Andhra Girl Escapes Child Marriage, Tops Inter Exams

Vijayawada: Despite the strict law against child marraiges in India, every year scores of girls are married off before the attainment of the legal age of marriage. The police and child rights activists have been trying their best to rescue minors from child marriages. 

One such child marriage survivor S. Nirmala has become a beacon of hope for other survivors by topping the intermediate first year exams. She has scored 421 out of 440 marks. 

Nirmala, a young woman from Pedda Harivanam, Adoni mandal, Kurnool district, stood up against societal expectations of marrying her off in her teens like her three elder sisters. She refused to bow down to societal pressures and continued her education.

During the ruling YSRCP’s Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam programme last year, Nirmala courageously approached MLA Y Saiprasad Reddy, pleading for support to continue her studies.

The YSRCP legislator informed the district collector Gummalla Srijana about her case who made sure that Nirmala's child marriage is averted at the last moment. Subsequently, she was admitted to the Kasturba Gandhi Balikala Vidyalaya in Aspari, Kurnool.

Nirmala's unwavering dedication and hard work paid off as she secured an impressive 421 out of 440 marks, emerging as the topper in the intermediate first-year exams. Many people are praising Nirmala for her great success and her fight against societal pressure and early matrimony. 

Congratulations to Ms. G. Nirmala from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), Kurnool, a residential girls’ school run by the Ministry of Education for the disadvantaged sections in India, for securing the top spot in the 1st Year Intermediate exam of Andhra Pradesh… pic.twitter.com/OVqEX0frQL

— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) April 13, 2024