As the Intermediate examinations begin today with controversies surrounding it over valuation of scripts, a city girl will be creating history by being the youngest person to write the examinations.

Naina, studying in the CEC stream at St. Mary’s Junior College, Yousufguda, is just 9 years and 11 months old and perhaps the youngest student to be allowed to sit for the examination. The girl, who earlier achieved the rare distinction of clearing the tenth grade International General Certificate of Secondary Education examination in 2008 at the young age of 8, will be taking the exam at Sultan-ul-Uloom Junior College in Banjara Hills.

Naina, who has represented the State in table-tennis at the junior level, was promoted by her parents who recognised her innate talent of picking up difficult words and tough slokas from the Gita easily at a very young age.

Memory practice

She was trained by her father, Ashwani Kumar, who was a teacher at that time, in memory practice and that helped her to be different from other students. The gifted child then obtained permission from University of Cambridge, London, for the ‘O’ level examination, which is considered equivalent to SSC examinations.

A multi-talented personality, Naina writes with both hands and also made a mark in music, recording an album on Ramayana ‘slokas’. She is also adept at computers and piano, which she learnt from her parents.

Tags: Academic history, Andhra Pradesh News, Hyderabad news, Intermediate examinations, Secondary Education