Moved, college offers free education for govt. school toppers

Two sisters, who were school-toppers in the Plus-Two examinations this year and who feared that their dreams of higher studies would not come true because of their parents’ unwillingness, hanged themselves together in their house at Khammapuram here on Sunday.

M. Krithika (18) and M. Saranya (17) were the toppers in the Khammapuram Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School, scoring 930 and 928 marks in the biology group. Though the parents felt proud of their achievement, the meagre income of their father Murugesan, a carpenter, made them feel that they could hardly ill-afford higher studies.

Police sources said that the sisters seemed to have overheard their parents discussing a plan to marry off the elder daughter and let the younger one go for further studies.

Hence, dreading the possibility of getting separated, they decided to end their life.

Meanwhile, moved by the news, P. Kadhiravan, chairman, MRK Institute of Technology at Muttam in Kattumannarkoil block and governed by the Chandravadhanam Educational Trust, has come out with an offer to meritorious students from the government schools.

In a statement released here, Mr. Kadhiravan has stated that his institute has decided to offer free education to top scorers from government schools, who are hailing from economically weaker sections.

Those who have scored 1,000 and above in the Plus-Two public examinations and whose family income does not exceed Rs. 1 lakh a year will be given free admission in the institute, and the trust would take care of the tuition fees and exam fees besides defraying expenses of transport and lunch.

The aspirants can contact the Chairman along with their educational certificates, income certificate and the nativity certificate issued by the appropriate authorities, he has said.