Karnataka   

She does her alma mater proud

ANXIOUS STUDENT: Lakshmi busy writing in her hostel.

Chitradurga: It is indeed a proud moment for any college whose student achieves distinction in the examinations, but for the staff members and the administration of Bapuji Education Society, the feeling is more than being merely proud.

For the very reason that a first year D. Ed. (Diploma in Education) student N. Lakshmidevi, despite her disability, has secured 72 per cent result in the recently held examination. Born without both arms, 17-year-old Lakshmidevi does not treat her disability as a curse, instead she has accepted it as a challenge. Hailing from a tiny village Chikkajogihalli of Kudligi taluk in Bellary district, she has taken admission here for D. Ed course.

Having no arms, Lakshmi has developed skills of using her legs virtually like her hands.

It is astonishing to see Ms. Lakshmi using her fingers of her legs for writing, applying a bindi or even combing hair.

“Although God has not given me arms, he has given the same power in my legs so that I can do normal work,” she said. Coming from a poor family, Lakshmi’s father is a worker in a private agency at Kudligi. She has four siblings. Her mother stays with her but her hostel mates also extend their help to her in daily activities.

“Ever since my childhood, I never felt that I am born limbless nor my parents made me feel that I am a burden on them.

In fact, my family loves me very much,” she said. Dreaming to become a teacher, Ms. Lakshmi said she applied in several places for the D.Ed course after securing distinction in her SSLC.

However the Bapuji Education Society admitted her in the college.

Explaining about her preparation, she said that her lecturers helped her immensely. “After the classes, they spared extra time with me to resolve my doubts”, she said.

During her examination, she sat on the ground to write her exams.

Gopal Reddy, a mathematics lecture of the college, said that Ms. Lakshmi was a hard-working and determined student, and showed ample interest in studying.

“She is brilliant at academics and extremely curious to learn,” he said.

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