https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Lost his Vision, Not his Hope

Umesh Labana became 100% visually impaired by the age of 14. He did not lose hope and went on to read and understand braille for his further studies. He cracked the UPSC CSE 2020 with AIR-397 in his third attempt.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Nothing can be more disheartening than seeing the beautiful world with its bright colors one day and blurring them out gradually from your life over time and finally seeing literally nothing even when your eyes are open.

This happened to Umesh Labana who wasn’t born visually impaired but found himself slowly losing vision as his age advanced. By the time he entered class 9, he found himself as a 100 percent visually challenged person. But he didn’t lose hope and went on to clear the toughest examination of India in his third attempt.

LOST HIS VISION GRADUALLY

Umesh’s story is of a humble village boy rising from a dead-end. He credits his success to his struggle, hard work, and a support system based on human relationships and technology that helped him reach such an accomplishment.

Born and brought up in the Kolar village near Nahan in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, Umesh studied in a government school. It was during his teen years, around the time he entered class 9th when he realized that he was losing his vision drastically.

“I used to peddle bicycle and race a motorbike to charm, my fellow friends, at the village. My vision was deteriorating gradually, yet I could distinguish light and darkness. But, by the time I had reached class 9, my vision had blurred almost totally. I was not sure if I will be able to complete the 10th or 12th. But for the support of my father, Daljit Singh, who used to read out lessons for me, and mother, who was a school teacher, I almost had to quit my studies”, says Umesh.

Umesh with his parents

TRED ALL POSSIBLE WAYS

Umesh’s parents knocked on many doors and even tried to get his admission done at the National Institute of Visually Handicapped (NIVH), Dehradun. However, it did not work.

“By this time, I was informed about the availability of braille books and screen readers for visually impaired persons. One of the great motivating persons was Dinesh Sood, a visually challenged teacher at Nahan, who trained me in braille within three days at his house. Thereafter, I never had to look back,” says Umesh Labana.

AN ACTIVE STUDENT

Umesh has always been a dreamer. He wishes to do everything that a normal person can do. His curiosity about life made him one of the most likable and proactive students in his university when he went to Shimla for his Post Graduation. He recalls how his perceptions about life changed as his fellow students and teachers never allowed him to feel his disabilities.

“In the classrooms, Umesh used to be quite proactive, asking questions to clear doubts and participating in discussions. He used to maintain all his lecture notes at his laptop and revised them word to word in the evening before going to the next day’s class,” recalls Prof Ajay Srivastava, who is an expert member at Himachal Pradesh University’s Advisory board for physically challenged persons.

UPSC CSE 2020

Such motivation led him to prepare for the UPSC CS examination. Everyone that he knew supported him during his preparation. The entire village came together to motivate the 28-year-old through his journey. And all that support paid off, when Umesh cleared the UPSC CSE 2020 examinations in his third attempt, with AIR-397!

The celebration of his victory started at his village since the day the newspapers and social media flashed his name among the achievers in the civil service exam. Congratulatory messages started pouring in from all around. His villagers said that this is “not a simple achievement.”

Umesh looked forward to joining the elite IAS service and working on projects to change the mindset of society towards physically challenged or visually impaired people.

“It’s not all about cracking the UPSC exam but an example for thousands struggling with physical disabilities to change their destiny with determination and hard work. I also want to tell youths not to make UPSC a question of life and death. If not the first time, make the second attempt and also the third, as I did after failing my first two attempts in 2018 and 2019,” he says.

His journey from Kolar to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where he is pursuing his P.hD in Political Science, is inspiring, heart-warming, and highly motivating for people fighting physical disabilities.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Reserve-Bank-of-India_RBI_resized
RBI Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar Gets One-Year Extension
Manipur Public Service Commission
Former IFS SS Chhabra Appointed Chairman of Manipur Public Service Commission
images - 2021-07-23T090739
84 Judicial Officers Reshuffled Across Punjab, Justice Virinder Aggarwal Moved to Faridkot
Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Coaching Scheme Uttar Pradesh1
UP: 13 Students from Yogi Govt’s Abhyudaya Coaching Scheme Crack UPSC 2024, Shine on National Stage
Uttar Pradesh UP Government
15 IPS officers Transferred in Uttar Pradesh, Arvind Mishra Appointed SP Kanpur Dehat, Sudha Singh DIG Railway, Lucknow
IAS Officers New Image
7 IAS Officers, Anju Sharma & Nitishwar Kumar, Empanelled for Addl Secy-Level Posts at Centre
prateek jain ias
IAS Prateek Jain Transferred to Gujarat Cadre on Grounds of Marriage
epfo
ICAS Sanjay Pandey Elevated to Additional Secretary Rank in EPFO
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Lokesh M IAS
E-Rickshaw Chaos, Waterlogging, Traffic Mess — Can Noida Fix Its Daily Chaos? | Exclusive with Dr Lokesh M, IAS
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
IRS Padmapani Bora’s 16-Year-Long Journey in Governance
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
This Collector Finds Happiness In Squeaks Of Children With Hearing Impairment Who Start Hearing After Surgery
UPSC Stories
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-22 at 21.00
AIR-11, Ettaboyina Sai Shivani: The Girl Who Quietly Dreamt, and Loudly Delivered in UPSC CSE 2024
At 24, Ettaboyina Sai Shivani from Warangal cracked UPSC 2024 with AIR 11—no coaching, no shortcuts....
Shah margi chirag
Fifth Attempt, AIR 4: Shah Margi Chirag’s Steady Climb to Success | Exclusive
After five attempts, Margi Chirag Shah secured AIR 4 in UPSC CSE 2024. Her journey reflects focus, simplicity,...
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-22 at 16.36
UPSC CSE 2024 How CA Harshita Goyal Carved Her Path to AIR 2
Haryana-born, Gujarat-raised — meet UPSC star, Harshita Goyal, a CA, a social worker, an accomplished...
Social Media
GozJlgrXYAAHoKv
Murals for Cleanliness: Thoothukudi District Launches Art-Inspired Sanitation Drive in Panchayats
Local artists add colour and messages to village walls, promoting hygiene and community pride
Himanshu Nagpal IAS
Varanasi's Beggar Rehabilitation Initiative Recognised by UIDAI, CDO Himanshu Nagpal Shares the News
Mr. Himanshu Nagpal is a 2019-batch IAS officer
IAS Vaishali Chopra
Young IAS Vaishali Chopra Takes a Stand Against Caste Bias During Field Training in Uttar Pradesh
While the issue itself may seem small, the post is resonating widely online for its honest reflection...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Reserve-Bank-of-India_RBI_resized
RBI Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar Gets One-Year Extension
Manipur Public Service Commission
Former IFS SS Chhabra Appointed Chairman of Manipur Public Service Commission
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Lokesh M IAS
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT