I did homeschooling, graduated from IIT Roorkee, and now swim for India | Life in an IIT

Saurav is a graduate from the Engineering Physics Department, IIT Roorkee

— Saurav Kumar

I am a graduate of the Engineering Physics department at IIT Roorkee. I completed my BTech in 2025. I am a 23-year-old athlete who hails from Patna, Bihar.

I have lived with a lower-limb disability since childhood. When I was around three or four years old, I had a severe fever, which led to neurological complications. That resulted in paralysis in my lower limbs. I use calipers, a type of prosthetic brace, along with crutches to walk. This has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It is not something I see as an exception – it is simply how my body works.

Childhood, early education, and financial stability

I began formal schooling in Class 6. Before that, I did not have access to crutches or prosthetics, which made attending school impossible. My early education therefore, took place at home, where tutors taught me basic subjects. After receiving calipers and crutches, I was able to join school. I studied from Class 6 to 10 at Shivam School, Bihta, Patna, and completed my Class 11 and 12 at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kankarbagh, Patna.

My father is a farmer, and my mother was a homemaker. Financial stability was never guaranteed, so I learned early in my life to be practical. During Classes 8, 9, and 10, I worked at a mobile repairing shop near my school. I earned around Rs 100–200 a day, depending on the work. The shop belonged to someone who later became family to me, Md Ejaj. He is older than me, and not from my village, my caste, or even my religion, and that has never mattered. What mattered was that he stood by me – financially, emotionally, and physically – through every phase of my life. I don’t know how I will ever repay him. Today, he runs a battery shop.

After Class 10, I was ready to discontinue my studies. It was my friend Shashi Raj Anand who refused to let that happen. He brought me to Patna, told me we would manage together, and made sure I continued my education. He saw potential in me when I did not.

Taking JEE and Engineering Physics

I appeared for JEE Main and JEE Advanced in 2021 and secured a PWD rank of 165 in JEE Advanced. I prepared mostly through self-study, taking coaching only in Chemistry. Physics and Mathematics, I handled on my own.

Engineering was not an obvious choice initially, as I knew it would be a costly affair, but my curiosity for electronics, mechanics, and how systems work gradually pushed me in that direction.

I wanted to pursue Aerospace Engineering. When that did not work out due to rank constraints, I chose Engineering Physics through JoSAA counselling because it aligned best with my interests.

My first day at IIT Roorkee

Though I was admitted to IIT Roorkee in 2021, I came to the institute in March 2022. I came alone. My parents were not well enough to travel, so I arrived with a trolley bag, figuring things out as I went along. That has always been my approach. I like challenges. I like figuring out systems rather than waiting for ideal conditions.

IIT Roorkee’s infrastructure is largely accessible, though not perfect. Some buildings still lack lifts, including a section of the Physics department where my lab was located on the third floor. I managed using stairs, but I also submitted formal proposals for accessibility upgrades.

Today, I work closely with the administration on PwD-related infrastructure improvements, guiding nearly 150 PwD students across academic, non-academic, and sports domains. The institute has taken these concerns seriously, and that matters.

When I joined IIT, the institute offered me an electric wheelchair for campus mobility. I declined. I did not want my body to get accustomed to it. If there is a choice between stairs and ramps, I choose stairs. This mindset developed over time – not out of denial, but out of preparation for real environments.

How IIT Roorkee campus life transformed me

Campus life brought positive changes to me. I made friends easily, learned how people think, how teams function, and how leadership works. I was part of the Institute Alumni Relations Cell (IARC), served as joint secretary in the operations vertical, and later became snooker secretary after winning the Institute Snooker Championship in 2025. I also served as sports secretary of my department and was a student member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

What made IIT Roorkee feel like home was how naturally my friends included me in everything. We travelled together – Haridwar, Rishikesh, Manali, Shimla, Kashmir, Spiti Valley – without anyone making it a “special plan” for me. They booked buses, shared rides, adjusted schedules when needed, and sometimes just let me figure things out myself.

No one treated me differently or slowed down unnecessarily. If there were accessibility issues, we solved them on the spot. Those trips taught me independence in real situations – public transport, unfamiliar terrain, long journeys. More importantly, they reinforced something I value deeply: friendship based on trust and equality, not accommodation or sympathy.

Academically, my CGPA is 6.2 – below average, looking at the time we are living now. I don’t hide that. But what IIT gave me went far beyond grades: exposure, independence, technical confidence, entrepreneurship skills, and lifelong friendships.

During IIT Roorkee 2025 convocation, I received the Professional Development and Innovation Award and Leadership Award

In my third year, I lost my mother to gallbladder cancer. That period changed everything. My friends – especially Aman Garge and Ahmed Rockey Saikia – organised crowdfunding to support me during her treatment. The institute supported me as well. That phase taught me what community really means.

In 2024, I organised a motivational and informative event for PwD students at IIT Roorkee. I invited Paralympians, Md Shams Alam and Pramod Bhagat. Meeting Shams Alam Sir – a para swimmer with a spinal cord injury – was a turning point. That was when I decided to start swimming seriously.

I began competitive swimming in July 2024. Within three months, I won two silver medals at the Bihar state level and placed in the top 10 nationally. In 2025, I won two gold medals at the state level and two at the district level. At the National Para Swimming Championship in Hyderabad in November 2025, I secured fourth place in the 100m butterfly. I had moved from 10th to 4th nationally in a year.

Today, I can swim up to 5 km in a single session. I am preparing for the 2028 Paralympics. I have been selected for the World Para Swimming Championship Series in Italy in March 2026, with full sponsorship from IIT Roorkee. My coaches – Mukesh sir, Prakash Boro sir, and Rama Kant sir – have been instrumental in this journey.

‘Designed my own prosthetics’; what's next

Outside of sports, I am working on two major projects. I designed my own prosthetic – something I am extremely proud of. As the end user, I wanted to build something better. I am now automating and calibrating it to extend it to others. I am also part of a deep-tech waste management startup with two friends, focused on automated waste segregation.

Read More | Fewer students sit for placement, aim start-up over higher education': IIT Roorkee Director

IIT Roorkee gave me the ecosystem to do all of this – world-class faculty, infrastructure, peer groups, and support systems. I funded my education through a Rs 3.6 lakh education loan, scholarships, and help from friends.

What I miss most about Patna is my family and my friends.

What I carry forward is the habit of solving problems – not just for myself, but for others. My goal is clear: represent India at the 2028 Paralympics and win gold. Alongside that, I want to build technology that matters.

For the latest news from across India, Political updates, Explainers, Sports News, Opinion, Entertainment Updates and more Top News, visit Indian Express. Subscribe to our award-winning Newsletter Download our App here Android & iOS