Twenty-five years ago, an infant girl with visual impairment was discovered abandoned in a dustbin at Jalgaon railway station in Maharashtra. Despite efforts to locate her parents proving fruitless, authorities intervened, transferring the distressed and malnourished newborn to a remand home in Jalgaon. Subsequently, she was relocated to a specialized rehabilitation center for the deaf and blind, situated 270 km away in Paratwada, Amravati.
After being rescued, she was named Mala Papalkar. Over the span of two decades, she has achieved remarkable success, recently passing the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exam. Now, she is preparing to embark on a new journey as a clerk-cum-typist at Mantralaya, the Maharashtra secretariat in Mumbai. The announcement of her successful exam results was made on Thursday.
Mala's mentor, 81-year-old Padma awardee Shankarbaba Papalkar, not only bestowed upon her his surname but also played a crucial role in fostering her talent. He provided her with education in Braille and guided her, transforming her into a trailblazer in the realm of visually challenged and orphaned children.
According to a report of TOI, "God sent angels to rescue me and take me to where I am today. I won't stop here. I will sit for the UPSC exams and become an IAS officer."
According to Shankarbaba, Mala finished her primary education at a school for the blind and passed higher secondary with first division. "She did her graduation in 2018 from Amravati University and post-graduation in arts from Govt Vidarbha Institute of Science and Humanities. She used braille and took the help of a writer in every exam. Prof Prakash Tople Patil of Daryapur later adopted her for her education.