An officer of the Indian Army and a railway employee who have defeated their visual impairment in style were felicitated in the city on Saturday.

Also celebrated was an organisation that has been instrumental in promoting sports among those who lack sight.

The Disha Samman, accorded by Disha Eye Hospitals, recognises the struggles of the sightless. The eighth edition of the awards ceremony was held at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in New Town.

This year’s awardees included Lt Col Dwarakesh; Paritosh Biswas, the railway employee, and the Blind and Para Judo Association of Bengal.

Lt Col Dwarakesh, who lost his vision while on duty, is the first officer in the history of the army to serve in an administrative capacity despite a hundred per cent loss of eyesight. He has scripted records in Paralympic shooting, swimming and mountaineering. He set his footprints in the Siachen Glacier at 16,000ft. He is a part of the Indian Parashooting team.

He received the award virtually from Air Marshal Ajay Kumar Pan.

Paritosh Biswas is a well-recognised figure among regular travellers at Sealdah railway station. He became a part of the Indian Railways in 1990 and currently holds the position of a commercial supervisor in the Sealdah Division of Eastern Railway.

Biswas, a resident of Naihati in North 24-Parganas, has local train schedules programmed in his brain and guides commuters to the right platform. On Saturday, Sealdah divisional railway manager Rajeev Saxena presented him with the
award.

The Blind and Para Judo Association of Bengal was founded in 2014 by Amit Kumar Chourasiya and Prabir Kumar Sinha. A familiar name in the combat sports circuit, the academy trains teenagers with visual impairment in judo, karate and mixed martial arts. The association has mentored champions who have brought laurels to the state and nation.

Chourasiya, the president, and Sinha, the secretary, received the award on Saturday along with trainees mentored by the association.

“Through Disha Samman, we aim to honour individuals who transform their challenges into bravery and their hardships into motivation. The awardees this year serve as a reminder that genuine vision is not solely about sight, but also resilience, service and the capacity to illuminate the path for others,” said Debashish Bhattacharya, chairman and managing director, Disha Eye Hospitals.