Y. G. Parameshwara
Encyclopedia
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was the first Indian and only the second person in the world to become a doctor and practice medicine despite being blind.
Early life
Dr. Y.G.Parameshwar was born at Yallambelase in KadurKadur
Kadur is a taluk in Chikmagalur district, in the Indian state of Karnataka. It was formerly, a district in the Mysore state, with an area of 2813sq. m. Pop. , 362,752, showing an increase of 9% in the decade.-Geography:Kadur is located at...
taluk of Chikkamagaluru district. He studied medicine in Karnatak University
Karnatak University
The Karnatak University established initially at Mumbai in 1949, the location was shifted to Dharwad in October, 1949 and Karnatak University had its official inauguration in March 1950. The campus spans 750 acres . Dr. D. C. Pavate was the vice-chancellor of the university from 1954 to 1967...
but during his final year at MBBS
MBBS
MBBS was a popular BBS system in the Nordic countries during the mid-1990s. It was created by a team of Oslo-based enthusiasts, led by Mike Robertson. As many BBS systems of that era, it was only available for the DOS platform. Since one process could only handle one node, multitaskers such as...
he suffered retinal haemorrhage
Retinal haemorrhage
Retinal haemorrhage is a disorder of the eye in which bleeding occurs into the retina.The retina is a thin disc-shaped layer of light-sensitive tissue on the back wall of the eye. Its job is to translate what we see into neural impulses and send them to the brain via the optic nerve...
and lost his eyesight. He discontinued his studies for some time but was determined to complete his medical degree despite his vision being impaired. He succeeded in his venture and obtained an MBBS degree in 1977. With this, he became the first Indian and only the second blind doctor in the world; the first one being Dr. David Heartman of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On the personal front, he was married to his wife Prema and had two sons.
Career
After completing his MBBS, he started practicing medicine. In 1979, he was appointed Health Officer and Assistant Surgeon in the Department of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of KarnatakaGovernment of Karnataka
The Government of Karnataka is a democratically elected body with the Governor as the constitutional head. The Governor who is appointed for a period of five years appoints the Chief Minister and his council of ministers...
. He was also appointed as the curator of the Pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
museum in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
.. He decided later to devote himself to the teaching profession and joined the Bangalore Medical College
Bangalore Medical College
Bangalore Medical College , now renamed Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute , popularly known as BMC, is a medical college run by the Government of Karnataka. It is located on K.R. Road, near City Market...
as a lecturer in Pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
in 1980, a profession which he continued till his death.
Awards and recognition
The Ministry of Social Welfare of the Government of IndiaGovernment of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
awarded him in 1984 with a citation that said that the award was for public recognition of his outstanding performance as the most efficient employee in the category of visually impaired. This award was presented to him by the then President of India
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
, Giani Zail Singh. He was felicitated for his important service to the society by the organisation Chinnara Koota of Sagar
Sagara, India
Sâgara is a city located in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located within the Western Ghats range, it is known for its proximity to Jog Falls and to the historical places of Ikkeri and Keladi. Varadamoola, the origin of the river Varada, is also near Sagara...
in their first anniversary celebrations. Speaking in this function, Dr. Parameshwara indicated his dream of setting up a novel old-age home in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
with the financial help of the government and other non-governmental organisations. However, this remained as a dream because within a week of receiving this award, Dr. Parameshwara suffered a fatal cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
. In order to promote the significant achievement of the doctor, the members of Chinnara Koota decided to urge the Karnataka Pre university course
Pre University Course
Pre University Course, popularly known as PUC is an intermediate course of duration two years conducted by state education boards in India. A person desiring admission to any Indian university must pass this course. The course can be considered a bridge course to prepare students for university...
text book committee to include a lesson on the life of the doctor and the challenges he faced in one of the text books. They were helped in this venture by B.R. Vijayakumar, the Principal of the Government PU Women's College of Sagar, who was also a member of the Text Book Committee. Their efforts were recognised when a lesson on Dr. Parameshwara was included in the first year Pre University English Text Book in the year 2005. The first copy of this text book was presented to his widow Prema by Ramalinga Reddy, the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education in the Government of Karnataka
Government of Karnataka
The Government of Karnataka is a democratically elected body with the Governor as the constitutional head. The Governor who is appointed for a period of five years appoints the Chief Minister and his council of ministers...
.