Sherin Shahana TK, a resident of Kambalakkad village in Kerala’s Wayanad district, has set an example for all by securing 913th rank in the recently declared civil services exam results despite being confined to a wheelchair due to an unfortunate accident. (File Photo)
A 27-year-old resident of Wayanad, Kerala, T K Sherin Shahana is paralysed and moves around in a wheelchair. Her life has been full of hardships. Her father passed away in 2015. The family was still recovering from this loss when, in 2017, she fell from the roof, suffering a severe spinal injury that left her lower body and arms paralysed. She was bedridden for nearly two years, with her mother and sister supporting her throughout. (Image: Instagram/@sherinshahana5/upsckerala)
Sherin Shahana had always aspired to become an IAS officer since her childhood. She received her early education at a local government school before pursuing her higher studies at a college in Sulthan Bathery, Wayanad. After the accident, she started studying online and cleared the NET-JRF in Political Science. She successfully earned a post-graduate degree in political science from Calicut University. During her UPSC preparation, she received significant support from Murali Thummarukudy, Chief of the UN Environment Programme (Disaster Risk Reduction). (Image: Instagram/@absoluteiasacademy)
Sherin Shahana took the UPSC 2022 exam from a wheelchair, opting for Malayalam and using a scribe to write the exam. However, her challenges did not end there. She had a car accident that put her in the hospital. Due to the accident, Shahana lost her memory and was unable to read or write. When the UPSC 2022 results were announced, she was still in a hospital bed. (Image: Instagram/@fortune.ias)
Despite all the difficulties, she was determined to pursue her childhood dream of a career in civil services. In an interview, Shahana expressed the need to accept herself and her circumstances, acknowledging that her present life held a greater significance. During her time confined to the bed and subsequently, in a wheelchair, she found solace in a singular dream of cracking the UPSC exam and her world was confined to her mother only. (Image: Instagram/@absoluteiasacademy)
