B.K.N. Rao had his early schooling in Mysore and at the age of 14, passed the S.S.L.C. (12^th grade) exam with honors.  He then went to Madras to join college.  His ambition was to become a doctor and serve people.  After graduating from college, B.K.N. Rao joined the medical college and later worked in Madras Presidency for nearly 15 years—in Bezawada (now Vijayawada), Palani, Coimbatore and other Tamil and Telugu speaking areas as a medical officer, he resigned his job and came to settle down in Mysore State during Maharaja Krishna Raja Wodeyar, 4^th’s time.  From there he went to England for further studies and added a few more degrees to his name.

B.K.N. Rao was the first eye surgeon of Mysore State and worked as the Superintendent of Minto Ophthalmic Hospital (named for Lord Minto) for a long time.  He was also the principal of the medical school and finally became the senior surgeon of Mysore State—the highest position.  In addition, he served as the Palace Physician in Mysore and as the physician to the Nizam of Hyderabad.

After retirement, he opened the Prabha Eye Clinic in Visweswarapuram and worked there a number of years before passing it on to his son-in-law, Dr. H. Krishna Murthy.

As a man, B.K.N. Rao was highly disciplined and believed in doing things perfectly.  Though there were five or six servants at home, he expected all his nine children—five girls and four boys—to do their work themselves.

His sweeping vision is still manifest in the current generation of doctors at PEC