Kerala: Women councillors write plus one equivalency exam

Two women councillors - one from the BJP and the other from the Congress -- have written their plus one equivalency examination under the Kerala State Literacy Mission.

Komalavalli, who is a BJP councillor from PTP Nagar ward is, 67-year-old while Nisa Biwi is a councillor from Vzhinjam Harbour ward and belongs to the Congress party.

Both of them have appeared for the examination in Cotton Hill School in Thiruvananthapuram.

Equivalency programmes are organised under the State Literary Mission to provide alternative education, that is, equivalent to the existing formal system of education.

Komalavalli said: "The corporation carried out a survey to find out the number of people who are not educated. We councillors were also part of the Aksharasree survey asking people to continue their education."

"I also thought that when a chance is there to learn, why shouldn't I use it. I passed the 10th grade in 1969. After that, I joined as a nursery school teacher. I wanted to complete plus two and now I have got a chance," she said.

Nisa Biwi said: "I had passed the 10th equivalency exam and was working as a pre-primary teacher. In my ward also, there are lots of people who are uneducated but they are reluctant to learn due to their age. They are not knowing the benefits of learning.