City bus driver gets PhD degree

When research is still considered as the preserve of brainy persons, here is a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) driver-cum-conductor who has silently achieved his goal of securing a PhD degree. He aspires to take up teaching as a profession in the future.

Hailing from a rural background, Mohana H M, aged 37 years, is serving as a city bus conductor-cum-driver. His thesis on ‘Hoysala Raja Santhathiya Avanathi: Ondu Adhyayana’ (Fall of Hoysala Dynasty: A Study) has been considered for the award of PhD degree by the University of Mysore (UoM). He will be eligible to receive the degree during the next convocation, as communicated by the office of registrar (evaluation), UoM.
Mohana’s grit and determination for research after his eight-hour shift on job, which is understandably very stressful, has finally paid rich  dividends.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, an elated Mohana thanked his higher officers for being very understanding and encouraging him in his effort and Negilayogi Samaja Seva Trust for boosting his confidence. He is currently working at bus depot in Vijayanagar here.

Mohana completed primary education at Harohalli and PUC at Vijaya Educational Institution, both at Pandavapura in Mandya district and shifted to Mysuru for his graduation. However, he could clear the backlog and emerge as a graduate from Maharaja’s College only in 2009, three years after joining the service in 2006. He later pursued his MA in History at Karnataka State Open University (KSOU).

Nurturing his dream of PhD, Mohana enrolled in 2012, after passing the mandatory entrance exam in 2011. He never forgets to thank his guide N Saraswathi.
He said he spent most of his time at the University Library and Prasaranga (the publication wing of the university) to glean the required information required for his thesis, after the duty hours. 

Mohana also has the credit of passing Karnataka State Eligibility Test (KSET) exams in his maiden attempt in 2013 and yearns to appear for the UGC-NET exam.

Mohana, who married three months ago, got able support from his wife, who does multiple roles; she works on a temporary basis at University of Mysore and has also taken up a course in journalism. Mohana says he wil continue to steer the wheels till he gets a teaching job.