Differently abled, but with an indomitable will

Kanpur — Anant Vaishya operates his touchscreen cell phone with his nose, operates laptop with his one finger and cannot walk.

Yet this second year student of engineering at BR Ambedkar University, Kanpur for the differently-abled, has navigated all obstacles to develop an application ‘Gud Ka Saathi’ for farmers.

“The farmers, particularly those dealing in jaggery, can trade easily after they register on the app,” said Vaishya.

Vaishya’s prowess can be gauged by the fact that the Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU), which got 157 entries under its ‘one district one product’ project, placed the prototype of his app among the top six. The AKTU had asked technical institutes to submit ideas and technical solutions to help boost ‘one district one product’ project. The university received 157 entries from different institutes. Vaishya also sent his and it easily made it to the top six.

“I felt jaggery producers don’t get the right price and are left with little choice, have to sell for one-fourth (of the price),” said Vaishya.

The app could expand their market and bring the producers and big buyers together at one place, he said. “They can easily market their produce, something they haven’t been able to do and get better prices that they will control,” he said.

The app that is in advance stages would also illustrate the technique to make flavoured jaggery.

Chocolate, vanilla and ice cream flavoured jaggery was in vogue and anyone could learn the recipe using the app, Vaishya said.

Differently-abled since birth, Vaishya cannot hold anything with his hands or walk on his own. But his teachers said he was a young man with immense confidence who worked day in and day out to develop this app.

And while people may think life is difficult for him, Vaishya, who wants to become a software developer, does not think so. The plucky student said he was unmoved by the difficulties he faced in his day-to-day life. “They motivate me to find solutions. Whatever the problems, I always find a solution,” he said.