It was an unusual setting for an exam; but the two victims of the Malleswaram bomb blast — Leesha N.S. (17) and Rakshita Sujai (18) — wrote the Common Entrance Test (CET) in the M.S. Ramaiah Memorial Hospital here on Wednesday.
Sitting on hospital beds facing each other, the two students, both engineering seat aspirants, were determined to give it a shot despite the overwhelming odds against them.
Both the students survived the injuries they suffered in the April 17 blast and were in the ICU for a fortnight.
Eventually, the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), acting on the request of the two students, facilitated the provision for both of them to write the exam in the hospital, which is said to be a first.
On Wednesday, when the biology and maths exams were held, the girls used the over-bed tables to write the exams. Six KEA officials and a few policemen were reportedly present inside the room when the students wrote their exams.
While the large contingent of reporters was not allowed to talk to the girls due to possible medical complications, the photographers were allowed to take a few quick shots from outside the room.
Speaking later to presspersons, Naresh Shetty, orthopaedic surgeon, M.S. Ramaiah Hospital, said, “Their condition is improving now and we plan to start physiotherapy after 10 days to help them walk again. We are happy that the KEA has provided the students the facilities to write the exams. The students have done well.”
Ms. Rakshita underwent skin grafting on her exposed left leg bone, while Ms. Leesha’s bone on the left leg was crushed during the blast. Corrective rings have been inserted in her left leg.
Speaking to The Hindu , N. Jayanna, Ms. Rakshita’s father, said: “It has been three days since she has been shifted out of the ICU. However, the anaesthesia has taken its toll and she was not in a frame of mind to study for the past 15 days. Whatever she has been able to write is because of what she remembered from what she had studied earlier.”
Ms. Leesha’s father Doreswamy said, “Maths has always been a tough subject for her and to add to her problems this unfortunate incident took place. However, other subjects do not pose much problem to her.”
