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Beno Zephine, the first visually challenged Indian Foreign Services Officer (IFS) of the Ministry of External Affairs was in the city today to deliver a keynote address on 'Success Mantra' at Kumaraguru College of Technology (KCT).
About Beno Zephine: Visually impaired since birth, Beno never saw her disability as a hurdle in achieving her goals. A post-graduate in English from Madras University, Beno worked as a probationary worker at State Bank of India. A very socially active person from childhood, Beno has participated in many elocution and debate competitions from her childhood.
She secured 343rd rank in the Civil Services Examination of 2013 and has joined as the Nation's first visually impaired IFS officer at the Ministry of External Affairs. Since then, Beno has been an inspiration for many youngsters and students. She has delivered several lectures and keynotes at many educational institutions across the country.
Shankar Vanavarayar, Joint Correspondent of KCT and R.S. Sivakumar, Principal of KCT felicitated Beno at the event.
The entire crowd was enthralled by her inspirational speech on life and the success mantra to excel in UPSC exams (Union Public Service Commission). She revealed that only negligible numbers of UPSC exam books are available in Braille language and hence she requested the students to take up the task of creating more books in Braille language to aid the Visually challenged people. She evoked that recognition of visually-challenged toppers in 10th & 12th has been better these days after her plea to the Government to recognise their efforts.
Students have to be very conscious and cautious on health and restraint from illicit habits like drugs, smoking and alcoholic habits, she stressed.
Around 400 visually challenged students with their parents participated in the event.
