The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Who will pay talented Manisha's school fee?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 22, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Who will pay talented Manisha's school fee?

Swahilya

She came third in a national talent examination

U.R. Manisha Priyadarshini — Photo: R. Shivaji Rao

CHENNAI: U.R. Manisha Pridarshini stood first in the National Holy Faith Talent Search Examination for 2004-05. This year, she came third in the examination and first among the participants in Chennai.

This Standard V student of Mother Teresa Nursery and Primary School at Pattabiram, run by her mother Vijaya Ramesh, is an anchor on Jak Star TV, a cable channel in Tiruvallur district. Beginning her career on the small screen with `Deerghasumangali' by Priyan, she has acted in movies such as Niram and Anthadi, and is currently engaged in at least five movies.

Manisha's mother Vijaya Ramesh runs Mother Teresa Nursery and Primary School, single-handedly.

Ms. Vijaya now finds it difficult to fund her daughter's education. Manisha, meanwhile, aims to become both a doctor and IAS officer."Deserted by my husband who is now asking for divorce, I first wrote to the UGC Education Officer seeking free education in Kendriya Vidyalaya Tirumangalam or Pattabhiram as she is my only girl child," says Ms. Vijaya. The Education Officer told her about the Ministry of Human Resource Development scheme, under which single girl child in a family are awarded a scholarship. He asked her to approach the CBSE. She applied to two Kendriya Vidyalaya schools. "They now say that there is no vacancy for class V and will admit Manisha if the New Delhi office gives the clearance."

Last year, the trustee of Rambhaba Charitable Trust, Ranjit Shah, after seeing press reports of the child's performance, gave Ms. Vijaya some money to meet part of Manisha's school fee.

This academic year, the bubbling youngster is waiting to be admitted to a good school.

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