Meghana, the first blind student to pursue the Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry (MPC) stream under the Board of Intermediate, took her exam on a laptop without a scribe or reader at SR Junior College in Tadigadapa Centre on Tuesday, March 4.
Despite being 100% visually impaired, she displayed determination by independently reading her digital question paper on laptop and typing her answers.
The Intermediate Board swiftly responded to a request from Prime Minister's Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) Zilla Parishad High School (ZPHS), Penamaluru, Headmaster, Durga Bhavani, to support Meghana.
Many PM Shri and Zilla Parishad Schools have been upgraded to junior colleges offering Intermediate education.
Intermediate Board Secretary and Commissioner Krithika Shukla welcomed the request and reaffirmed the State's commitment to fostering independence and skill development for children with special needs. She directed the Controller of Examinations to provide digital question papers, enabling Meghana to take her exams independently.
Meghana wrote the Second Language Telugu exam with a scribe but appeared for the First Language English exam digitally after receiving government permission. She will continue this format for the remaining exams.
Earlier, The New Indian Express highlighted the girl's struggles, including her family and previous school denying her request to study MPC due to misconceptions about visually impaired students pursuing Science and Mathematics.
Recognising this, the state Samagra Shiksha intervened, securing her admission to PM Shri ZPHS Penamaluru.
Meghana aspires to become a data scientist, inspired by Dr TV Raman, the renowned computer scientist who has pioneered digital accessibility at Google. "Despite losing his vision at 13, Dr Raman overcame challenges and is regarded as the modern-day Louis Braille. I aspire to follow in his footsteps," Meghana told The New Indian Express.
Since 2023, visually challenged, neurodiverse, and upper-body orthopedic students in the State have been using computers/laptops for examinations, breaking barriers and promoting inclusivity. "This initiative is a testament to the commitment to inclusive education," said Ram Kamal, Advisor for Inclusive Education.
