U n' I with Rashmi Shetty- Season 3- Beno Zephine

Today as India celebrates her 78th Independence day, our guest on "U N' I with Rashmi Shetty is Special India's first Visually challenged Foreign service officer , the inspirational Beno Zephine N.L, IFS Under Secretary Policy Planning and Research, Ministry of External affairs.

Beno Zephine received the “First Women’s Award” from the hon’ble President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind in January 2018 for becoming India’s first visually challenged Foreign Service Officer. She secured 343rd rank in the all-India Civil Services Examination 2014. She was instrumental in bringing out MEA’s Annual Report 2019-2020 in Audio format for the benefit of public.

She excelled at learning French language, as part of her compulsory Foreign Language. At the Higher Secondary level, Beno attended Global Young Leaders conference in the US in 2008. She had Secured first place in the Secondary level Examinations, at the state level, among Visually Challenged Category.

She was instrumental in making the Government of Tamil Nadu pass a Government Order for honouring visually challenged students who secure the first 3 ranks in the Board examinations at the state level. She is the recipient of several awards like Woman of the Year Award by Deccan Chronicle and best Woman by Ritz Magazine.

Google has published herquote, “We are too precious to let disappointments enter our minds” as part of its Google doodle on International Women’s day 2019. Beno has a Masters in English Literature and believes Disability should not inhibit anybody from reaching the Stars. She is often quoted as saying, “I might not have vision, but I have a vision to be a hardworking Civil Servant”.

Listen in as Beno shares her love of life , her positive attitude and why she believes women are Precious.