Kerala's 'oldest learner' Bhageerathi Amma no more
Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 23: Kerala's oldest learner Bhageerathi Amma, who passed the literacy examination at the age of 105 two years ago and won the praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, died here, family sources said.
She was 107 years old and breathed her last late on Thursday night at her house due to age-related ailments,they said.
Hailing from Prakkulam in Kollam district, the centenarian was a recipient of the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar by the Central government for her exceptional contribution towards women's empowerment.
Condoling her death, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said Bhageerathi Amma personified sheer determination to become literate.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said she was an inspirational personality who stood as a symbol of women's empowerment and literacy movement in society.
Bhageerathi Amma had scripted history by becoming the oldest student by clearing the fourth standard equivalency examination conducted by the state-run Kerala State Literacy Mission (KSLM) in 2019.
The woman had appeared for the examination, conducted by the state literacy mission, at Kollam and came out with flying colours with 205 out of a total of 275 marks and full marks in Maths.
KSLM sources here said due to her advanced age, Bhageerathi Amma had difficulty in writing the exams and took three days to complete the three question papers on Environment, Mathematics and Malayalam.
The woman, who had always yearned to study and gain knowledge, had to give up her dream of educating herself after her mother died as she had to take care of her younger siblings.
Bhageerathi Amma had quit formal education in class three at the age of 9.
Her passion for studies had won accolades from none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While narrating the story of Bhageerathi Amma, Modi had said in his radio address last year that, "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."
She left without fulfilling the dream of passing the 10th standard equivalency exam, family sources said.
Bhageerathi Amma has 12 grand and great-grandchildren.
One of her six children and three of her 15 grandchildren are no more, they added.
Education Minister V Sivankutty and Assembly Speaker M B Rajesh were among those who condoled the death.
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“Bleeding on the road, I begged for help but no one came”: Bengaluru woman recounts husband’s death
Bengaluru: A woman in Bengaluru has shared a painful account of how her husband died after they were repeatedly denied medical help and ignored by passersby during a medical emergency, NDTV reported.
The victim, 34-year-old Venkataramanan, a garage mechanic from Balaji Nagar, developed severe chest pain around 3.30 am. His wife immediately took him on a motorcycle in search of medical help.
"He complained about chest pain, and we went to the first hospital. However, the doctor was not on duty. At the second hospital, we were told he had a stroke and to go to another hospital. When we called for ambulance services, they did not respond properly. Humanity failed, but we did our bit by donating his eye." NDTV quoted his wife as saying.
According to the report, after being turned away twice, the couple met with an accident on the road. CCTV footage later showed the woman, covered in blood, pleading with folded hands as vehicles passed by, but no one stopped to help.
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The wait ended after several minutes when a cab driver stopped and rushed Venkataramanan to a nearby hospital. Doctors there declared him dead on arrival.
As per the report, the family decided to donate Venkataramanan’s eyes, giving sight to others even in death.
Venkataraman's mother, who had lost her last surviving child, had no words to express herself: "I have no words. I do not know what to say. My son is gone."
"The government should understand a health emergency. My daughter is left with two children. Who will look after them?" asked his mother-in-law. His wife, mother, and two children, a five-year-old son and an 18-month-old daughter now survive Venkataramanan.
The incident has once again raised serious questions about emergency healthcare access, ambulance response, and public apathy in the city.
