Bhubaneswar: Mahesh Panda, a visually impaired teacher from Jajpur district, secured 300th rank in the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) examination 2023, the results of which were declared on Friday.
This was his third attempt.
Hailing from Bada Biruhan village in Korei block, Panda was born blind and his vision could not be restored despite best treatments and visits to several eye hospitals in the state.
However, the youngest of five siblings did not give up. He completed his matriculation at the School for the Blind at Nuapada in Cuttack through the Braille system in 2009. He graduated from Ravenshaw University and earned a BEd from the Central University in Koraput. He later pursued a postgraduate degree in Odia from Utkal University.
There were no difficulties in studying up to Class 10 as education and boarding was free. Financial challenges after school were mitigated by support from Good Samaritans of his village and Yuga Nirman Vidya Parishad, and Gayatri Mission,, both in Cuttack,, which funded his higher education.
He has been teaching Odia at Adarsha Vidyalaya in Kuleilo, Cuttack district, since 2016.
The 32-year-old had to juggle between teaching and preparing for the OCS examination. He dedicated days to teaching and nights to self-study, leveraging technology to aid his learning. He expressed gratitude to his family and friends for their unwavering support. He wants to devote his life to the welfare of Odisha.
