Youth Incorporated Magazine

96-year-old Karthyayani Amma made headlines first when she became the oldest woman to top the Kerala Literacy Mission exam and has once again made news as she has been selected as the Commonwealth of Goodwill Learning ambassador proving once again, that it is never too late to achieve something.

The exam was conducted by the State Literacy Mission Authority, and it tested the candidates’ reading, writing, and mathematical skills. Amma used to work as a domestic help before she decided to appear for the Literacy Exam, where she scored a staggering 98 out of 100 marks. She also received a merit certificate from Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in October last year.  The grandmother from Neyyattinkara in Alappuzha district became quite the sensation when she received her first educational degree in November at the age of 96.

The Commonwealth of Learning organization is a subsidiary of The Commonwealth and was inaugurated in 1988. Based in Canada, the organization works towards promoting distance education in all 53 Commonwealth nations.

Balasubramanian, Vice President of the Commonwealth of Learning, recently visited Amma to know more about her and her learning methods, post which he presented her with the award on behalf of the Commonwealth. He said that her story will inspire millions all over the world, and will be seen across many publications.

Amma has been preparing for her Grade 4 examinations under the Akshara Lasksham programme and was very pleased to receive the award. Her hard work and triumphant success even fetched her a laptop from Kerala’s education minister.