Achievers break barriers, reap rich haul at Karnataka State Open University convocation

Mysuru: Challenges of work schedule and family life were not barriers for their achievement. Age and distance was just a number, for 7,869 students from various backgrounds, who bagged various degrees, including 41 people who obtained PhD, 58 who got cash prize and 54 who got gold medal at the 20th annual convocation of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) in Mysuru, on Thursday.

Civil engineer, Morarji Desai Residential School student, an attender of the Health department bagged the first rank:

29-year-old Uttesh Reddy, a farmer's son, who has done BE Civil, is serving as hospital attender grade 2 of the Health and Family Welfare department at Raichur Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS). He bagged the first rank in MSc in Environment Science and KSOU endowment gold medal.

Uttesh Reddy

Uttesh, who studied upto class 5 in the government school at his Hosa Eragudi in Ballari taluk, studied from 6 to class 12 in Morarji Desai School in Ballari district, and did BE from Government Engineering College in Raichur.

As he had scored 81.64% marks in SSLC, he was selected to serve as attender grade 2 at RIMS, when he was in third year of BE in 2016. Since he didn't get permit, he had to give up his studies for an year. After taking permit, he studied during night and worked during day and completed BE. He did well in KAS prelims in 2024, but since the exam was called off, he couldn't take re-exam, due to his personal reasons. Son of Aiyappa Reddy and Shyamalamma, he plans to do PhD in Environment Science.

"Since it is a government job, I am continuing. I hope for a promotion in my own department, based on my qualifications. I have plans to take up the civil services examination," Utthesh said.

B R Sushma gave exam during six months pregnancy and bagged the first rank and gold medal:

32-year-old Sushma wrote her first year MA exam in Education when she was six month pregnant at Mangaluru centre. Besides getting first rank, she got the Alumni association gold medal. A native of Mudubidri and lecturer in Rotary PU College of Mudubidri, Sushma had come to the convocation with her two-year-old son, father Babu Bangera, a retired police sub-inspector, and mother Rohini.

While Sushma's husband Roshan Moolya works in Sharja, UAE, she said, "Neither age nor situations will be a barrier. One can achieve anything, with family support, if one believes in self, follows dreams, and works hard. In order to make the best use of free time, during my pregnancy, and to achieve my dreams, I took up the course. I want to pursue PhD in Education".

An IT industry veteran, heading a strategic business centre of an IT company at Mysuru, M R Murthy, obtained a PhD degree amid his hectic schedule and zeal to achieve further and contribute more to the society. With people getting more health conscious and with growing awareness on advantages of millets and their usage, Murthy who has done MSc in Bio Sciences, got a PhD for his thesis on 'Disease management of Pearl Millets', to help farmers