He lost his father and his family had severe financial troubles, but he refused to give up.
Clearing the UPSC entrance exams is an arduous task. But to do it as a visually-impaired candidate is a feat worth applauding.
A resident of Beed district, Maharashtra, Jayant Mankale lost 75 percent of his vision in 2014 when he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a disorder that causes loss of vision.
Photo Source: Jayant Mankale
His determination to clear the civil services exam did not falter. He continued his attempts without coaching and did not give up even when his father passed away. His mother and sister took up the financial responsibility of the family, selling homemade spices, pickles and other food items.
Despite his mother’s business, the family had financial troubles. His father’s pension of Rs 7,300 did little to contribute, and they could not pay off the loan taken for Jayant’s college education. So when he approached Pravin Chavan and Manohar Bhole for guidance for the exam, they offered it to him free of cost.
The family’s efforts paid off when Jayant secured the All-India rank of 923 in his fourth attempt earlier this year.
Photo Source: Sunil Raut
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Mankale said, “I could not afford audio books or a screen reader. Therefore, I started listening (to) various debates on the radio, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV. I took pictures of pages through my mobile and often zoomed in to read them. I have never read a National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) book, and I couldn’t use hand-written notes, which made preparation very difficult.”
A mechanical engineer from Amrutvahini College of Engineering, Sangamner, Jayant now hopes to land his dream job in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
(Edited By Vinayak Hegde)
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