Bhageerathi Amma from Kerala’s Kollam district recently created waves when the 105-year-old passed the class 4 level school exam with 75%. Her achievements did not miss the notice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well, who lauded her in his monthly radio show ‘Mann Ki Baat’. In Sunday’s episode, he called Bhageerathi Amma an inspiration.
“Bhageerathi Amma, who lives in Kerala's Kollam, had to drop out of school when she was not even 10 years old. She resumed her studies at 105 years of age and cleared level 4 exams with 75%. She is a big source of inspiration. I pay my respects to her,” Modi said on ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
Modi added, "If we wish to progress in life, we should develop ourselves; if we wish to achieve something in life, the first pre-condition for that is the student within us must never die."
It was earlier in February that the centenarian passed class 4 equivalency examination conducted by the Kerala State Literacy Mission. Bhageerathi Amma passed the exam scoring 205 out of 275 marks. She created a history by being the oldest student in the country to do so, breaking the record previously held by 96-year-old Karthyayini Amma in 2018.
When Bhageerathi Amma was featured on the Prime Minister’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ episode, social media was filled with posts about the centenarian.
BJP Kerala President K Surendran tweeted the photo of him with Bhageerathi Amma saying, “105-year-old grandma Bhageerathi Amma was in for the biggest surprise of her life yesterday after Narendra Modi ji mentioned about her in ‘Mann Ki Baat’. Visited her home and sought her blessings, indeed a true inspiration for all of us. Hats off to the fighting spirit.”
105 year old Grandma Bhageerathi Amma was in for the biggest surprise of her life yesterday after @narendramodi ji mentioned about her in #MannKiBaat.Visited her home and sought her blessings, indeed a true inspiration for all of us. Hats off to the fighting spirit, Amma pic.twitter.com/bux93y6UYG
— K Surendran (@surendranbjp) February 23, 2020
Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan tweeted, “Age is just number! Follow your dreams: motto of a 105-year-old Bhageerathi Amma from Kollam, oldest student in the country to clear the 4th standard equivalency exam with an impressive score, gets praise from the Prime Minister.”
Age is Just A Number! Follow your dreams: Motto of a 105-year-old #BhageerathiAmma from Kollam, oldest student in the country to clear the 4th standard equivalency exam with an impressive score, gets praise from PM @narendramodi Ji in this edition of #MannKiBaat #Inspiration
— V Muraleedharan (@VMBJP) February 23, 2020
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
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