Stephen Hawking inspires Thrissur’s Gayathri to pursue science dreams on wheelchair

Thrissur: At 24, Gayathri C Nair of Thrissur, diagnosed with a rare mobility condition, has earned a BTech degree in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence & Data Science from the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Kottayam, with her sights now set on research, innovation, and a future in technology.

Living with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita and bilateral talipes equinovarus, conditions that affect mobility, Gayathri uses a wheelchair. Yet her ambitions extend far beyond the challenges she encounters in everyday life. Inspired by the life and work of Stephen William Hawking, the renowned English theoretical physicist who continued to make significant contributions to science despite a debilitating illness, she hopes to pursue a PhD, contribute to society through research and eventually establish her own startup in the information technology sector.

"When I joined school for the first time in Class 6, I was extremely curious about the subjects I was learning. Maths was difficult for me, but I remained motivated, believing that with enough hard work, I would be able to master it. I listened carefully in class, worked on application-based questions and asked my father to buy me guidebooks so I could practise solving mathematical problems. Eventually, I developed a deep interest in the subject and became more focused," Gayathri told Onmanorama.

"I read about the lives of personalities such as Stephen Hawking and learned from them. He had a relatively normal life until he was 21, when he developed the disease, but that did not stop him from contributing his knowledge to society. That is what I want to do as well. I constantly think about what I can do for society and how I can study and expand my knowledge so that I can contribute," she added.

Her father, Chenthamarakshan N K, from Nandikara, recalled an incident from her Class 9 days that reflected her dreams of exploring space. "We would go for evening walks with her in her wheelchair. One day, she looked up at the sky and said she wanted to learn more about space," he said.

The family later explored the possibility of her pursuing studies related to space. However, they learnt that the particular field she was considering could involve mobility-related challenges, including spacecraft design and visits to various departments. They eventually decided not to pursue that option, her father said. Nevertheless, Gayathri remains confident about her ability to contribute to scientific research and hopes to contribute to NASA's work in the future.

Throughout her school years, Gayathri excelled academically, with the support of her father and her mother, Mini. "She qualified for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS) in Class 8. She went on to score 95% in Class 10 and 94% in Class 12, becoming the school topper," her father said. She also secured a category rank of 156 in the JEE Advanced examination, paving the way for her engineering studies at IIIT Kottayam.

"College life brought an entirely new set of challenges. There were the normal academic pressures faced by any engineering student, but there were also the practical realities of navigating a campus environment with a wheelchair. Yet she continued," her father said.

Gayathri completed her BTech and received her degree at the convocation ceremony of IIIT Kottayam on October 3. "Behind it were years of medical procedures, academic pressure, logistical challenges and countless small battles that nobody sees when a student walks onto a convocation stage," Chenthamarakshan said.

Gayathri is now preparing to pursue a PhD in her field. "I am also planning to set up my own startup in the information technology sector. I have already developed a prototype and am awaiting progress on an international patent," she said.