Meet Jobin Kottaram, who is helping specially-abled aspirants crack UPSC for free

Six years back, Kambalakkad, Wayanad, resident, Sherin Sahana fell down the terrace and became wheelchair-bound. While bedridden for 1.5 years, all she wanted was to end her life. But her family’s unwavering support and her own resilience helped her accept her situation, and she decided to regain her health.

In 2021, Sahana embarked on a new chapter in her life—to pursue her dream of becoming a civil servant. It was made possible through Project Chithrasalabham, a UPSC civil services examination programme founded the same year by Jobin S Kottaram, a motivational speaker and the Founder of the Absolute IAS Academy.

“Most disabled people sit at home without any help to fulfil their dream. I wanted to join the civil services, and Jobin sir gave me the right opportunity and guidance to make my dream come true,” she tells SocialStory.

Shahana and numerous others like her received coaching through the Chitrasalabham project, conducted under the auspices of Absolute IAS Academy. 

At present, the institution is offering free coaching, through a combination of offline and online batches, to 100 aspirants with various disabilities, including orthopaedic disabilities, cerebral palsy, and visual and hearing impairments. 

"Cracking the UPSC exams is tough, and it's even challenging for people with disabilities. However, I believe that a strong determination can help us achieve anything, and that's what this initiative stands for. 'Chithrasalabham' means 'butterfly' in Malayalam, and we aim to give students with disabilities the opportunity to spread their wings," Kottaram tells Social Story.

The idea

Kottaram was born and raised in Kerala’s Changanassery town and always wanted to do something for the good of society. After working in the corporate world for 15 years, he appeared for the UPSC exams in 2010. Although he cleared the prelims and mains, he lost the interview by two marks.

“I was dejected as I wanted to work for the betterment of society. But eventually, I realised that my ultimate goal is to serve society, which I can do by helping others crack the examination,” he says.

With that in mind, he started the IAS Academy in 2010, where he first taught optional subjects like Malayalam and Sociology. Nine years later, he established a full-fledged academy with three offline centres in Kochi, Kozhikode, and Thiruvananthapuram. 

Alongside, Kottaram also started making YouTube videos containing information about the UPSC exam and motivational videos for students, where in one video, he talked about how specially-abled people can write the examination.

He recalls, “I got a call from a differently-abled student who said that she searched a lot but could not find any financial support for people with disabilities to prepare for the civil services examination.” 

While researching, he found that no coaching centres provided free classes for the specially abled separately, prompting him to start Project Chitrasalabham to provide free UPSC coaching to specially-abled people.

“The representation of specially-abled people in civil services is very low. I aim to make the civil services accessible to all,” he says. 

While clearing the UPSC exams is a tough task, for the specially-abled people, it is even more challenging. “They get frustrated and angry because of their condition. Many struggle with retaining the information as well. However, I try my best to motivate them and not let them deter from their goals," he says.

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Helping hand to the specially-abled

Project Chitrasalabham’s first batch had 25 students from Kerala, of which Sahana cleared the UPSC exam and interview at 918th rank. She has joined the Indian Railway Management Service in May 2023. Two other students also cleared the IBPS bank examinations and UPSC prelims, and three students are awaiting their final round of UPSC interview calls.

Explaining the UPSC exam, he says the first stage comprises the preliminary exam, consisting of two papers, followed by the mains, which has nine papers. If a candidate can clear all these rounds, they appear for an interview where their suitability for public service is evaluated.

With a team of 30 educators, the academy conducts daily classes from 10 AM to 1 PM for specially-abled students, accommodating them in both online and offline formats. 

It also holds weekly exams regularly. At present, it has 100 students in a batch from different states, including Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, among others.

“If someone wants to write their mains exams in their regional language, we provide special study material and educators to them,” he adds.

Additionally, the academy hosts a batch for other students, currently consisting of 200 individuals. Kottaram utilises the profits generated by the academy's regular classes to run Project Chitrasalabham.

He also has plans to start a ‘Shreshta Bharath’ batch, where one student from each State and Union Territory will be provided free UPSC coaching.

"I aim to empower individuals with disabilities through this project. My vision is to turn it into a transformative social initiative, ensuring that when these individuals attain influential positions, they, in turn, can offer support to others facing similar challenges," he asserts.