She was the state’s first physically challenged candidate to qualify for the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) exams.
On Tuesday, the eve of World Braille Day, Jamshedpur’s Ranju Kumari (35) achieved another first. She became Jharkhand’s first winner of the coveted Neelum Khurshed Kanga Prizes, 2011-12, bestowed by National Association of Blind (NAB).
Ranju, now an official in the commercial income tax department (Jamshedpur circle), will go to Mumbai to receive the award on January 19.
NAB state secretary Atul Sahay said the organisation’s secretary-general Parimala Bhat confirmed Ranju’s selection on Tuesday.
“The NAB committee annually gives away the prestigious Neelum Khurshed Kanga Prizes to three visually impaired women from all over India for their outstanding achievements. This award was instituted in 1983. This year, one of the three recipients will be Ranju Kumari. She will become the first resident of Jharkhand to be so honoured,” said Sahay.
The award recognises the potential of blind women who are independent and have achieved distinction in various spheres, ranging from academics to mountaineering. It is named after Neelum Kanga, an activist, an ardent fund raiser for NAB and supporter of blind women.
Ranju, who lives in Golmuri’s Tuiladungri, said she became visually impaired at age four.
“I owe everything to the optimism and ambition of my parents, Urmila and Ganesh Prasad. They told me never to give up. There was never any pity or pessimism. I received only encouragement and appreciation from my parents,” she told The Telegraph.
The state government acted on Jharkhand High Court’s order in 2008 and started a special quota for disabled persons in JPSC exam.When Ranju decided to appear for the state civil services exam, her parents were overjoyed.
“Both of them studied with me. They read out notes and stories from newspapers to help my preparations. At times, my father, a retired engineer, explained the subjects. They were very patient,” Ranju, who had taken Hindi as her major subject, recalled.
