Vichal Muthanna from Kodagu – First-ranker

Vichal Muthanna from Kodagu – First-ranker in M Tech

Bengaluru: Palandira Vichal Muthanna, a talented product of Kodagu, has won a gold medal from the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi, for securing first rank in M Tech (Biomedical Signal Processing and Instrumentation).

She received the medal from state governor and ex-officio chancellor Vajubhai R Vala at the convocation ceremony held in the VTU campus in Belagavi recently.

In March earlier this year, she had won the ‘Gandhian Young Technological Innovation award – 2016’ from Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) – Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI) for her project ‘Device for intrapartum materno-fetal care’ with a grant amount of Rs 15 lakh to take the project forward and productize it.

Daughter of Palandira Jaya Muthanna from Murnad in Kodagu and Mithuna Dechamma (nee Mukkatira from Kunjalageri), Vichal had her early education in St Joseph’s Girls’ High School in her home district and passed the secondary examination in 2007.

After her higher secondary education in Vidyaniketana PU College, Vichal opted for Engineering studies. Joining the Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering in Mysuru, she secured a Bachelor of Engineering (ECE).

She followed it up with the M Tech in the aforementioned stream in BMS College of Engineering (BMSCE) in 2015, by virtue of which she won the gold medal for the first rank.

Vichal had been recognized as an achiever from earlier days. She was honoured by the Kodava Samaj, Bangalore for securing 95.2% in Class X in 2007. She secured the first rank in II PUC (PCMB) in 2009, for which she was honoured by the Coorg Foundation, Pollibetta.

During her student days, Vichal proved herself as leadership material. She displayed her mettle by compering at the college fest Vidyut 2011 and 2012.

She was the coordinator for the Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) for 4 years from 2009 to 2013 and Branch Association (IMPULSE) coordinator for two years in Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering from 2011 to 2013.

Vichal compered the International Conference on Current Trends for Engineering & Management (ICCTEM)-2012 and was also a volunteer. She was a volunteer at the TEQIP II-sponsored 2-day international symposium ‘HORIZON 2020’ held at BMSCE, Bengaluru in November 2013.

She also took part in the international symposium on ‘Medische Elektronica’ held in September 2014 in BMSCE, Bengaluru, in collaboration with the University of Twente, The Netherlands.

She has shared the credit in the publication – Vichal P M, Appaji M Abhishek, Dr Manish Arora (2015): “Device for Intrapartum MaternoFetal Care”, International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, Volume 6, Issue 8, August 2015 Edition (ISSN 2229-5518).

She has interests in other fields too. She won third place in a divisional-level Science drama competition held in Mysore in 2006, and first place for a science project on the topic ‘Rain water harvesting and its benefits’ in the 13th annual district-level science conference organized by Karnataka Rajya Vignyana Parishat at Kushalnagar.

Her other interests are basketball and watching movies. She is adept at dancing as well. She won the second place in the inter-college dance competition in ‘VIDYUT-2010’.

Vichal attributes her success to her parents and brother, as also her teachers, lecturers and all other mentors who moulded her character and career.