ALAPPUZHA: Karthiyayini Amma , a 96-year-old from Cheppad Haripad area, has passed her first-ever Aksharaleksham examination of Kerala State Literacy Mission, thus qualifying for attending the fourth standard. Her achievement has made her a star on social media overnight.

She joined Aksharaleksham course of the literacy mission on January 26, 2018. The beneficiaries of the programme can study equivalency courses of the literacy mission for fourth standard, seventh standard, and tenth standard and higher secondary and attend the exam.

There are 40,000 students in the course and Karthiyayini Amma is the eldest among them.

According to Amma, her husband died 50 years ago. Her daughter cleared her Class X-equivalent exam in 2016 at the age of 60. This inspired her, an illiterate, to join the Aksharaleksham course. “I could not go to school due to financial constraints. I worked as help to take care of my kids. When my daughter passed tenth exam, I also wanted to do the same. I will pass tenth at the age of 100,” she said.

