How Karnataka Education Minister's Good Gesture Saved The Future Of A Visually Challenged Boy

In everyday discourse, an assumption is made more frequently than we realise. It is the belief that politicians remember the common man only when elections are nearing. But you won't be thinking the same upon knowing how a minister's good gesture transformed the life of a visually challenged 17-year-old boy.

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On Sunday night, Abhinav (name changed) was busy preparing for his II PU exam scheduled for the next day, but he had no idea that one piece of news would dampen his resolve to do well in the history paper.

Scribe became unavailable night before exam

Around 9.30 pm, his father received a call from his scribe's family. He was told that the 22-year-old woman, who was supposed to transcribe Abhinav's answer the next day, had suffered a miscarriage and that she won't be able to fulfil her part.

They also recommended a friend who was ready to write the exam, but that was only possible if the department of PU education approved the new scribe.

Alarmed by the development, Abhinav's parents rushed to the PU college principal's house. As per the process, the principal had to suggest a scribe to the deputy director of PU education, who would verify the qualification and approve it.

Boy's family was close to a breakdown

According to the principal, he did his part, but the DDPU didn't comply with the last-minute request stating that it would take time and could not be done overnight.

"I went blank. I was sure my son would go into depression. If he missed one exam, he would lose the entire year," the boy's mother told TOI.

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The family was on the verge of losing hope when the father recalled that he had the contact number of the school education and literacy minister, BC Nagesh.

"It was 11.30 pm. But I was desperate and decided to dial the minister," he said.

Minister went out of his way

"The minister himself attended the call. I told him that I am a common man, a parent. He initially sounded angry and asked me if I realised what time it was and whether it was the right time to call someone. I told him that I am the parent of a special child, who is writing the exam the next day. The minister immediately calmed down," the father told the publication.

Upon this, the minister went out of his way to bring respite to the troubled family.

"The minister patiently heard me out. I told him the crisis we were in and how the local officials had not helped. He immediately called the director of exams of Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board. He messaged me the director's number, asking us to contact him. He also spoke to the principal directly and directed him to help us out," the father added.

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Thereafter, the parents contacted the director of KSEAB, Gopalkrishna, who further directed the local officials. The team then went on conference calls till 2.30 am, working on the formalities.

They told the parents and the student to visit the treasury office for other formalities at 8 am the following day.

After all the formalities were completed in the morning, Abhinav was allowed to write the paper with a new scribe.

"...Now that we think about it, we are surprised that a minister himself stepped in after midnight to help a common man," said the mother.

The family told TOI they didn't want to be recognised but intended to share the story of a good gesture that saved their son's future.

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