Three former Maoists from Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region have cleared the Class 10 examination with first-division marks, scripting a remarkable turnaround from violence to education.

Geeta Narote, 35, Arjun Oyam, 32, and Santosh Achala, 31, cleared the exam conducted by the Chhattisgarh State Open School. Their past association with the Maoist organisation had prevented them from completing formal schooling.

Narote, once a member of a Maoist divisional committee, now wants to become a nurse. “I could not study when I was young. Now, I do not want to lose this opportunity,” she said. Oyam hopes to return to his village as a teacher, while Achala plans to study further and take up farming and business.

According to Bastar Police, 210 former Maoists surrendered in 2025 under the government’s rehabilitation scheme. Seven of them appeared for and cleared the Class 10 exam.

Officials said free study material and support were provided under the rehabilitation programme. The three now plan to continue their education and build new careers in the mainstream.