Bhubaneswar: Overcoming visual impairment and financial hardships, a 32-year-old teacher from Jajpur district has successfully cleared the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) Examination 2023, securing the 300th rank in his third attempt.
Mahesh Kumar Panda, a resident of Bada Biruhan village in Korei block, has been serving as an Odia teacher at Adarsha Vidyalaya in Kuleilo under Cuttack district’s Athagarh block, since 2016.
Blind since birth, Panda was raised in a modest farming family as the youngest of five siblings. His father supported the seven-member household through agriculture. Despite his challenges, Panda remained committed to his education.
He completed his matriculation from the School for the Blind in Nuapada in 2009, graduated from Ravenshaw University, earned a B.Ed from the Central University of Odisha in Koraput, and completed post-graduation in Odia from Utkal University.
Financial constraints following his schooling were eased with assistance from local benefactors and organisations such as Yuga Nirman Vidya Parishad and the Gayatri Mission, Cuttack, who sponsored his higher education.
Balancing his teaching responsibilities with civil services preparation, Panda followed a strict schedule.
“I would teach during the day and study from 10 pm to 1–2 am,” he shared. “YouTube helped a lot during my preparation. One major challenge was finding a scribe to write my exam. Thankfully, with advancements in technology, things are improving for visually impaired aspirants.”
Panda expressed gratitude to his family and well-wishers for their unwavering support. “I want to dedicate my life to the welfare of the state,” he said.
