All IIT coachings rejected admission of Srikanth Bolla, on account of his visual disability. He was failed to get admission into IITs but he didn’t stop there. He tried for Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and he got through.
“I thought that if I could not get a seat at a renowned Indian institution, I must at least get into a world renowned institution. And I did,” said Bolla.
In 2009, when he had completed his pre-university from a college in Hyderabad, he wanted to get into IIT, but no coaching institute gave him admission. Undeterred, he applied to the MIT. “Around 120 seats are open to international students, and I was the only blind person,” he says. Presently, he is studying the final semester of his under-graduate degree in Computer Science and Business Management.
Born blind into an agricultural family in Sitaramapuram village in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, he was admitted to a blind school in Hyderabad. He excelled in studies and scored above 90 percent in his class 10 examinations. He wanted to be an engineer and applied for the physics, mathematics and chemistry group for pre-university. But the education department said that a visually challenged person could only take up humanities. He had to run from pillar to post to get a favourable judgement. With the support of T Swarnalatha, his teacher from class 4, who translated all the books for him in audio format and braille he managed to score 93 percent. But the hurdle came when he wanted to join IIT after his pre-university. No entrance coaching institute gave him admission.
“I thought that if I could not get a seat at a renowned Indian institution, I must at least get into a world renowned institution. And I did,” said Bolla.
In 2009, when he had completed his pre-university from a college in Hyderabad, he wanted to get into IIT, but no coaching institute gave him admission. Undeterred, he applied to the MIT. “Around 120 seats are open to international students, and I was the only blind person,” he says. Presently, he is studying the final semester of his under-graduate degree in Computer Science and Business Management.
Born blind into an agricultural family in Sitaramapuram village in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, he was admitted to a blind school in Hyderabad. He excelled in studies and scored above 90 percent in his class 10 examinations. He wanted to be an engineer and applied for the physics, mathematics and chemistry group for pre-university. But the education department said that a visually challenged person could only take up humanities. He had to run from pillar to post to get a favourable judgement. With the support of T Swarnalatha, his teacher from class 4, who translated all the books for him in audio format and braille he managed to score 93 percent. But the hurdle came when he wanted to join IIT after his pre-university. No entrance coaching institute gave him admission.
As a student in India, Srikanth became involved with Lead India 2020, a national youth moverment, and received a citation for leadership from the former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
At MIT, Srikanth is planning to major in Brain and Cognitive Science and Management; he is also seriously considering Computer Science. After graduation, Srikanth would like to set up a software firm in India to provide employment for rural youth. His lifetime ambition is to become the President of India.
its very great and heart touching story.its an example to our society that if a person willing something than no one can stop him
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