Meet students who fought all odds to make it to IIT

Getting admission to IITs is no mean feat, especially for those with physical disabilities and poor financial stability. In an exclusive conversation with Shiksha, IITians, who stood tall having overcome the stiff odds of physical disability and poverty, talks about their commitment and the hardships they faced during their journey to IIT. 

Visually impaired Azeesh never shied away from challenges  

Azeesh Rahman from Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, succeeded in proving that one sees through the mind and not the eyes by cracking the HSEE (Humanities and Social Sciences Entrance Examination) with AIR 1 in PwD category in 2016. HSEE is the entrance exam for humanities students to get admission to IIT. 

Azeesh, who is currently pursuing Masters in Humanities and Development Studies from IIT Madras, was born with visual impairment. When asked how he manages to study, he says, “Though my parents procured e-books for me, which I converted to speech using softwares such as TalkBack and NVDA, I faced learning difficulties. Some teachers are not competent enough to teach in classes with diverse learners despite having proper support structures. I request the government to train teachers on inclusive strategies so that others students like me do not face the same issue.” 

He says, “I have started a campaign on Instagram, meetforthought, which aims to shift judgements into curiosity about visually impaired. I just want to tell future aspirants that just believe in yourself and never stop chasing your dreams.” 

He say, “My friends, Nitin and Libin, have been quite supportive throughout. They used to take me wherever I wanted to on bicycles,” says Azeesh, who wants to open a venture for visually impaired once he completes his studies. 

Physical disability no deterrent for Kripendra  

Kripendra Kumar from Noida is currently pursuing BTech in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Goa. Though he suffers locomotor disability on one of his legs, unlike many, he never took it as a burden. He says, “My disability never created hurdles in my way, rather I turned it into strength.” 

He says, “I cleared JEE Main in 2018 with a rank of 31, after which I attempted JEE Advanced to get admission to an IIT, but failed. But that didn’t discourage me from following my dreams. I then enrolled for one-year preparatory course at IIT Kanpur, which I successfully completed. Following this, I attended JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) counselling, which gave me an entry to IIT Goa.” 

He says, “I have been passionate about my career. My schedule in school was so hectic that I did not get time for coaching. I want to tell IIT aspirants that don’t just join IIT due to parental pressure or for the heck of it as it is difficult to survive in IITs due to stiff competition. Join only if you are determined.” Kripendra likes to read short stories in his leisure time and wants to become a software engineer. 

Farmer’s son beats poverty to chase dream 

Farmer’s son Satyam Singh made his family proud when he gained an entry into IIT Delhi after clearing GATE with 749th rank in 2019.  

Belonging to Bhatthi Lohta, a small village in  Varanasi, Satyam did his BTech from a semi-government college in Uttar Pradesh and pursued MTech in Telecommunications and Management from IIT Delhi (2019-2021). His skills earned him 35% fee scholarship from a private coaching institute where he trained for the competitive examination.  

He says, “My father was a farmer so I could not afford good coaching, but he did everything to support me financially. After my school hours, I used to rush to fields to chop vegetables and then wash them to be able to sell them in the market. I also used to wash cars at a shop whenever there was a requirement.” 

He says, “I never took studies as a burden, rather I enjoyed it. Though my family members never inspired me to pursue my dream, I knew education was the only way to break the poverty circle.” Now, an elated Satyam has been offered a semiconductor engineer’s post at a private organisation where he will be joining in July. 

Determination helps Devansh overcome barriers 

Devansh Jain from Udaipur never imagined that he would become an engineer. The boy who always dreamt of becoming a doctor changed his mind only after a surgeon told him about the number of difficulties he would face if he opted for MBBS. Devansh does not have fingers on his left hand, but he believes that disability is never a barrier to success if you are determined. 

He is currently doing BTech in Civil Engineering from IITK. He cracked JEE Main in 2018, but failed to clear JEE Adanced, following which he enrolled in IIT’s one-year preparatory course and joined IITK after clearing an internal exam. He says, “The institute has all required facilities for disabled. They have a special cell for such students and also give them extra time during exams. I request the authorities to encourage disabled students to participate in sports so that they do not feel left out. Also, there should be more facilities for disabled during concerts so that they can become part of the crowd.” He says, “Make yourself strong and don’t allow anyone to pity you. I now drive car and bike. I practised and overcame the barrier.” 

Rare bone cancer didn’t stop Sameer from learning taekwondo  

Sameer Mahadule from Bhilai, Chattisgarh, was diagnosed with ewing sarcoma, a rare type of cancer, in his shoulder bone when he was in Class 11. At that time, he was preparing for IIT and felt disappointed that whether he would be able to make it or not in such condition, but his determination took him ahead.  

Sameer is currently pursuing Electrical Engineering from IIT Kanpur. He says, “I started preparing for JEE when I was in Class 9 and I cracked it in 2018 and got an admission to IITK the same year. My teachers have been quite supportive. As I have only 30% side arm movement, my taekwondo coach taught me different tricks with the help of which I am a yellow belt in taekwondo today.” 

He says, “I would like to tell future aspirants that I had a near-death experience, so whatever life throws at you, take it. If you have a goal in your life, nothing can stop you from achieving it. Keep going.” Sameer, who likes to play basketball in his leisure time, wants to become a data scientist.   

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