Karthiyayini Amma, the recipient of the country’s highest civilian award ‘Nari Shakti Puraskar’ died at her house at Muttom, near Cheppad, in  Kerala’s Alappuzha district , on Tuesday night due to age-related ailments. She was 101.

Fondly called Akshara Muthassi, Karthyayani Amma shot to fame in 2018 when she became the oldest learner at the age of 96 to clear the Aksharalaksham literacy examination of the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority (KSLMA).

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She scored 98 marks out of 100, bagging the first rank in the examination attended by 40,363 candidates. She joined the ‘Aksharaleksham’ course of the literacy mission in January 2018.

The mission, whose objective is to strive for 100 per cent literacy focusing mainly on the 16-75 age group, arranged the exams for the people, who did not attend regular schools.

The examinees were tested on reading, writing, and Mathematics. She scored 38 out of 40 in writing, and full marks in reading and mathematics. She received a certificate for her excellent show from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

Karthyayani  Amma was later selected as the Commonwealth of Learning Goodwill Ambassador. In 2020,she received Nari Shakti Puraskar from President Ram Nath Kovind on International Women’s Day. Kerala presented a tableau of “Nari Shakti and Folk Traditions of Women Empowerment” featuring Karthyayani   Amma at the Republic Day parade earlier this year.

 Expressing condolences, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the demise of Karthiyayini Amma is a significant loss to Kerala’s literacy movement. “Deeply saddened by the passing of Karthyayani Amma, who made history by becoming the oldest learner under the State Literacy Mission,” he said.