Madhya Pradesh Board exam: Visually, hearing and speech-impaired woman to give Class 10 examination

Out of thousands of students who are set to appear for the Class 10 board exams in Madhya Pradesh beginning March 1, Gurdeep Kaur Vasu (32) of Indore is the most special. What makes her unique? Gurdeep Vasu is hearing, speech-impaired, and visually impaired; however, her physical limitations have not stopped her from pursuing higher education and achieving her goals.

Vasu is passionate about her studies and, like any other student appearing for important exams, hopes for a bright future after passing the exams. In conversation with PTI on Monday, February 27, Mangesh Kumar Vyas, the Indore district education officer (DEO), said that Gurdeep Vasu had applied to take the Class 10 exams as a private candidate.

"To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time in the history of the state's board of secondary education that a person who is deaf, mute, and visually impaired has appeared for the high school certificate exams," Vyas said.

Gurdeep Vasu is a bright student who has worked hard to prepare for his exams. So, he explained, the education department hopes that whatever she has learned while studying gets recorded in her answer sheet during the tests.

The specially-abled student will be provided with a writer who is an expert in sign language at the exam centre to assist her in writing tests following the Board of Secondary Education rules.

Anand Service Society, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that works with divyangs (people with disabilities), held special classes to prepare her for the exams.

The NGO's sign language expert and director, Monika Purohit, said that Gurdeep Vasu communicates with people by pressing their hands and fingers together; the same method is used to communicate with her.

In response to a question about her plans posed by PTI in sign language, Gurdeep Vasu said that she hopes to work in a computer-related office. Vasu has chosen social sciences, English, painting, and science as special subjects for her Class 10 exams, Purohit asserted. 

"She always insists that the lessons taught to her in class be repeated at home with the help of Braille," said her sister Harpreet Kaur Vasu (26), who helped her prepare for the exams. Her enthusiasm for education inspires me to study after her tutorials.

Gurdeep Vasu was born prematurely and was hospitalised for several days following her birth due to health issues, explained her mother, Manjeet Kaur.

Her family learned she couldn't speak, hear, or see when she was five months old. Manjeet Kaur claimed that her daughter has these disabilities due to doctors' negligence following birth. Gurdeep Vasu wished to attend school every day like any other child, but there was no educational institute in the city for special children, said Manjeet Kaur. She believes that the state government should establish special schools for such children.

(With inputs from PTI)

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• Gurdeep Kaur Vasu
• Indore
• MP Board 10th Exam