11 Year Old Visually Challenged Boy Becomes News Reader

BANGALORE: Last year, Padmini Prakash made news as the first transgender television news anchor on Lotus news in Tamil Nadu. This year, the channel again came in buzz by presenting an eleven year old visually challenged boy as a news reader, claiming it to be the first time in the world.

Visually impaired since birth, Sriramanujam read 22-minute special news live on camera with the help of Braille, while his parents glared with pride and tears.

Sriramanujam read a follow up news of the Nepal earthquake and Mahinda Rajapaksa trial.

“So that such talented people get their vision back and achieve their goals,’’ commented GKS Selvakumar, Chairman of Lotus news to PTI. He also said that the aim behind this step is to promote and create awareness about eye donation.

Selvakumar confirmed that for now, the boy is only a special weekly news reader but will be made a permanent news reader soon.

The fifth standard student said, to achieve something big in life he chose television so that people could see him. Having origins in Palani, he also said that he goes through the news six times before going live on air.

"I was scared in the first two minutes but then it was business and I read it fluently," he said.

Belonging to a Government School at Uliyampalayam, Sriramanujam aims to be a Collector in life.

READ ALSO: World GDP Index: Top 10 Developed Cities of India
Narendra Modi's Three-Nation Tour To China, Mongolia, South Korea From May 14-19