Manu Garg (23) has the ‘QWERTY’ keypad imprinted in his mind’s eye. He calls it his best-kept secret that permitted him to type out notes, despite his disability — Manu is blind — while prepping for the UPSC CSE 2024.

As he chats with The Better India about his AIR 91, he recalls having numerous breakdown moments in the months leading up to the exams, often touted to be the toughest to crack among exams in India. “A night before the results, I was so anxious. I wasn’t able to sleep. I just wanted to see my name on the list of people who had cleared,” he shares.

The day of the results, Manu did not have to scan too far down the list. His name was branded at AIR 91. His wish was not only answered, but how! “The feeling hasn’t set in yet.” He is honest. He says his win is even more consequential because it saw him applying the lessons of his first attempt when he failed to clear the mains in the UPSC CSE 2023.

‘Started losing my vision in Class 8’

Jaipur-based Manu aced his school life. Though born with a vision impairment, it hadn’t deterred him from routine tasks until Class 8, when, after his teacher asked him to read aloud a paragraph, he discovered he couldn’t. The words were blur; it was impossible to decipher the text. “In a few days, I wasn’t able to write in a straight line. The words would overlap.”

Multiple diagnoses later, Manu was told he had retinitis pigmentosa. The rare genetic disorder impedes the function of the retina’s photoreceptor cells (the retina is filled with rods and cones that convert light into electrical signals, making it possible to see).

The condition causes progressive vision loss. There is no cure.

Even as Manu’s vision began to decline steadily, his mental vision remained razor-sharp. He was headstrong towards fulfilling his childhood dream — to crack the UPSC CSE exam, and through his role as an officer, to effect change in his country.

Manu began scouring the........

© The Better India