The vibrant Karthiyani Amma underlined that she maintained ethics. “I did not copy from anyone, rather I let others copy from me. I told them what to write.

‘Age is just a number’- the popular proverb got a new epitome in the form of 96-year-old Karthiyani Amma of Kerala’s picturesque Alappuzha. Notwithstanding age-related issues, the nonagenarian has not only defied all odds but also scored an awe-inspiring 98 out of 100 marks in the literacy examination conducted by the state government. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today felicitated her for cracking the ‘Aksharalaksham’ literacy program test of Kerala State Literacy Mission.

The vibrant Karthiyani Amma underlined that she maintained ethics. “I did not copy from anyone, rather I let others copy from me. I told them what to write.” She also disclosed her unfulfilled dream of becoming a government official and expressed strong willingness to learn the computer. “I saw children studying and got inspired. Never got the opportunity when young otherwise I would have become a government official. Now I want to learn computers,” she told media persons present at the felicitation event.

Amma, who is the first to receive a merit certificate from CM Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram, is also the oldest among other candidates. As many as 43,330 students appeared for the examination in August this year with an aim to get the status of ‘literate’.

Amma lives in Cheppad area in Alappuzha district. She never attended school in her life. She raised her family by working as a sweeper at temples and nearby households. She now lives happily with her daughter, grandchildren and great-grand-children. The record shows Amma scored 28 marks out of 30 in Mathematics, 30 out of 30 in reading test and 30 out of 30 in writing.