Officials from the Forest Department on Wednesday felicitated a student from the Muduvar tribal community in Udumalpet, Tiruppur district, for her performance in the Kerala Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination.
C. Sreedevi, a resident of Poochukottamparai settlement, under the Anaimalai Tiger Reserve, is a student of the Model Residential School at Chalakudy in Thrissur district, Kerala. She had scored ‘A-plus’ grade in her SSLC examination. According to the State vice-president of Tamil Nadu Tribals’ Association P. Shanmugam, Sreedvi was the first among her tribal community to achieve this feat. She was felicitated by Deputy Field Director of ATR Arockiaraj Xavier.
“The girl has asked for a laptop, which Mr. Xavier promised to gift her soon,” said ATR Assistant Conservator of Forests V. Selvan.
The Forest Department will provide all the required assistance for Sreedevi’s higher studies, he said.
Mr. Chellamuthu told The Hindu that he used to travel as much as 80 km on his two-wheeler from Poochukottamparai to drop his daughter at the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, from where she boarded a special bus arranged by the Kerala government to take her to the examination centre. Ms. Sreedevi said she wanted to select Science group in Class XI. “I want to become a doctor,” she said. The event was held as per the directions of Debasis Jana, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.
