Determination stronger than disability, say DSMNRU passouts | Lucknow News

Lucknow: Dr Shakuntala Mishra National Rehabilitation University celebrated resilience, inclusivity and academic triumph at its 12th convocation ceremony on Tuesday. Atal Auditorium resonated with applause and emotion as 2,113 students were conferred degrees and 166 awarded medals. As medals were handed over, smiles lit up faces of students while professors and families looked on with pride. The auditorium glowed with warmth and encouragement, every cheer echoing the shared joy of achievement and hope for a brighter, more inclusive future.The day began with a ceremonial procession, yet, it was voices of students that gave the convocation its heart. Highlight was a stirring speech by Annanya, 14, on women empowerment and equal opportunities.“Society must stop looking at girls as weak or secondary as we deserve equal pay, opportunities and respect and given chance, women can lead in classrooms, boardrooms and on global stage. I stand here as a young voice, but with the belief that change begins today,” she said.There was overwhelming presence of differently-abled students among medalists and their stories of determination were inspiring and testament to the university’s ethos of inclusive education.“Mobility has been a struggle, but I refused to let it define my potential,” said Prashant Gond, B Ed special education, intellectual disability, gold medalist. He added, “Every step I took reminded that determination is stronger than disability. Teaching children with special needs is not just a career, it is my mission to ensure they feel capable, valued and empowered.Visually challenged Kuldeep, MA sociology gold medalist, said, “I depended on audiobooks and Braille, spending long nights in study when others had finished. I will dedicate my life to NGOs and research centres to make education and employment policies more inclusive for visually impaired. Society builds walls, I want to open doors.”Physically challenged Pooja Rajbhar, Master of Laws, gold & bronze medalist, said, “Studying law while dealing with mobility issues taught me resilience. Each courtroom chapter felt like my own fight for justice. My dream is to practise law and serve as a lecturer, so that through courts and classrooms, justice and awareness spread.”