PUDUCHERRY: A visually-impaired teenager Swarnalakshmi (15) has set a target for her career — cracking the civil services examination.
Swarnalakshmi wants to emulate N L Beno Zephine (24), who is also visually-impaired and had secured an all-India rank of 343 in the last Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination.
The multifaceted enterprising youngster shifted her base from Chennai to Puducherry to pursue her aim. Swarnalakshmi has also joined the Soucilabai Government Girls Higher Secondary School a few weeks ago.
Explaining the reason behind shifting her base, she said, “I came to Puducherry to be a part of the inclusive education. I do not want to pursue my studies in a special school. I want to be in a regular school along with other students.”
She said, “By studying in this school, I can understand my fellow classmates and they too can realise who I am.”
Her parents Ravi Duraikannu and Lakshmidevi are in Chennai while she is now staying with her uncle Ramkumar in Puducherry.
The articulate girl who scored 458 out of 500 from a special school in Chennai also revealed that she wanted to take subjects like history, geography, economics and political science so that she can choose the optional subjects for the civil service examination easily.
Swarnalakshmi, who was a member of children’s Parliament in 2011, stressed on security for girls and women and children’s rights, so that society remains a well-knit unit.
The 15-year-old had been invited to address, which she did, the 57th session of Commission of Status of Women that was held from March 3 to 15, 2013, at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Recalling the session, Swarnalakshmi said a Finland Minister Jorna Paukku, after listening to her speech at the children’s Parliament had invited her to Finland to help set up the same in that country.
Right now, 23 States in India have children’s Parliament and Tamil Nadu has 6007 children’s Parliaments. Swarnalakshmi, who wants to become a civil servant, has requested the Union government to allot more funds for the welfare of children.
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