At 11, she has passed the Hindi examination ‘Praveena Uttarardh’ conducted by the Dakshina Bharata Hindi Prachara Sabha with distinction, creating a record in the coastal Andhra region.
Apart from being a bright student, Sridharani, a 7 class student of the AP Paper Mills Model High School, is also active in extra-curricular activities. She nurtures the ambition to become a teacher some day.
The young girl appeared for the Pradhamika examination at the age of eight and within three years, she became the youngest student to complete the Praveen Uttaradh by scoring 72 per cent, the highest among the group in Rajahmundry. Before achieving this feat, she has crossed eight other levels which included Pradhamika, Madhyama, Rashtra, Praveshika, Vishardha Puruvardh, Vishardha Uttarardh and Praveena Uttaradh.
Over two decades ago, sending children to learn typewriting and Hindi coaching classes was very common in this locality. Hindi classes conducted by the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachara Sabha were a big hit in summer vacations. But with the advent of technology, computer coaching took precedence pushing to the background the other two activities.
Sridharani comes from an economically poor family and her father is bed-ridden. Her mother works as a domestic maid to make both ends meet while the little girl tries to help her mother in domestic chores whenever the time permits.
“I am eager to write the Pandit exam but my Hindi teacher told me that I’ll have to wait until I complete 18 years. I was told that a student of my age completed medicine in one of the States in our country, then why can’t I appear for the Pandit exam now?,” Sridharani wonders.
“It is for the Dakshin Bharata Hindi Prachara Sabha, the State government and academicians to take a stand and guide Sridharani accordingly,” says Seema Nallani, General Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, International Paper, which owns the APPM.
