Bhageerathi Amma

Bhageerathi Amma (1914 – 22 July 2021) was an Indian woman who lived in the Kollam district of Kerala. She came to national attention when she returned to education at the age of 105. She was honoured with the Nari Shakti Puraskar the highest civilian award for women by Govt of India from the President of India and prime minister Narendra Modi singled her out for praise.

Life

Bhageerathi Amma was born in 1914 in the British Raj and lived in Prakkulam in the Kollam district of Kerala.[1][2] Her mother died in childbirth and Amma took on caring for her younger siblings. After she married, her husband died in the 1930s and she was left to bring up her children alone.[3] Amma was reported to have five or six children, 13 or 16 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.[4][2] She enjoyed watching cricket and soap operas on television.[2]

At the age of 105, Amma decided to continue her education and took examinations in Mathematics, the Malayalam language and Environmental Science. Because of her age, the Kerala Literacy Mission permitted her to take the exams at home over three days.[2] She scored 205 out of 275 points and was acknowledged as the oldest person to take the equivalency exams.[5]

Awards and recognition

Amma was announced as a winner of the 2019 Nari Shakti Puraskar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi singled her out for special praise, saying "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".[6] Another winner was fellow Keralan 98-year-old Karthyayani Amma.[7]

Amma was unable to attend the award ceremony due to ill health, but soon afterwards she received a retrospective pension of Rs 1,500 per month. She had previously been unable to give her biometric information to get an Aadhaar in order to receive it but a nationalised bank helped her meet the requirements.[6][8]

Death

On 22 July 2021, Amma died at the age of 107 due to age-related ailments.[9][10]

References
  1. "Kerala's oldest student Bhageerathiyamma, 107, passes away". Mathrubhumi. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  2. Varma, Vishnu (20 November 2019). "Kerala's literacy history gets new ambassador: 105-year-old Bhageerathi Amma". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  3. "105-year-old Bhageerathi Amma Sits for Fourth Standard Exams at Kerala's Kollam". News18. 20 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 November 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  4. Adhikari, Somak (5 March 2020). "Meet Karthiyani & Bhageerathi Amma, They'll Get Nari Shakti Puraskar For Academic Excellence". India Times. Archived from the original on 11 March 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  5. Staff Reporter (6 February 2020). "105-year-old student from Kerala clears all Class 4 papers". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  6. "After PM's praise, oldest learner Bhageerathi Amma set to get Aadhaar". The Times of India. PTI. 27 February 2020. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  7. Staff (7 March 2020). "98 yrs old from Kerala to be presented Nari Shakti Puraskar, Here's Why?". The Dispatch. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  8. "Old-age pension for 'grandmother of learning' Bhageerathi Amma". Mathrubhumi. 12 March 2020. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  9. "Bhageerathi Amma passes away". The Week. 23 July 2021. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  10. "Kerala's 'oldest learner' Bhageerathi Amma no more - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
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