Agra: Cutting through the list of lakh of aspirants in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Service Exam a 26-year-old Vaishali Sharma who has 80% of hearing impairment has become the topper in the physical disability category for two years in a row now.
Vaishali an MBBS from Aligarh Muslim University scored 824 out of 2,025 in last year’s examination and was ranked second, but was not selected on the grounds of being ‘physically unfit’ as she was overweight. Candidates need to pass a medical examination, where their BMI is also measured among other things.
Without losing her hope this time she committed to getting fit once and for all and scored a whopping 970 marks, thus coming first in the special category this year.
Vaishali said she was shocked and disappointed after not making the cut despite getting herself certified by the government’s health department.
In an interview with TOI, she said, “I spent long hours in the AMU library studying by myself. I started lip reading and observed people keenly to understand their body language and expressions.”
This year, she aced the interview and managed to score 170 marks out of 275.