India, July 19 -- A teacher in school once told Rupal Dhall she should become a lawyer because she was so argumentative. That remark planted the seed of a dream. Earlier this year, Rupal graduated with an integrated BA/LLB degree from the Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Mahavidyalaya (BPSMV), an all-women's college in Sonepat, Haryana where many of the students are, like Rupal, first-generation learners from rural backgrounds.

The daughter of landless farmers, Rupal wants to be a judge. She has begun work with a lawyer at the district courts in Sonepat to complete the three years' experience required before she can take the judicial exams. But, just in case, she has a Plan B: a master's degree in law. "If I don't become a judge, at least I can...