07 March,2017 09:00 AM IST | | Silky Sharma
For the first time, the state board has changed its stringent norms for a special child appearing for his SSC board exam this year
The board has allowed Saurabh Chougle to give his SSC exam with his teacher Devyani Hadkar as the interpreter for the writer
For the first time, the state board has changed its stringent norms for a special child appearing for his SSC board exam this year. Saurabh Chougle (21), who is blind, deaf and mute and studies at the Helen Keller institute in Ghansoli, has been granted permission to take the exam with the help of his teacher, apart from being given a writer.
The decision came after the board failed to provide Saurabh with an SSC question paper in Braille. Hence, the Mumbai Divisional Board yesterday gave permission to the teacher to be seated with him during the exam as his interpreter and explain his answer in sign language to the writer.
Devyani Hadkar
"By the time the institute approached us, our question paper was ready. Also, even if the board could have provided the paper in Braille, the department was not equipped to check the same," said CY Chandekar, board secretary.
Teacher and Saurabh's caretaker for the last seven years Devyani Hadkar, said her student is "near to normal".
"We wanted that he be given the paper in Braille, so that he could take the exam without anyone's help. But because that wasn't possible, we worked out a solution together for him," she added.
When mid-day contacted Saurabh, with the help of his teacher, he said he was nervous about his first paper (mathematics on March 14).
"The institute and the board have gone the extra mile to support me, I want to do well and not disappoint anyone," he gesticulated to his teacher, who translated.
