>Scorpions13256 at 17:52, 24 June 2021

2021-06-24T17:52:56Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{short description|Indian celebrity}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Karthyayani Amma
| image = Karthyayani Amma (cropped).jpg
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| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1922
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| death_date =
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| other_names =
| known_for = passing a literacy exam at 96
| education =
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| nationality = [[India]]
}}
'''Karthyayani Amma''' (born {{circa|1922|lk=no}}) is an Indian woman who became a national celebrity after passing a literacy examination with top marks at the age of 96. She met [[Kerala|state]] ministers [[C. Raveendranath]] and [[Pinarayi Vijayan]] and received the [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] award.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Grannies of learning go digital|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/good-news/2020/sep/08/grannies-of-learning-go-digital-2193857.html|access-date=2021-04-19|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Karthyayani Amma was born {{circa|1922|lk=no}}. She is from [[Cheppad]] in the state of [[Kerala]] in India.<ref name="Hindu-040820">{{cite news |title=96-year-old to take literacy exam |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/96-year-old-to-take-literacy-exam/article24603902.ece |access-date=7 August 2020 |work=The Hindu |agency=IST |date=4 August 2018 |language=en-IN}}</ref> As a child she had to work and so stopped attending school. She married and had six children, working as a street sweeper and maid.<ref name="ET">{{cite news |title=96-year-old Karthyayani Amma clears Kerala's literacy exam, win hearts - A winner |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/96-year-old-karthyayani-amma-clears-keralas-literacy-exam-win-hearts/easy-test/slideshow/66447006.cms |access-date=7 August 2020 |work=The Economic Times |agency=IST |date=31 October 2018}}</ref> She is a vegetarian who rises at 4 a.m. every morning.<ref name="ET" />

== Fame ==
By 2018, Karthyayani Amma was living at the Laksham Veedu Colony, social housing for elderly people.<ref name="TLI" /> She was inspired to take a learning course by her daughter, who had passed an examination at the age of sixty.<ref name="ET" /> In August 2018, she took an examination alongside 40,362 other people, as part of the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority's Aksharalaksham ("Million Letter") programme.<ref name="ET" /><ref name="Hindu-040820" /> She was the oldest person to take the test in her district.<ref name="Hindu-040820" /> She had been given lessons in reading and writing by her great-grandchildren, who were nine and twelve years old.<ref name="STP">{{cite news |last1=Das |first1=Ria |title=Karthyayani Amma Is Now Commonwealth Learning Goodwill Ambassador |url=https://www.shethepeople.tv/news/karthyayani-amma-commonwealth-learning-goodwill-ambassador/ |access-date=7 August 2020 |work=She the people |date=21 January 2019}}</ref>

Tested on reading, writing and mathematics, Karthyayani Amma scored 98 out of a possible 100 marks, giving her the top grade.<ref name="ET" /> She commented afterwards "I learned so much for no reason. The tests were way too easy for me".<ref name="ET" /> After her success in the examination, Karthyayani Amma became a national celebrity: film star [[Manju Warrier]] met her during [[Diwali]]; [[C. Raveendranath]] (the Keralan education minister) gave her a laptop; [[Pinarayi Vijayan]], [[List of chief ministers of Kerala|Chief Minister of Kerala]], gave her a certificate of merit.<ref name="Mathrubhumi-071118">{{cite news |title=Karthyayani Amma, the star at 96, celebrates Diwali with Manju Warrier |url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/good-news/karthyayani-amma-the-star-at-96-celebrates-diwali-with-manju-warrier-kerala-1.3288739 |access-date=7 August 2020 |work=Mathrubhumi |agency=IST |date=7 November 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Mathrubhumi-081118">{{cite news |title=Education minister gifts laptop to Karthyayani Amma |url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/good-news/education-minister-gifts-laptop-to-karthyayani-amma-1.3291558|agency=IST |access-date=7 August 2020 |work=Mathrubhumi |date=8 November 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="TLI">{{cite news |last1=Bagchi |first1=Poorbita Bagchi |title=Kerala: At 96, Karthyayani Amma Becomes Commonwealth Learning Goodwill Ambassador |url=https://thelogicalindian.com/story-feed/get-inspired/karthayayani-amma-commonwealth/ |access-date=7 August 2020 |work=The Logical Indian |date=21 January 2019 |language=en}}</ref> She told ''[[The Economic Times]]'' her ambition was to pass the next level examination at the age of 100.<ref name="ET" />

Karthyayani Amma became a [[Commonwealth of Learning]] Goodwill Ambassador in 2019.<ref name="Mathrubhumi-200119">{{cite news |title=96-yr-old Karthyayani Amma becomes Commonwealth Goodwill Ambassador |url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/good-news/96-yr-old-karthyayani-amma-becomes-commonwealth-goodwill-ambassador-alappuzha-1.3498565 |access-date=7 August 2020 |work=Mathrubhumi |agency=IST |date=20 January 2019 |language=en}}</ref> In March 2020, she was honoured with the [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] 2019 award, presented by [[Ram Nath Kovind]], the [[President of India]]. She had to fly to Delhi. Amma had never flown before but she was reassured by a former awardee [[M.S. Sunil]] days before she flew to the Presidential Palace.<ref>{{Cite web|title=At 98, Karthyayani Amma prepares for 1st flight; to receive Nari Shakti Puraskar on Women’s Day|url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/good-news/at-98-karthyayani-amma-prepares-for-1st-flight-to-receive-nari-shakti-puraskar-on-women-s-day-1.4588736|access-date=2021-01-19|website=Mathrubhumi|language=en}}</ref> Another recipient of the award was fellow Keralan [[Bhageerathi Amma]], who at 105 is the oldest person to have passed an Aksharalaksham examination.<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=7 August 2020 |work=The Dispatch |date=7 March 2020}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Nari Shakti Puraskar}}

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amma, Karthyayani}}

[[Category:Women from Kerala]]
[[Category:Nari Shakti Puraskar winners]]
[[Category:Maids]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian people]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian people]]
[[Category:1922 births]]

Karthyayani Amma - Revision history

>Scorpions13256 at 17:52, 24 June 2021