Student, who studied during 6-hour travel daily, bags 7 gold medals in MSc
BANGALORE: When Bangalore University denied her hostel accommodation, she took it up as a challenge and travelled nearly six hours every day back and forth from her home in Doddaballapur to Jnanabharathi campus of the varsity.
Managing her studies while travelling, Shruthi D L, an MSc Physics student in Atmosphere and Space Sciences, has bagged the highest number of gold medals this year. She will be awarded seven gold medals for her academic excellence at the University’s 49th annual convocation on Tuesday.
“When I joined postgraduation, I was hoping to find hostel accommodation, as a lot of travel was involved (from home to the university). However, the hostels were full and I had no choice but to travel every day from home. I made the best use of time and studied everything that was taught in the class during the six-hour to-and-fro journey daily,” Shruthi told Deccan Herald.
Hardwork comes to her by nature. “I had promised my mother that I would get a gold medal, but I did not expect to get seven of them,” she said, adding that she had won seven gold medals in BSc, too.
Ahead of the exams, she slept for only one hour at night and during exams, she cut back even on that one hour and studied through the night, she said. She also spent time in the university library for extra references that were not part of the syllabus.
Shruthi aims to pursue research in remote-sensing and dreams of meeting former president of India Dr Abdul Kalam. “I want to meet all the celebrated scientists, Kalam being one of them.”
During MSc, the department had made all the students take a competitive test conducted by Isro and she topped that as well, winning a Rs 60,000 fellowship.
Teaching is her passion
Another topper is Noorjan A R, who completed MSc Chemistry from the university. She will be awarded six gold medals and three cash prizes. She is currently pursuing BEd at Bapu College in the City and is passionate about teaching. “Even as a student in school, I dreamt of being a teacher. I am very passionate about it and hence decided to pursue BEd,” she said.
She will apply for PhD, too, in Organic Chemistry. Her father is a daily wage labourer and she had to depend on scholarships. A high scorer, she bagged the second rank during the selection for postgraduation and managed to secure a scholarship. “Thankfully, I had to pay a nominal fee of Rs 550 per year. Also, I was getting scholarship from Jindal Foundation. My father took care of books.”
She has also taken up a part-time job to manage her finances.
5 medals in Sanskrit
Rajendra Bhat, a student of the BU’s Sanskrit department, will be awarded five gold medals and two cash prizes at the convocation. This is the second Master’s degree Bhat has pursued. A native of Sirsi, both his parents are farmers. “I pursued postgraduation at Srimatha Samskrutha Paathashaala near Sirsi. I wanted to pursue a regular MA and hence enrolled myself in BU. I worked towards the gold medal,” he said.
Bhat, who finds Sanskrit a fascinating language, feels that the government should actively push for its sustenance. “The main reason people do not take this up is due to the limited job opportunities. However, if the government appoints Sanskrit teachers in government schools, it will not only generate employment but will also keep the language alive.
Instead of giving low enrolment as an excuse, the authorities should appoint teachers and students will be encouraged to pursue Sanskrit,” he says.
Currently, he teaches at Maharani Ammanni College and Himanshu Jyothikala in the City.
