PUNE: In January, when Shraddha Mengshette was browsing the Internet for smartphones , she was acutely aware that her father wasn't keen on the purchase. Even so, she bought the device on a monthly EMI of Rs1,590. A few days later, the same transaction brought a windfall of Rs1 crore for the 20-year-old when she was chosen as the first prize winner of Niti Aayog's Lucky Grahak Yojana On April 14, PM Narendra Modi handed the prize to Shraddha at a function held in Nagpur.The big win has turned Shraddha into a celebrity of sorts at AISSMS College of Engineering, Pune, where she is a student, as well as at her hometown in Latur. "I have been invited to many felicitation functions. Even so, the win is yet to sink in," she said.For now, Shraddha's parents, homemaker Meera and grocery store-owner Mohan, have deposited the amount in their savings account.While the youngster may still be struck by the win, she clearly recalls how much she had to convince her parents to let her make the purchase. "I wanted to get a smartphone. The moment I told my parents, they said no but, after several conversations that see-sawed between scolding and pleading, they agreed," Shraddha smiled.The total cost of the smartphone was Rs7500. "It was a big amount for us and my father asked me to get another phone but I went online and bought it on EMI," she shared.On April 11, the Central Bank manager reached the Mengshette's residence to inform the family about the win. "He also told us that the PM would give us the prize money. Even then, we were not told about the amount until we were in the bus to Nagpur," Shraddha recalled.The prize money, however, hasn't helped Shraddha get away from her parents' chiding. "They still think the smartphone is a nuisance and keep reminding me that I should concentrate on studying," she said.

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