HSC’s Remarkable Trailblazers
Differently-abled students rise above challenges to score above 90%
“My professors would help explain concepts after lectures. I would go home and study in braille textbooks. I borrowed braille textbooks from my seniors as I could not afford it.”
— SARVESH NAYAK
They say, where there's a will there's a way! With sheer grit and hard work Vedant Mainkar and Sarvesh Nayak excelled in the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Class 12 board exam. Vedant secured 92.67 per cent and Sarvesh got 90.84 per cent respectively in the Arts stream. Mainkar, who has Lear ning Disability (LD) scored 100 out of 100 marks in logic, while Nayak, who is visuallyimpaired, scored 95 out 100 in Sociology.
Nayak and Mainkar, students of Ramnarain Ruia College, Matunga, believed in the importance of education against all odds and were surprised on scoring high marks. Nayak said, “It was unbelievable because I have studied in a Marathi medium blind school till Class 10. When I entered Class 11, I secured admission in Ruia. Moreover, everything was taught in English. Initially, I was scared. I had a tough time understanding what my professors were teaching, but gradually I started asking questions, raising doubts after the lectures. I began lear ning English language as I believed in the importance of education."
Nayak studied in braille to understand various concepts. Nayak said, “I would listen attentively to every word spoken in the lecture. My professors would help explain concepts after lectures. I would go home and study in braille textbooks. I bor
rowed braille textbooks from my seniors as I could not afford it. Now, I am preparing for my entrance exam as I want to become a lawyer.”
While Mainkar, who scored full marks in Logic subject has a LD since Class 8. Mainkar said, “I did not want any kind of physical or medical restrictions to stop me from perfor ming well. I participated in extracurricular activities and college events to enhance my interpersonal skills. I would study regularly and play tennis alongside to refresh my mind. I utilised whatever time was left in the day to study as I spent three hours every day travelling from my home in Vashi to the colle ge." Mainkar plans on pursuing the Law field in the future.