Muskan Negi did not have access to Braille material for her research. Even so, she completed her PhD in vocal music and became the first blind woman to earn the degree from Himachal Pradesh University.
Negi works as an assistant music teacher at Rajkiya Kanya Maha Vidyalaya (RKMV). She is also the brand ambassador of Umang Foundation, an NGO that works for the empowerment of persons with disabilities. In addition, she serves as a youth icon for the Election Commission.
Praising her achievement, Prof Mrituyanjiya Sharma, who guided her during her post-graduation, MPhil and PhD, said her determination was remarkable. He said she overcame many challenges to reach this milestone.
"In higher education, you cannot depend on learning material available in Braille script. Muskan pursued her studies using a laptop with a talking device and accessed e-resources through a mobile phone," he said.
Negi credited her success to her mother Ambika Devi, father Jai Chand and other family members for their constant support and encouragement. She also thanked her teachers and colleagues in the university’s music department.
She has won several singing awards at the state and national levels. She was also honoured by Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla at the Raj Bhawan. Apart from performing across several states in the country, she has also given presentations in five states in the US.
Muskan was the first blind girl to gain admission to Portmore Government Girls Senior Secondary School and RKMV with support from the Umang Foundation.
Ajay Srivastava, chairman of Umang Foundation, said that besides being an active social worker, Muskan is also a regular blood donor.
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