HUBBALLI: Vasanta Hulagannavar, 23, a visually challenged student from Kusugal, secured second rank in the K-SET physically challenged category. Despite personal hardships, she used to travel 65 km everyday, to Karnataka University Dharwad (KUD), and converted YouTube videos into Braille for preparation. She stands 177th in the general category in her debut attempt.
Hulagannavar, who is pursuing an MA in the third semester with optional Kannada, told TOI that she leaves Kusugal by 7 am and changes buses at Hosur bus stand in Hubballi and then at Jubilee circle in Dharwad to reach KUD. “Travelling in six buses had become inevitable, and I keep listening to educational videos on my phone,” she shared. Her primary education was completed at Aroodha School for the Blind, in Old Hubballi. She pursued higher education at Maheshwari School for the Blind, Belagavi, and attended JSS college for PUC and BA. She scored 90% in SSLC, 87% in PUC, and 84% in BA.
Her scores dipped after SSLC as study material is available in Braille script, only till SSLC, she said. “If we get study material of higher education and competitive exams like NET, SET, etc, in Braille, we will have equal opportunity to compete with other students,” she said confidently.
Speaking about her preparation for K-SET, she said that she follows the educational videos by Dhanayya Kauntagi, who has passes 77 eligibility tests.
“I made notes in Braille of his study material, and got in touch with him. He couriered me more study material, and encouraged me to create Braille notes. Dr Krishna Raikwar, HOD Kannada study chair, KUD, another visually-challenged assistant professor Dr Mallappa Bandi, and PhD student Mallesh also guided me with study material,” she attributed.
Kauntagi commented that while many candidates struggle to crack K-SET in three or four attempts, but despite all the challenges, Hulagannavar did it in her debut attempt, in Nov 2024. “This time over 1.17 lakh candidates applied for K-SET and about 5,000 attempted Kannada. Among them, about 400 cracked the exam,” he noted.
Hulagannavar and her elder brother Yellappa Hulagannavar, who is MA political science and preparing for civil services exams, are 100% visually challenged from birth. Mother Renuka is a homemaker, and the family depends on eight acres of agricultural land and lease it out to others every year.
Both received scholarships from organisations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
