A 55-year-old woman from Udaipur, Rajasthan, gave birth to her 17th child on Tuesday, drawing both shock and concern over the family’s struggles. The woman, identified as Rekha Galbelia, has given birth to 16 children earlier. However, four of her sons and one daughter died shortly after birth. Out of her surviving children, five are already married and have families of their own.

Her daughter, Shila Kalbeliya, shared the difficulties they face in day-to-day life. “We all had to face a lot of hardships. Everyone is surprised to hear that our mother has so many children,” she said.

Rekha’s husband, Kavra Kalbeliya, revealed the family’s financial distress. The family has no permanent home and survives by collecting scrap. He said that to feed his children, he often had to borrow money from moneylenders at a steep 20 percent interest rate.

Despite repaying lakhs of rupees over time, the family continues to struggle with interest payments. “Although a house was sanctioned under the PM Awas Yojana, we are still homeless because the land is not in our name. We don’t have enough for food, weddings, or education. These problems trouble us every single day,” he said.

The family’s situation has left their children deprived of education, further deepening the cycle of poverty. Meanwhile, Roshan Darangi, a gynaecologist at the Jhadol Community Health Centre, revealed that the family initially misled the doctors about Rekha’s medical history. “When Rekha was admitted, they told us it was her fourth child. Later, it was discovered this was actually her 17th,” he said.

The case has shown not only the family’s extreme poverty but also the larger issues of illiteracy, lack of healthcare awareness, and financial vulnerability in rural communities.