Mysore/Mysuru: Coming from a humble background, Chandrashekhara — whose father Sannappa is a shepherd and mother Shanthamma a manual labourer — has set his sights high in Kannada literature after securing 13 gold medals and four cash prizes in Kannada. He hails from Kannerumadu village at Kanakagiri, Koppal.

Recalling his difficult childhood, Chandrashekhara said he experienced extreme poverty from a young age and could not attend school from Classes 1 to 4 as he had to accompany his father to graze sheep. “My father continues in the same profession even today, and our family depends on that income to eke out a living,” he said.

“I have studied Kannada literature in depth, especially the works of Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa, and had the opportunity to interact with several noted litterateurs during my M.A. Kannada course. I wish to continue my research and academic pursuits in Kannada,” he added.

B.S. Varnika, who secured 24 gold medals and six cash prizes in Chemistry, hails from Mulki in Mangaluru. Her parents, Niranjan and Shubhalakshmi, are both teachers.

Attributing her achievement to dedicated study and hard work, Varnika said she plans to pursue a Ph.D. and contribute to improving human life through chemistry research and scholarship.

Prerana, who bagged 16 gold medals in M.Tech (Civil Engineering) at the National Institute of Engineering (NIE) under the Urban and Regional Planning stream, is the daughter of Lokaprakash Narayan and Shilpa.

She expressed her desire to pursue research in her field, which focuses on training professionals to design, manage and develop sustainable cities and regions. “I want to combine technical planning, policy and research to address the challenges of rapid urbanisation and infrastructure growth,” she said.