Andhra Pradesh SSC results: Students with visual impairments say no to scribes, ace the exams

Persevering several obstacles, 11 visually-impaired and two orthopedically-impaired students stood tall in the SSC (Secondary School Certificate) results. It is worth mentioning that these students undertook the examination without the assistance of a scribe, relying instead on specially designed computer software.

All the students were trained on Computers at Rural Development Trust (RDT), Ananthapuram.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Government Exams Director D Devananda Reddy said that nearly 3,000 students with special needs appeared for the exam, among them, around 1,000 students utilised the scribe facility. He affirmed their readiness to facilitate scribe-less exams by offering digital paper to any student with special needs.

Meet Ramannagari Bhargavi

Among the top performers, Ramannagari Bhargavi from Tenegallu village of Anantapur, an orthopaedically-impaired student, emerged as the highest scorer, securing an impressive 429 out of 500, with an overall percentage of 85.8% in this category.

Bhargavi's outstanding performance was marked by exemplary scores in each subject, with notable achievements in Telugu (87), English (90), Mathematics (83), Science (91), and Social Studies (78). Her consistent excellence underscores her dedication and academic prowess, earning her recognition as one of the top achievers in the examination.

Kuruba Deepika scores big

Following closely behind, Kuruba Deepika from Madapuram village in Sri Sathya Sai district, a visually-challenged girl, showcased exceptional resilience by securing an impressive 415 marks (83%). In addition to Bhargavi and Deepika, several visually-impaired students achieved remarkable success in the SSC exams.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Senior Advisor Ram Kamal emphasised that scribes cannot read the minds of visually-impaired students, and relying on them may hinder students' ability to secure future employment opportunities. He advocated for every student to transition from the conventional scribe system to computers.

Visually-challenged students who demonstrated commendable performance in the exams showcasing their unwavering commitment to academic excellence are:

- Arava Ravi Eswar (387) and Challa Nirmala (376) from Ramasagaram village of Sri Satya Sai district

- Joharapuram Sainath (361) from Nagaruru of Kurnool district

- Bestha Meghana (356) from Kuntimaddi village of Sri Satya Sai district

- Gatlu Sravani (353), Vadde Naveen Kumar (352) and Kattubadi Mallika (334) from Shabhaspuram village of Kurnool district

- Nagarajugari Suma (319) from Kurnool district

- Patan Madiha (300) from Kadiri village of Sri Satya Sai district

- Sajjala Dileep (262) from Anantapur

- Anubolu Guruswamy (274), an orthopaedically impaired student

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Commissioner of School Education S Suresh Kumar expressed his satisfaction with the remarkable achievements of children with special needs, highlighting their perseverance, determination, and unwavering commitment to academic excellence.

He emphasised that initiatives aimed at fostering self-confidence among these students are crucial and represent a significant step forward in encouraging and providing facilities to support their education.

Furthermore, he assured that they would be encouraged to appear for Intermediate exams on computers.