very interesting, and inspiring too. yes, i too would like to have the contact number or e-mail ID of this man.
do any of you having the same? aisha sahani. On 6/21/10, Amar Jain <[email protected]> wrote: > head soft to everybody involved in this story. no words.. > Do anyone of you know the contact information of this man? > Although I have nothing to do with science but its worth making contact with > such intelligent people. > I openly say shame on indian institutes. > He has slapped these people. > Regards > Amar Jain. > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Renuka Warrier" <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, June 21, 2010 6:21 AM > To: "access india" <[email protected]> > Subject: [AI] Making it to MIT against odds > >> >> >> Date:21/06/2010 URL: >> http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/edu/2010/06/21/stories/2010062150460400.htm >> >> _________________________________________________________________________________ >> Link: Education Plus >> Making it to MIT against odds >> >> YOGENDRA KALAVALAPALLI >> >> Bolla Srikanth, a visually-challenged boy, is currently pursuing his >> Bachelor of Sciences at the university >> PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL >> Winner: Bolla Srikanth in conversation with National Trust Chairperson >> Poonam Natarajan during the inaugural function of Abilities Mela 2010 in >> Secunderabad. >> Bolla Srikanth was barely few years old when many in his community >> counselled his parents to abandon him. The pressure was heavy on his >> illiterate parents, a farmer father and housewife mother, but they never >> yielded. Had they heeded their advice, the world would have been minus one >> >> inspiring story today. >> >> From a small village Sitaramapuram near Machlipatnam town in Krishna >> district in Andhra Pradesh, this visually-challenged boy has made it to >> the portals of the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. >> >> The 18-year-old is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Sciences in Brain >> and Cognitive Science, Business Management and Computer Science at the >> university. >> >> "Though they are illiterate, both of them had a strong will to get me >> educated. This inspired me," he says. Shortly after, about 13 years ago, >> an uncle of his enrolled him in Devnar School for the Blind in Hyderabad, >> and life took a different spin for Srikanth. >> >> "I didn't know anything when I joined school. I was like a rural >> introvert. I learned everything, I picked up English. I joined community >> service. Now, I have occupied a place in the society where people are >> respecting me," he says. "It has been a long journey." >> >> From being a "rural introvert," Srikanth went on to secure 92 per cent in >> the Class X Board Examinations and was a two-time recipient of Pratibha >> Awards given by the Andhra Pradesh government for students who excel in >> public examinations every year. >> >> He also received a citation for outstanding community service as Youth >> Leader in Lead India 2020 from former President APJ Abdul Kalam and was a >> national chess player playing against the likes of Koneru Humpy. >> >> Intermediate was next and he wanted to take up the Maths, Physics, >> Chemistry stream to be eligible to study engineering. But a disinclined >> officialdom was not encouraging. "When I visited the offices for the first >> >> time, they asked me to get away. Even an IAS officer was not able to >> realise the potential of blind persons," he recollects. >> >> "After a lot of trouble," Srikanth finally managed to enrol himself for >> the MPC stream at a private college, a good three months after the classes >> >> began. He went on to secure an aggregate percentage of 93 at the end of >> two years. >> >> Challenges persisted still. "When I wanted to prepare for IIT, one >> coaching centre told me straightaway I was not fit to join them." Another >> top institute in the country did not even bother to respond to his >> application. "I didn't even get my hall ticket. I was not even allowed to >> write AIEEE. But, I was not disturbed because I was focussed on my goal >> and I wanted to study sciences." >> >> Guided by his mentors Swarnalatha, teacher at Devnar School for the Blind, >> >> and G. Ravishankar, a software consultant in the U.S., Srikanth realised >> his ambition of studying at MIT. "Only 120 seats are open to international >> >> students for which students from 70 countries in the world compete," he >> says proudly of his admission that came with a US $ 49,000 scholarship. >> >> "My mentor Swarnalatha was like a backbone to me in whatever I did so far. >> >> She has worked harder than me." She was by his side throughout: fighting >> for him, managing his study expenses, recording material for him to study >> easily and even lodging him in her house during initial days of his >> Intermediate. >> >> Mr. Ravishankar, whom Srikanth met during an international conference at >> Indian School of Business, helped him apply to different universities >> abroad. "Because I was a special student, we had to fill up some special >> forms. He also worked really hard with me for six months. Even now he is >> in contact and helps me with whatever I want." >> >> Persons with disabilities, he says, suffer from lack of exposure and lack >> of opportunities. >> >> "You have to see where you stand in the society, not as a >> visually-challenged person but as a human being." He sings paeans about >> U.S. "The university is very helpful. They have so many resources. People >> don't show sympathy there. In fact they provide you opportunities." >> >> He has already finished two semesters at the university (scoring 5/5 GPA) >> and currently is interning with GE in Hyderabad. >> >> Srikanth is keen on entrepreneurship and plans to launch a software firm >> after his course where he wants to give opportunities to rural youth. >> >> >> Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with >> disability bill at: >> http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm >> >> To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] >> with the subject unsubscribe. >> >> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >> please visit the list home page at >> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in >> > > > Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with > disability bill at: > http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm > > To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with > the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with disability bill at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. 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