Visually-impaired man earns PhD for first time at IIM Ahmedabad, set to teach at IIM Bodh Gaya

In a first, a visually-impaired man, earned his PhD from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad. Tarun Kumar Vashishth, 42, who hails from Uttarakhand, was the first blind doctoral student at the premiere B-school, Times of India reported. Vashishth studied the experience of blind employees in corporates in India.

Vashishth, who was born blind, is all set to teach as an assistant professor at IIM Bodh Gaya this month. According to experts, he could be the first full-time blind professor at an IIM. “I was lucky to have a very supportive family and environment that never made me realise that I had any deficiency. I studied at a ‘normal’ school and even studied subjects such as mathematics which are not generally opted by students with blindness,” he told Times of India.

“After my BSc degree, I cleared the entrance exam in general quota for IIT Roorkee. When I was called for an interview, the administration realised I was blind and refused admission citing I would not be able to cope with the study requirements,” he recalled. However, he got admission in IIM Ahmedabad for the doctoral programme under general category in 2018.

"The programme started in 1971 but I became the first candidate with a disability to get admission. It was a new experience for me and the Institute. PhD is an individualistic journey where I need to explore documents daily," Vashishth said.