An inspiration: 96-yr-old Karthiyani Amma scores 98 per cent in Kerala exam

Mumbai: Age is just a number for a 96-year-old woman from Kerala who has cleared a test under the state’s literacy programme with a stellar result.

Karthiyani Amma, the oldest student appearing for the exam, scored 98 out of 100 marks in 'Aksharalaksham' literacy program of Kerala State Literacy Mission. In the exam, reading, writing and mathematical skills were tested.

Approximately, 42,993 people cleared the test this year, news agency ANI reported.

Karthiyani Amma from Alappuzha district reportedly took the examination at the Cheppad government LP school.

The 'Aksharalaksham' literacy program was launched with an aim to eliminate illiteracy in the state that boasts of over 90 per cent literacy, the highest in the country.

Kerala was declared a fully literate state on April 18, 1991, which means attaining 90 per cent literacy, as per UNESCO norms.

However, the 2011 Census revealed that around 18 lakh people remained illiterate, which prompted the state government to launch the "Aksharalaksham" programme on January 26 this year.

The programme was launched by the state-run Kerala State Literacy Mission to help eradicate illiteracy among marginalised groups like tribals, fisher folks and slum-dwellers.