After cracking JEE Advanced, Naga Naresh Karutura was admitted to the prestigious IIT-Madras where earned his Bachelor’s degree (B.Tech) in engineering.
There are thousands of IIT-JEE success stories floating around on the internet about people who overcame odds to achieve their dreams, but amidst those stories, there a few which are not only inspirational but heart-touching. One such story is the journey of Naga Naresh Karutura, a young man who lost both his legs in a tragic accident at a young age, but instead of drowning in self-pity, worked tirelessly to earn an engineering degree from a prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and now has a high-paying job at Google.
Who is Naga Naresh Karutura?
Naga Naresh Karutura was born in a low-income family in Teeparru, a small village located along the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh. His father, a modest driver, and his mother, a homemaker, were both uneducated and had simple priorities such as ensuring how the family’s humble expenses could be met.
On top of the crushing poverty which plagued the family, Naresh’s life took another tragic turn when he fell from a lorry and lost both his legs. Narrating the horror, Naresh revealed that he was rushed to a nearby private hospital but was refused treatment because his parents could not pay the expenses.
The police then took him to a government hospital where doctors had to amputate both his legs, leaving him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
Yet, despite the tragic circumstance and the poverty-riddled childhood, Naresh refused to give up and immersed himself in studies. The young man recalls that he tried to live a normal life, making friends, going out and getting an education.
Naga Naresh early life, education
From his formative years Naga Naresh excelled in studies but soon had to drop out as his family could not afford to pay for his education. However, as fate would have it, the family moved to Tanuku where he was enrolled in a missionary school. Despite being physical challenged, Naresh thrived in studies and made friends who always treated him as an equal.
After completing his schooling, Naresh showcased his academic prowess when he cracked IIT-JEE, one of the toughest exams in the country, securing an impressive All-India Rank (AIR) of 992, and Rank 4 in the physically handicapped category.
Naga Naresh Karutura career
After cracking JEE Advanced, Naresh was admitted to the prestigious IIT-Madras where earned his Bachelor’s degree (B.Tech) in engineering. Recalling his experience at IIT Madras, Naresh recalls that he has nothing but positive memories from that time as institution made special arrangements, including making ramps, and giving him a powered wheelchair, to ensure he felt comfortable.
Naresh remembers how he was helped by random strangers, particularly a man named Sundar, who he met on a train, and he insisted to pay his hostel fees. The hospital which had treated him all those years ago paid his college tuition.
After completing his degree, Naresh received several offers from top firms in the country and the world but chose to work for tech giant Google as a software engineer.