Maharashtra: Boy appears for SSC exam hours after performing father's last rites in Latur

LATUR: A Class 10 student from Latur in Maharashtra was at the centre of all-round praise for appearing for the SSC exams on Friday hours after performing the last rites of his father. Rushikesh's father Ramnath Puri died suddenly on Thursday evening in his native Dhalegaon village in Ahmedpur tehsil, an official said.

"Rushikesh resides with his maternal uncle at Bori-Salgara village in Latur tehsil as he studies in Rajiv Gandhi Vidyalaya, while his examination centre was at Zilla Parishad Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Bori village," he said. "On Thursday evening, he went to Dhalegaon village after getting to know about his father's death. The last rites were performed on Friday morning. Since his exam centre was 100 kilometres away from Dhalegoan and he would not have been able to reach there, Latur Divisional Board President Sudhakar Telang and Group Education Officer Babanrao Dhokade ensured he wrote the exam in the village itself," he said.

Everyone praised Rushikesh for the resolve he showed to sit for the exams despite losing his father, the official added. Meanwhile, officials said the SSC exams, that started throughout the state on Friday, went off without any untoward issues in the 153 centres in Latur, though one case of copying was found.

"A total of 39,071 students appeared for the exams. A case of copying was detected in Bori village centre in Latur tehsil. The Latur Divisional Board and Department of Secondary Education had appointed 29 flying squads to curb irregularities," an official said.

"In Latur tehsil, 14,065 students took the exam at 51 centres, 3,104 students at 13 centres in Ausa, 4,001 students at 16 centres in Nilanga, 843 students at four centres in Shirur Anantpal, 1,293students at six centres in Devani, 6,069 students at 25 centres in Udgir, 1,002 students at four centres in Jalkot, 4,644 students at 19 centres in Ahmedpur and 1,795 students appeared at six centres in Renapur taluka," he said.