. They encourage me to study on and even pay 10-20 rupees over and above the metre."

Life is not easy for Yellamma. She earns INR 700-800 a day but spends half of it on the auto's rent and fuel. Being a woman who is outdoors for most of the day among strangers in an Indian city presents difficulties of its own. On top of everything else, she's a single parent who is only 22-years-old. Her grit and determination in the face of these challenges show her drive and resolve to make a difference.