Sirsi: In a glaring lapse by the education authorities, a visually impaired student who appeared for her examinations has allegedly been marked “absent” in one subject, triggering distress for the student and her family, and drawing sharp criticism from the local community.

The student, identified as Liza Khanam of Union High School in Sirsi, is reportedly blind by birth. Despite her disability, she demonstrated remarkable determination by appearing for the examinations and securing impressive marks — 124 in Urdu and 100 in Kannada — along with good scores in other subjects.

However, in a serious discrepancy, her marks card records her as “absent” in the Social Science examination. The error has adversely affected her overall result, leaving the student and her parents deeply distressed.

The incident has sparked outrage among local residents, who have termed the lapse as gross negligence on the part of the education board. Parents and community leaders have urged authorities to immediately verify attendance records at the examination centre and rectify the mistake without delay.

They have also submitted representations to the local MLA and education officials, demanding swift corrective action to ensure justice for the student.