Visually impaired candidate excels

Mangaluru: Bagging the first rank in BA (HRD) from Mangalore University was an extraordinary achievement for Adhish Uchil, a visually impaired student. The announcement of Adhish’s name during the 42nd Convocation of Mangalore University to receive the first rank from governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot was indeed a moment of joy for his parents.
A student from SDM College, Mangaluru, Adhish secured the first rank in the BA (HRD) examination conducted by Mangalore University in 2023.He achieved a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 8.74.
Adhish, the son of Sudhir Uchil, an employee at MRPL, and Gunashree Uchil from Mangaluru, said, “My teachers were very supportive and helped me with study materials and guided me on writing the exams.
Meanwhile, the non-visual desktop access (NVDA) kit on my laptop helped me a lot by reading out all the study materials to me whenever I needed,” he said. Meanwhile, it was Enable India, an NGO in Bengaluru, that taught Adhish to use the software. “As an attentive student in the class I prepared my notes diligently using the laptop. The teachers also shared with me the PPTs of the subjects they taught in classrooms,” he said.
Initially, his parents dropped him off to college. However, after undergoing training at the National Association for the Blind (NAB) in Bengaluru to move around with a cane, he started walking to his college from his house, which was situated nearby. A lecturer also had taught him to use the cane inside the college campus, he said. “My aim is to pursue an MBA, and I am also preparing for the Common Admission Test (CAT) to get into IIM. The CAT is likely to be held in the last week of November,” he said.
Age no bar for him
Age is no bar to pursue education, as 68-year-old Mohan Pailoor proved it by securing the first rank in the PG diploma in yogic science course for 2022. A retired engineer who worked in Gujarat and settled in Mangaluru, Pailoor said he was a yoga enthusiast. “When I came to know of a PG diploma in yogic science being offered at University College in Mangaluru, I enrolled for it. Since classes were held in the morning, it was convenient. I practice yoga at home regularly,” he added.
Bhagyalakshmi, who bagged three gold medals in MSc industrial chemistry, said, “I was attentive in class, which helped me to study. My teachers were helpful throughout my studies.”