Her tiny form is disarming. But Jyoti Amge's dreams are as big as those of her friends. At 15 she stands just 1ft 11½in tall and weighs less than a stone, giving her one very big claim to fame - as the smallest girl in the world. Doctors believe Jyoti is a pituitary dwarf but have never been able to pinpoint her condition. Such dwarfism is caused when the body fails to produce enough growth hormone.
Jyoti, centre, with some of her classmates - also aged 15. Her little grey uniform is specially made for her Specialists have told her she will remain the same size for the rest of her life. 'When I was three I realised that I was different to the rest of the kids,' she said. 'I thought that everyone was bigger and I should get bigger too.' Jyoti has her own mini grey uniform and school bag and even a tiny desk. But she looks like a doll next to her teenage classmates. She said: 'I am proud of being the smallest girl. I love all the attention I get. I'm not scared of being small, and I don't regret being small.
Jyoti, centre, is the world's smallest girl - but still attends school with her classmates, who she says don't treat her any differently
She works from her custom made chair and table but her pens and books are still rather too large for her 'I am sure there are many people in this world who are dwarfs like me. 'I'm just the same as other people. I eat like you, dream like you. I don't feel any different.' Weighing 12lb - only 9lb more than her weight at birth, Jyoti dreams of becoming an actress. Despite her size she insists on living as normal a life as possible in her home town of Nagpur in India - including going to the local school. 'When I first went to school everyone was so big I used to get scared but I'm okay now, I like it. I have a different desk and chair that were made for me. I'm a normal student.'
Jyoti with a family friend - who, at 13 months, is already bigger than she is
She is also like any other teenage girl. 'I have a huge collection of dresses. I like to shop for more. Everyone in my family gets things for me. I love make-up and like dressing up like beautiful models. I would like to be an actress when I grow up. My dream is to do films.' Jyoti has already had a taste of fame in a pop video for Indian star Mika Singh. 'They asked her to appear in the video for a song on his album,' said her mother Ranjana Amge, 45. However, Jyoti's dreams of stardom could be ruined because of fractures to both her legs that have never healed because of problems with her size.
Baby of the family: With sister Rupali, 18, Archana, 23, mother Ranjana Amge, 45,, father Kishan, 52, and brother Satish, 22
Jyoti is taken to school on brother Satish's motorbike, along with sister Archana
'First I could walk, but I slipped on ice during a holiday and hurt my leg. I find it strange that my legs just don't heal. I don't like it, it causes me pain.'
Mrs Amge said: 'No-one knows why she is so small. Jyoti is small, yet cute, and we love her very much.' People in the region of India where the family live flock to see the teenager and some even treat her as a goddess. She receives a lot of support from her brother and two sisters. Oldest sister Archana, 25, said: 'I have been taking care of her since she was a small baby. She is so delicate and fragile.'
During her first five years of life, brave Jyoti was in and out of hospital as she constantly fell sick, but eventually she grew stronger. The teenager's father Kishan Amge, 52, a construction worker, said: 'She makes me proud. Lots of saints and spiritual gurus come to see and bless her. They pray for her happiness and long life.'
