<p>Dr Rao who is visually challenged has never allowed his disability to be his drawback. Though unable to read, he guides his students through the most complicated statistics problems and as a result his students have managed to bag the international ‘Jan Tinbergen Award’ three times.<br /><br />This award is conferred to three young statisticians from developing countries for the best statistics paper once in two years. Under the guidance of Dr Rao, Kavitha Bhat had bagged the award in 2005 for her paper ‘Inference for normal mean with no coefficient of variation’ followed by Archana V who won the award in 2007 for her paper ‘Some improved estimates of coefficient of variation in finite populations’.<br /><br />This year Kavitha S Mehendale and Manjula Kalluraya have brought the honour back to the University by winning the award for their paper ‘Behren Fisher problem and <br />Distribution free test for Equality of mean’.<br /><br />Speaking to Deccan Herald, young statisticians Kavitha and Manjula say that they dedicate the award to Dr Rao, who has helped and motivated them in every hurdle they came across in the research process.<br /><br />“When professor had asked me to take the Behren Fisher Problem as my topic for my Masters research last year, I was not happy. It was a difficult research topic and my other classmates had selected much easier topics,” says Kavitha who adds that during the process of research, she found the topic extremely interesting and continued research after her masters with her junior Manjula.<br /><br />“Now, I am very happy that I had taken up the research. I feel that our efforts have paid off,” says Kavitha and remembers the difficulties the Professor had undertaken to guide them.<br /><br />“We used to read aloud to the Professor and he used to tell us solutions. He is a man of in depth knowledge of this subject. He takes extra pains to ensure his students excel,” she says.<br /><br />Manjula Kalluraya (23) who is the youngest researcher to receive the award till date is very happy and is all in praises for the Professor.“We shall receive a certificate and 2269 Euros as a grant,” she reveals.<br /><br />Kavitha will present the paper at 58th ISI World Statistics Congress to be held at Ireland of International Statistical institute, Dublin from August 21 to 26.<br />Speaking to Deccan Herald, Dr Rao reveals that he was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at the age of 26. “Over the years my vision kept deteriorating. Now at the age of 59 I am 90 per cent blind,” he says and adds that he has never lost his confidence. “In spite of my blindness, I was the Ist rank holder in M Sc Statistics at Karnatak University, Dharwad in 1973,” he says. Kavitha Bhat has completed her Phd under the Professor’s guidance and Archana V is on a verge of completion.<br /><br />“People have a wrong notion that blind people are unable to achieve great things. I want my achievement to motivate all the people with disability,” says a humble Dr Rao.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Dr Rao who is visually challenged has never allowed his disability to be his drawback. Though unable to read, he guides his students through the most complicated statistics problems and as a result his students have managed to bag the international ‘Jan Tinbergen Award’ three times.<br /><br />This award is conferred to three young statisticians from developing countries for the best statistics paper once in two years. Under the guidance of Dr Rao, Kavitha Bhat had bagged the award in 2005 for her paper ‘Inference for normal mean with no coefficient of variation’ followed by Archana V who won the award in 2007 for her paper ‘Some improved estimates of coefficient of variation in finite populations’.<br /><br />This year Kavitha S Mehendale and Manjula Kalluraya have brought the honour back to the University by winning the award for their paper ‘Behren Fisher problem and <br />Distribution free test for Equality of mean’.<br /><br />Speaking to Deccan Herald, young statisticians Kavitha and Manjula say that they dedicate the award to Dr Rao, who has helped and motivated them in every hurdle they came across in the research process.<br /><br />“When professor had asked me to take the Behren Fisher Problem as my topic for my Masters research last year, I was not happy. It was a difficult research topic and my other classmates had selected much easier topics,” says Kavitha who adds that during the process of research, she found the topic extremely interesting and continued research after her masters with her junior Manjula.<br /><br />“Now, I am very happy that I had taken up the research. I feel that our efforts have paid off,” says Kavitha and remembers the difficulties the Professor had undertaken to guide them.<br /><br />“We used to read aloud to the Professor and he used to tell us solutions. He is a man of in depth knowledge of this subject. He takes extra pains to ensure his students excel,” she says.<br /><br />Manjula Kalluraya (23) who is the youngest researcher to receive the award till date is very happy and is all in praises for the Professor.“We shall receive a certificate and 2269 Euros as a grant,” she reveals.<br /><br />Kavitha will present the paper at 58th ISI World Statistics Congress to be held at Ireland of International Statistical institute, Dublin from August 21 to 26.<br />Speaking to Deccan Herald, Dr Rao reveals that he was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at the age of 26. “Over the years my vision kept deteriorating. Now at the age of 59 I am 90 per cent blind,” he says and adds that he has never lost his confidence. “In spite of my blindness, I was the Ist rank holder in M Sc Statistics at Karnatak University, Dharwad in 1973,” he says. Kavitha Bhat has completed her Phd under the Professor’s guidance and Archana V is on a verge of completion.<br /><br />“People have a wrong notion that blind people are unable to achieve great things. I want my achievement to motivate all the people with disability,” says a humble Dr Rao.<br /><br /></p>
