Blind teacher beats all odds, earns PhD on Mahatma Gandhi

Nikesh Madare enrolled in BAMU and put in extra effort to obtain the PhD in less than three years.

Nikesh Madare, a completely visually-challenged teacher from Jalna, Maharashtra, has achieved a major feat by obtaining a PhD on Mahatma Gandhi, braving all odds.

“Besides strengthening my biodata, my main aim behind getting a PhD was to make society believe that blind people are equally capable and not inept in any field as thought by many,” said the 36-year-old teacher.

Nikesh, who was among the toppers in the SSC as well as the HSC board examination, is currently serving as a teacher at Guru Ganesh Blind School in Jalna after completing his B.Ed.

He enrolled for PhD with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University in 2019-20 by selecting a research topic themed on the ‘Relevance of the principle of non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi’.

“Obviously, there was a dearth of study material in Braille script. So, I relied on audiobooks, videos and documentaries. I also took the help of readers for taking notes from scholarly books written on Gandhiji,” Nikesh said.

As a part of his research work, he also visited Gandhi Sevagram Ashram in Wardha and Mani Bhavan in Mumbai, among other places, which are linked with the life and work of Gandhiji.

“I was the only one born blind, whereas my four sisters and brother were born normal. My parents were from a humble background and always worried about my future since my childhood,” Nikesh said.

“Ever since I gained understanding, I dreamt of freeing my parents from that worry. While they were already relieved when I got a job and got married, the PhD in the arm now will definitely bring them more joy,” he added.

Venkat Lamb, Nikesh’s PhD guide, said the visually challenged teacher made an exceptional effort to obtain the PhD.

“He had worked three times that of other research candidates as the disability increased his work. Nikesh is an inspiration to all,” he said.

Courtesy: The Times of India, January 4, 2024.