>Mujinga at 05:59, 1 February 2021

2021-02-01T05:59:30Z

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{{short description|Keralan centenarian and winner of Nari Shakti Puraskar}}
'''Bhageerathi Amma''' (born {{circa|1914}}) is an Indian woman living 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]] and [[Narendra Modi]] singled her out for praise.

== Life ==
Bhageerathi Amma was born {{circa|1914}} and lives in [[Prakkulam]] in the [[Kollam]] district of [[Kerala]].<ref name="Express" /> 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.<ref name="News18">{{cite news |title=105-year-old Bhageerathi Amma Sits for Fourth Standard Exams at Kerala's Kollam |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/105-year-old-bhageerathi-amma-sits-for-fourth-standard-exams-at-keralas-kollam-2393871.html |access-date=31 January 2021 |work=News18 |date=20 November 2019 |language=en |archive-date=21 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121133325/https://www.news18.com/news/india/105-year-old-bhageerathi-amma-sits-for-fourth-standard-exams-at-keralas-kollam-2393871.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Amma is reported to have 5 or 6 children, 13 or 16 grand-children and 12 great-grand-children.<ref name="IndiaTimes">{{cite news |last1=Adhikari |first1=Somak |title=Meet Karthiyani & Bhageerathi Amma, They'll Get Nari Shakti Puraskar For Academic Excellence |url=https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/meet-karthiyani-bhageerathi-amma-theyll-get-nari-shakti-puraskar-for-academic-excellence-507753.html |access-date=31 January 2021 |work=India Times |date=5 March 2020 |language=en-IN |archive-date=11 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311123441/https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/meet-karthiyani-bhageerathi-amma-theyll-get-nari-shakti-puraskar-for-academic-excellence-507753.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Express" /> She enjoys watching cricket and soap operas on television.<ref name="Express">{{cite news |last1=Varma |first1=Vishnu |title=Kerala’s literacy history gets new ambassador: 105-year-old Bhageerathi Amma |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/education/great-grandmother-appears-for-literacy-equivalency-exam-in-kerala-6128420/ |access-date=31 January 2021 |work=The Indian Express |date=20 November 2019 |language=en |archive-date=17 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617205944/https://indianexpress.com/article/education/great-grandmother-appears-for-literacy-equivalency-exam-in-kerala-6128420/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

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.<ref name="Express" /> She scored 205 out of 275 points and was acknowledged as the oldest person to take the equivalency exams.<ref name="Hindu">{{cite news |last1=Staff Reporter |title=105-year-old student from Kerala clears all Class 4 papers |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/centenarian-clears-all-class-4-papers/article30746276.ece |access-date=31 January 2021 |work=The Hindu |date=6 February 2020 |language=en-IN |archive-date=6 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206093202/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/centenarian-clears-all-class-4-papers/article30746276.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Awards and recognition ==

Amma was announced as a winner of the 2019 [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]]. [[Prime Minister of India|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".<ref name="ToI">{{cite news |title=After PM's praise, ''oldest learner'' Bhageerathi Amma set to get Aadhaar |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/after-pms-praise-oldest-learner-bhageerathi-amma-set-to-get-aadhaar/articleshow/74333591.cms |access-date=31 January 2021 |work=The Times of India |agency=PTI |date=27 February 2020 |language=en |archive-date=1 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201055751/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/after-pms-praise-oldest-learner-bhageerathi-amma-set-to-get-aadhaar/articleshow/74333591.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> Another winner was fellow Keralan 98 year-old [[Karthyayani Amma]].<ref name="Dispatch">{{cite news |last1=Staff |title=98 yrs old from Kerala to be presented Nari Shakti Puraskar, Here's Why? |url=https://www.thedispatch.in/98-yrs-old-from-kerala-to-be-presented-nari-shakti-puraskar-heres-why/ |access-date=31 January 2021 |work=The Dispatch |date=7 March 2020 |archive-date=1 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201055714/https://www.thedispatch.in/98-yrs-old-from-kerala-to-be-presented-nari-shakti-puraskar-heres-why/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

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.<ref name="ToI" /><ref name="Mathrubhumi">{{cite news |title=Old-age pension for ‘grandmother of learning’ Bhageerathi Amma |url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/good-news/old-age-pension-for-grandmother-of-learning-bhageerathi-amma-1.4607829 |access-date=31 January 2021 |work=Mathrubhumi |date=12 March 2020 |language=en |archive-date=1 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201055736/https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/good-news/old-age-pension-for-grandmother-of-learning-bhageerathi-amma-1.4607829 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Nari Shakti Puraskar}}

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amma, Bhageerathi}}
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:People from Kollam district]]
[[Category:Nari Shakti Puraskar winners]]
[[Category:Indian centenarians]]

Bhageerathi Amma - Revision history

>Mujinga at 05:59, 1 February 2021