The dream is to enter the IAS cadre and N L Beno Zephine, who is visually impaired, is holding her breath until the marks for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam results are released in 15 days.It was a tough few years of work, but Beno, 24, enjoyed it and has secured an all-India rank of 343 in the UPSC exams. This is also the first time that a visually challenged girl has passed the civil services examinations in India.
She proudly says that the impetus for her to crack the civil services examinations was the consistent support and encouragement provided by DMK Treasurer and former Deputy Chief Minister Thalapathi M.K.Stalin. Indeed! On every crucial occasion in the last seven years of her life, Stalin has played a positive role in her progress and development.
She said she could not forget all through her life the gesture of Stalin remembering her birthday and paying surprise visit to her house on that day to greet her. He arranged for her travel to the USA to participate in the international forum for young leaders also provided her the basis and encouragement for her development, she said.
Her father George said that the DMK Treasurer has an important place among those who contributed for his daughter’s achievements.
“Preparing for the civil services made it easy for me to clear other competitive exams,” she said.
She got a few books Brailled, but much of her preparation was done with the help of her father and friends. “She would insist that her father read the newspaper to her every morning, and she was an exceptionally sharp observer,” said Sathya, MD of Strategy IAS Academy, who coached Beno to face the interviews.
Beno is one of more than 100 candidates from Tamil Nadu who made it to the civil services this year. She had to juggle preparing for a PhD in English literature from Bharathiar University with a full time job as a probationary officer in SBI. “I learnt to balance both and understood how to use my time efficiently in the process,” she said.
She also downloaded the Jaws screen reader to get more information. Her father works for the railways and prompted her to get into a government job at a higher level and her mother is a homemaker.
Involved in her progress: On April 17, 2008, the dailies reported under the heading “Stalin surprises young achiever on her birthday”,
“18-year old Beno Zephine will be keeping the Indian flag flying at an international forum for young leaders.
Not a mean achievement for a visually challenged person from a humble background. Beno Zephine who is a plus two student at the Little Flower Convent Higher Secondary School for the visually challenged in Chennai, has several prizes and awards to her credit for her oratorical skills, and is among 360 youngsters from about 100 countries invited to take part in the Global Young Leaders’ Conference to be held in the United States in June.
Though delighted to receive the news, Beno, daughter of a railway technician, was at a loss as to how to mobilise funds for the trip.
Beno had written to the Chief Minister appealing for funds to participate in the conference. She had handed over a copy of the appeal to Thiru Stalin when he visited the school earlier on March 1 on his birthday. Thiru Stalin sent the appeal to the Chief Minister recommending that the government treat this as a special case and release the funds. Chief Minister Kalaignar, who was briefed about the case, obliged.
That was when the government came calling. Chief Minister Kalaignar M Karunanidhi presented her with a cheque for Rs 4.70 lakh to enable her to participate in the event.
For Beno, busy preparing for the conference and honing her oratorical skill, it turned out to be a double delight when she received an unexpected guest on her birthday on April 17. It was none other than Local Administration Minister Thiru M K Stalin, who took time off from his schedule to pay a surprise visit to her house with his daughter and son-in-law, to keep a promise he had made to her last month.
Beno had invited him home for her birthday when she went to the Secretariat to receive the assistance from Chief Minister Kalaignar.
“He took note of the date and assured us that he would come. But, it was really a surprise when he turned up at our house,” said Thiru L A Charles, her father. The Local Administration Minister, who spent about 50 minutes at the household full of awe-struck relatives and curious neighbours, presented Beno with a bouquet and a dress. Wishing her well for the upcoming US trip, the Minister said he had arranged for her visit to Tamil sangams there and encouraged her to make a mark at the United States international conference.
He wished her well and wanted her to perform well at the Global Young Leaders Conference to be held in June 2008 in Washington D.C.
According to the GYLC website, it is a unique leadership development programme that brings together outstanding young people from around the world to build critical leadership skills in a global context.
GYLC gives high-achieving students aged 16-18 a greater understanding of their roles as global ambassadors while analysing concepts surrounding communications, diplomacy, law, human rights, peace, security, economics and the role of the United Nations.
Thiru Stalin said no child should be left behind because of a handicap. The government was implementing many schemes for the welfare of students. He was impressed with the confidence the students had shown and wanted them to take advantage of the schemes offered by the government.
A delighted Beno also penned a poem for Thiru Stalin as a token of her gratitude and recited it in front of the VIP guests who had made her day extra special.
Four years later on April 17, 2011 the dailies under the heading “Stalin keeps promise to blind girl; visits her on b’day” reported:
The human face of M K Stalin came to the fore when the Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister kept his promise to a blind girl by visiting and greeting her on the occasion of her birthday today.
The blind girl Beno’s joy knew no bounds, as her wish was fulfilled when Stalin, as promised, visited her house, and cut a cake to mark the occasion.
The girl’s father is a railway employee and her mother a housewife. The girl resides in Kolathur in North Chennai from where Stalin had contested the April 13 Assembly polls.
It was mainly due to the humanitarian gesture of Stalin that Beno, a third year BA English Literture student, was able to participate in the International Youth Summit in US. Following a request from her during a school function, Stalin ensured release of Rs four lakh assistance from the state government to enable her to make the trip. It was all the more memorable for Beno as Stalin had also arranged her stay in his friend’s house in US.
Yet another surprise was in store for Beno, who was extremely delighted that he contested from the constituency where she resided, when she met Stalin during campaigning and requested him to visit her house on her birthday”.
She proudly says that the impetus for her to crack the civil services examinations was the consistent support and encouragement provided by DMK Treasurer and former Deputy Chief Minister Thalapathi M.K.Stalin. Indeed! On every crucial occasion in the last seven years of her life, Stalin has played a positive role in her progress and development.
She said she could not forget all through her life the gesture of Stalin remembering her birthday and paying surprise visit to her house on that day to greet her. He arranged for her travel to the USA to participate in the international forum for young leaders also provided her the basis and encouragement for her development, she said.
Her father George said that the DMK Treasurer has an important place among those who contributed for his daughter’s achievements.
“Preparing for the civil services made it easy for me to clear other competitive exams,” she said.
She got a few books Brailled, but much of her preparation was done with the help of her father and friends. “She would insist that her father read the newspaper to her every morning, and she was an exceptionally sharp observer,” said Sathya, MD of Strategy IAS Academy, who coached Beno to face the interviews.
Beno is one of more than 100 candidates from Tamil Nadu who made it to the civil services this year. She had to juggle preparing for a PhD in English literature from Bharathiar University with a full time job as a probationary officer in SBI. “I learnt to balance both and understood how to use my time efficiently in the process,” she said.
She also downloaded the Jaws screen reader to get more information. Her father works for the railways and prompted her to get into a government job at a higher level and her mother is a homemaker.
Involved in her progress: On April 17, 2008, the dailies reported under the heading “Stalin surprises young achiever on her birthday”,
“18-year old Beno Zephine will be keeping the Indian flag flying at an international forum for young leaders.
Not a mean achievement for a visually challenged person from a humble background. Beno Zephine who is a plus two student at the Little Flower Convent Higher Secondary School for the visually challenged in Chennai, has several prizes and awards to her credit for her oratorical skills, and is among 360 youngsters from about 100 countries invited to take part in the Global Young Leaders’ Conference to be held in the United States in June.
Though delighted to receive the news, Beno, daughter of a railway technician, was at a loss as to how to mobilise funds for the trip.
Beno had written to the Chief Minister appealing for funds to participate in the conference. She had handed over a copy of the appeal to Thiru Stalin when he visited the school earlier on March 1 on his birthday. Thiru Stalin sent the appeal to the Chief Minister recommending that the government treat this as a special case and release the funds. Chief Minister Kalaignar, who was briefed about the case, obliged.
That was when the government came calling. Chief Minister Kalaignar M Karunanidhi presented her with a cheque for Rs 4.70 lakh to enable her to participate in the event.
For Beno, busy preparing for the conference and honing her oratorical skill, it turned out to be a double delight when she received an unexpected guest on her birthday on April 17. It was none other than Local Administration Minister Thiru M K Stalin, who took time off from his schedule to pay a surprise visit to her house with his daughter and son-in-law, to keep a promise he had made to her last month.
Beno had invited him home for her birthday when she went to the Secretariat to receive the assistance from Chief Minister Kalaignar.
“He took note of the date and assured us that he would come. But, it was really a surprise when he turned up at our house,” said Thiru L A Charles, her father. The Local Administration Minister, who spent about 50 minutes at the household full of awe-struck relatives and curious neighbours, presented Beno with a bouquet and a dress. Wishing her well for the upcoming US trip, the Minister said he had arranged for her visit to Tamil sangams there and encouraged her to make a mark at the United States international conference.
He wished her well and wanted her to perform well at the Global Young Leaders Conference to be held in June 2008 in Washington D.C.
According to the GYLC website, it is a unique leadership development programme that brings together outstanding young people from around the world to build critical leadership skills in a global context.
GYLC gives high-achieving students aged 16-18 a greater understanding of their roles as global ambassadors while analysing concepts surrounding communications, diplomacy, law, human rights, peace, security, economics and the role of the United Nations.
Thiru Stalin said no child should be left behind because of a handicap. The government was implementing many schemes for the welfare of students. He was impressed with the confidence the students had shown and wanted them to take advantage of the schemes offered by the government.
A delighted Beno also penned a poem for Thiru Stalin as a token of her gratitude and recited it in front of the VIP guests who had made her day extra special.
Four years later on April 17, 2011 the dailies under the heading “Stalin keeps promise to blind girl; visits her on b’day” reported:
The human face of M K Stalin came to the fore when the Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister kept his promise to a blind girl by visiting and greeting her on the occasion of her birthday today.
The blind girl Beno’s joy knew no bounds, as her wish was fulfilled when Stalin, as promised, visited her house, and cut a cake to mark the occasion.
The girl’s father is a railway employee and her mother a housewife. The girl resides in Kolathur in North Chennai from where Stalin had contested the April 13 Assembly polls.
It was mainly due to the humanitarian gesture of Stalin that Beno, a third year BA English Literture student, was able to participate in the International Youth Summit in US. Following a request from her during a school function, Stalin ensured release of Rs four lakh assistance from the state government to enable her to make the trip. It was all the more memorable for Beno as Stalin had also arranged her stay in his friend’s house in US.
Yet another surprise was in store for Beno, who was extremely delighted that he contested from the constituency where she resided, when she met Stalin during campaigning and requested him to visit her house on her birthday”.
A Leader real leader is our Thalapathy
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