From Railway Station Dustbin To The Collector's Office: The Moving Story Of Mala Papalkar
Mala Papalkar was abandoned as a baby at the Jalgaon railway station in Maharashtra. She overcame visual impairment and hardships to secure a government job in Nagpur by passing the MPSC exam
No one can truly predict what destiny holds for a person; life often unfolds in unexpected ways. About 25 years ago, a little girl was found crying inconsolably in a dustbin at a railway station. The police took this visually impaired child into their care and searched extensively for her parents without success. She was then taken to a remand home, where her true journey began.
The girl found a guardian and later a mentor who moulded her, enabling her to fight the harsh world. This same girl, once abandoned in a dustbin, has now achieved remarkable success through her hard work. She secured a government job in the Collector’s Office by passing the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) examination.
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From Dustbin To Success
Around 25 years ago, the visually challenged girl was left in a dustbin at Jalgaon railway station in Maharashtra. With her parents unknown and missing, the police took the newborn, later named Mala, to a remand home in Jalgaon. She was later sent to a rehabilitation home with better facilities for the deaf and visually impaired in Paratwada, Amravati, 270 km away.
Here, the little girl was named Mala Papalkar, with her surname given by her mentor, Padma award winner, 81-year-old Shankarbaba Papalkar. He nurtured her talent, taught her Braille, and made her a pioneer among visually impaired and orphaned children. Another noble person, Professor Amol Patil, director of Unique Academy, Amravati, took on the responsibility of coaching Mala for the MPSC exams. Now, Mala has passed the MPSC exam and will soon start her first posting in the Nagpur Collector’s Office.
Last May, Mala Papalkar passed the Clerk-cum-Typist exam (Group C) of MPSC, making headlines. Three days ago, 26-year-old Mala received an appointment letter informing her of her posting as Revenue Assistant in the Nagpur Collectorate. She is set to join her new role in the next 8-10 days after completing the formalities.
A Journey Of Sheer Determination
Blessed with extraordinary talent and an exceptional memory, Mala completed her postgraduate studies. Despite failing twice to clear the tehsildar post exam in August 2022 and December 2023, she later passed the MPSC clerk (typewriting) exam with the help of a scribe.
Her success brought immense joy to the care centre in Paratwada, her home for 25 years. An excited Patil and other teachers of Unique Academy felicitated Mala on Saturday. “Her success is extremely satisfying," Patil said, calling her an inspiration for competitive exam aspirants. Sixty-seven students from Patil’s institute have been selected for the post of Revenue Assistant.
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