Viral Photo Of Young Girl Attending Class While Holding Sister Reaches Manipur Minister

In a picture going viral on the internet, a young girl was seen sitting a classroom while holding her sleeping sibling in one arm and her other arm on the desk. She was still seen concentrating on her studies. As per media reports, the girl has to babysit her sister during class because both her parents were working on the field.

Reportedly, the picture was taken in a rural area of Manipur state. The girl seen in the picture is reported to be just 10-years-old. Looking at her juggling studies while taking care of her younger sisters, social media users expressed compassion and praised the girl's dedication towards studies. In India, many girls either skip many days of school or have to drop out to take care of their younger siblings.

The picture reached Thongam Biswajit Singh who is the Minister of Power, Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Agriculture, Science and Technology in Manipur. The Minister met the girl and her family members at his home in Imphal on Wednesday and also promised to pay for the education of Pamei, the older sibling in the viral picture, till she graduates. The minister said he felt touched by the picture and called the family to Imphal to meet him.

Manipur Girl Babysits Her Sister In Class

With pictures from the meeting, Thongam Biswajit Singh shared on Twitter, "The Brave Girl #MeiningsinliuPamei visited my home today along with her parents. We have decided to assist her #Education through a Boarding School & promised her parents that I will be looking after all her expenses till she Graduates." A video of his conversation with Pamei and her family was also seen on social media. Singh asked the girl's name and made her sit next to him while talking to her family. Many social media users praised the minister to extend a helping hand to the girl.

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When Singh discovered the picture on social media earlier this week, he shared it on his timeline and wrote what amazed him about it. "Her dedication for education is what left me amazed! This 10-year-old girl named Meiningsinliu Pamei from Tamenglong, Manipur attends school babysitting her sister, as her parents were out for farming & studies while keeping her younger sister in her lap.," Thongam Biswajit Singh's tweet read. The tweet got over 15,000 likes.

Manipur is one of the three states, along with Mizoram and Meghalaya, in India where the drop out rate of girls is the highest at the primary level. In Manipur, the rate was seen at 8.7 percent, highest in India. At national level, more than 15 percent girls drop out of school, according to a 2019-2020 report. The rate got worse during the pandemic with schools staying shut for many months.