Meet Jayant Mankale, The Visually Impaired Boy From Maharashtra Who Cracked UPSC Exam 2018

Jayant Mankale from Maharashtra is truly an inspiration to everyone appearing for Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams. People prepare for years to crack the competitive exam and not always succeed. Mankale, a visually impaired 25-year-old from Beed district of the state has cleared the UPSC Examination despite several odds. He lost 75 percent of his vision in 2014 after being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a disorder that causes loss of vision.

Mankale, the son of a water pump operator studied mechanical engineering from Amrutvahini College of Engineering in Sangamner. He cracked the exam in his fourth attempt under the specially abled category by securing an all India rank (AIR) of 923. He now hopes to land a job in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). While he was strongly determined to clear the competitive exam, the situation at home grew worse after his father passed away. Household finances were thereafter managed by his mother and sister who sold handmade pickles, masala and other food items in the market.

Talking about how he struggled to prepare for the exams, he told Hindustan Times, "I could not afford audio books or a screen reader. Therefore, I started listening 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."

He now has to repay the education loan taken for his college expense. Other than that, the family used to get Rs. 7300 as his father's pension. However, armed with strong will cracked the examination without any coaching class.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 02, 2018 11:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).