Financial problems encountered for Degree:

Financial Source [supply] was cut off for education [as bread earning father was no more in1967]. economic activity collapsed and uncle Nagappa started living separately with his family and children. Mother was suffering from ill-health.

Walked on barefoot to school with a single simple dress to the high school at a neighboring village called Kheni-Ranjol.

Depended on others for financial needs as mother was sick. Begged for necessities but in vain. All the cattle were sold to pay the outstanding loan when father expired.

Begged for Rs 25/- in order to pay the examination fee of SSLC board, from others and faced insulted. Wrote SSLC examination from Bidar center and passed with first-class merit in 1969.

I was first in my class with 67% marks. Mother forced me to marry after SSLC exam in June 1969. it was conducted in the bride’s village Srimandal. In-laws offered 10 grams of a gold ring.

In order To fulfill the desire for higher education, begged relatives [in-laws]  for Rs 200/- and felt insulted when they deliberately denied help for my higher educational needs, though they were capable of supporting. They were greedy village people and lacked the importance of higher education. My brother-in-law was a final year B. A. student in the same college. I took shelter in his room to start with my college life.

Sold 10 grams gold ring which was offered in my marriage, and took admission in the BVB college at Bidar city; without thinking anything about future unseen financial problems.

I had no money to purchase either books or notebooks for college education. Used to borrow books from friends. Mathematics was my most favorite subject. Most of the time I used to spend time on maths problems solving. Someone stole my mathematics notebook, just when it was needed as a reference note for the preparation of annual examination, during summer 1970.

Begged for Rs 100/- to pay the second term fee. It was arranged by a close relative [brother in-law]. very recently he was appointed as a clerk in BSSK Bidar with an initial salary of Rs 100/- per month. My problem was solved temporarily.

Begged for some petty pocket money, to purchase some food needs and was insulted.

For Rs 30/- to be paid as exam fees, begged my maternal uncles. But it was of no use, as they were very poor potters. One uncle gave Rs 3/- and another gave Rs 5/- totaling Rs 8/- only. It was a very frustrating effort. At last, A  person who was known to my father in my native village, helped and arranged for Rs 25/-. This solved problem of that very first year of college life.

Thus I could pay the exam fee and could write the PUC Science annual exam in the 1970 summer.

 I  got through the exam in the second division with 58% marks. I was second to my college in merit, among 300 science students who wrote that year's examination. Only one fellow got the first-class merit from BVB College Bidar.

On my poor economic conditions, I applied for free ship and it was sanctioned and Rs 300/- which I paid to the college as tuition fee, was refunded to me after summer vacation. Thank god, I received the money which was very badly needed. Out Of this money, spent Rs 200/- for next year's college admission fee, for B. Sc. part-one course and thus I could continue my education.

 Based on my merit, Applied for a National loan scholarship through a court affidavit and that too was sanctioned for three years degree course, @ Rs 720/- per year from the Karnataka government. They gave a cheque for Rs 720/- which I then en-cashed in DCC Bank Bidar. I never saw such a large amount in my life as a boy. My hands were shaking with fear while receiving the scholarship money. I was very happy and felt relieved of financial problems. I could now buy books, notebooks, and also medicine for my mother’s illness.

One day I thought to enjoy myself, as I had a lot of money in hand. But I could not understand what to purchase, as I was a simple village boy. I simply spent one rupee to get sweet choklets and was satisfied chewing them leisurely.

During  B. Sc. part-two period, I was living with a Patel family of our village who invited me to live and teach his high school-going sons. Food was served freely in their home but Patel’s sons were time-killers and it became a hindrance for my regular study. Somehow I got through the examination with ordinary merit during that year [1971-72].

Next year I wanted to live alone independently so that I could concentrate on my final year study. I took a room for rent in Harurgeri village near my college. For the degree final year [1972-73], I did not receive loan scholarship payment and was in trouble again. With great difficulty borrowed Rs 200/- from a relative [Mukund Sultanpur] to pay my college term fee. Once, My grandmother Narasamma visited my residence and seeing my trouble, gave her golden nose ring, which I sold and survived in Bidar till the final year examination was over in summer 1973.

Now after examination, it was the time to return to the village, where my mother and grandmother were living. It was famine. Crops failed due to lack of rain. There was nothing to eat in the village home. I had little gold earrings of my childhood which I sold and purchased some essential food grains and departed to the village.

After few days, I was asked to take coaching classes to the children of rich   Mali-Patel of Rekulagi village Mr. Shamarao. He was a landlord. This village being some three kilometers away from Hosakanalli [my native village]. I became a private teacher and I was called “Sir”,  for the first time. I felt elated on hearing this new word for me by the children. They were a rich and well-to-do family and I used to have my morning meals in their home with my students for about one month’s duration in summer vacation 1973. Then they departed to Gulbarga for their regular schooling.

I again went to Bidar in search of some kind of paid work. At last, the PWD divisional officer at Bidar offered me temporary work in the famine relief fund for a couple of months. My salary was fixed at Rs 100/- per month. I made a room in Mangalpet area Bidar. My mother and my wife joined to live with me for some time. After five months my work was terminated and I survived coaching college boys for one more month at Bidar.  Meanwhile, my previous year's loan scholarship was released and I received that amount when I was badly in need of it.

In response to a paper advertisement, I applied for the post of telephone operator in the Post and Telegraphs department while living at Mangalpet Bidar. I was selected on pure merit basis. They trained me for the new job in Gulbarga city for two months [May and June 1974] and posted me to work from Bhalki Telephone Office in Bidar district. Reported for first duty on 4^th July 1974. My first salary payment was Rs 317/-. Thus I became an earning member of my family.