In a first for Tamil Nadu parties, visually-challenged man is CPI(M) district secretary
The Hindu
An advocate by qualification, B.S. Bharathi Anna entered the party through its student wing, the Students’ Federation of India.
B.S. Bharathi Anna, a visually-challenged CPI(M) member, has been elected secretary of the party’s Chengalpattu district unit. This is the first time a visually-challenged person has become a district secretary of a party in Tamil Nadu.
An advocate by qualification, Mr. Anna entered the party through its student wing, the Students’ Federation of India. After completing his graduation in law from Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai, he started practising in Chengalpattu. “I had vision till the age of three. Then, what was diagnosed as short-sightedness progressed into total blindness in 2014,” he said. He was deputy secretary of Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front. “The total loss of eyesight prevented me from working in the field, and I resigned. I also endured depression. But modern technology came in handy, and I started working in the unit for the physically-challenged,” he said.
He is also the vice-president of the Tamil Nadu Association For The Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers.

‘Instead of accusing Gen-Z of lacking skills or discipline, we need to ask what drives them’ Premium
At a recent event held in the city, Cambridge University Press & Assessment launched an advisory panel comprising leaders from top global corporations, aiming to bridge the employability gap in India and better align academic output with industry needs. A whitepaper released at the event highlighted the growing importance of communication skills, the need for stronger collaboration between industry and universities, and strategies to bridge the persistent skill gap.

Under the NBS, newborns are screened for communication disorders before they are discharged from the hospital. For this, AIISH has collaborated with several hospitals to conduct screening which is performed to detect hearing impairment and other developmental disabilities that can affect speech and language development. The screening has been helping in early intervention for those identified with the disorders, as any delay in the identification poses risk and affects successful management of children with hearing loss, according to AIISH.