Boy overcomes grief over loss of mother, writes SSLC exam

Karwar: Nilesh Gaonkar, an SSLC student at Castle Rock in Joida taluk, Uttara Kannada, displayed maturity beyond his tender years, putting on a brave face despite the overwhelming grief he felt at the demise of his 45-year-old mother, and going ahead to write the examination on Thursday hours after the tragic event.
Nilesh, a student of a government school in Castle Rock, was all set to appear for the SSLC exam on Thursday morning, but the sudden death of his mother, Prabhavathi, who suffered a fatal heart attack, upended his world in a matter of seconds. Nilesh, already at the examination centre when the incident occurred, expressed his wish to go to his mother.
However, officials of the education department helped contact members of his family, who advised him to write the exam nevertheless. The officials at the centre convinced him, and Neelesh, wrote the exam through the pangs of bereavement.
Once the last bells tolled signalling the end of the examination, arrangements were made to ensure he could reach his village at the earliest. Nilesh subsequently offered his last respects to his mother, who was cremated on Thursday evening. Deputy director of public instruction for Sirsi Diwakar Shetty lauded the boy’s courage and spirit in the face of personal tragedy.
Bus for transporting one student
Shridhar Gouda, a student in Devanahalli in Sirsi taluk in Uttara Kannada district, who was assigned to an examination centre that was different to that of the other 30 SSLC students in his village was worried about reaching the venue. However, DPI officials arranged a bus specially for Shridhar and ensured that he reached the venue with time to spare before the start of the examination.
Residents of a hamlet near Devanahalli, meanwhile, had been apprehensive about Renuka Gouda, an SSLC student having to go to Sirsi every day to write the exam, given the risk that it entailed for her safety, and those of the other people in the village. However, Roopa Naik, a teacher at a government school in Sirsi assured Renuka’s parents that their daughter was welcome at her house for the duration of the examination.