BENGALURU: For 18-year-old Madhukesh Bhat, the journey till writing Common Entrance Test (CET) 2018 on Wednesday has been an arduous one. Madhukesh is suffering from dystonic cerebral palsy and his condition did not allow him to write the test like other students. But he was determined to write the test with the help of a scribe.
“We had our fingers crossed until Tuesday evening when Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) called us to inform that a scribe can be used to write the CET on behalf of Madhukesh,” said mother Sharada, adding, “We had almost lost hope that he would be able to write the test. His junior in college appeared as a scribe for him. Madhukesh attempted Mathematics paper on Day-1 and felt it was easy. Considering his case as a special once, KEA provided him 20 extra minutes and also a separate room.
“I always wanted to become a computer engineer and hence I had opted for PCMC combination at the pre-university level,” Madhukesh told The New Indian Express. It was not an easy job for Madhukesh and his parents to get a seat at a PU college in city either. Though he had secured 91% in Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations, many colleges refused him admission. Some colleges were ready to give admission, but not in science stream.
“We struggled hard to get him admitted to a PU college. After getting rejected by several colleges, Jain College in Jayanagar agreed to admit him. We thank the principal and teachers as they got special permission from the pre-university education department to get a scribe for our son to appear for the computer lab exams,” said Sharada.
“I did not find any problem after joining the college. Though it was little difficult for my classmates and teachers to understand my words, everyone treated me like a normal person and supported me well,” said Madhukesh. Madhukesh’s condition is from birth and parents are trying to help him through yoga classes. “He can’t eat on his own. Even to wear clothes, he needs our help. We are proud of his educational achievements,” Sharada added.