The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Achievers feted at function

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Sunday, Jun 26, 2011
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Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Achievers feted at function

Staff Reporter

Photo: K. Pichumani

Minister for Social Welfare Selvi Ramajayam interacts with students at a function organised by Nethrodaya in Chennai on Saturday

CHENNAI: It was an extremely proud moment for MTC driver, M. Rajan, when his son, Jayaprakash, received a medal for scoring high marks in the 12th standard exams.

“Both my sons were born blind,” said Mr.Rajan who works night shifts at the Anna Nagar bus depot so he can spend the day taking his sons to school. His wife has learnt to read Braille to help the children with their study in the evenings.

Jayaprakash was among the 74 visually challenged students from various districts of the State who were honoured at a function here by Nethrodaya on Saturday for securing more than 1000 marks in the 12th standard examination and over 450 marks in 10th standard examinations this year. The students were presented a medal, a trophy and a cash prize.

“I will try my best to help the students as much as I can,” said Suresh Singhi, Chairman, Singhi's Masala, who helped Nethrodaya with the cash prizes.

Congratulating the students, Minister for Social Welfare Selvi Ramajayam said: “I really appreciate the fighting spirit that these students have shown and I congratulate their parents as well.” She also said that self-confidence is a quality that needs to be learnt from these students. “I want to become a professor in English,” said P. Akshaya who scored 490 marks out of 500 in her 10th standard exam. Besides English, she plans to study history, geography and economics in Class 11. “We cannot take up science as we cannot draw diagrams,” she said.

Akshaya's father, V. Parthasarathy said “With the guidance from her school and the materials they provided, she has done so well.”

Others like P. Parthiban and S. Roopa travelled from their schools in Salem and Arani respectively to take part in the function. “I want to write the IAS exams after I finish school and college,” said Roopa who lives in a hostel in Arani. Her parents are both labourers in Karnataka.

At the function, Nethrodaya also provided financial assistance to visually challenged or physically challenged parents who strive to provide quality education to their children. “In many areas, there are no government schools which forces parents to admit their children to private schools that charge a lot of fees,” said C. Govindakrishnan, founder trustee of Nethrodaya.

Velammal Engineering College CEO M.V.M.Velmurugan assured Nethrodaya financial assistance for setting up a college exclusively for the visually impaired. State Commissioner, Differently Abled Welfare Department, P.R. Shampath participated in the function.

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