Stethoscopes over stereotypes: 12 out of 25 girls from one UP sarkari school cut through NEET odds
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In a remarkable achievement, 12 girls from Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in Marihan, Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh, have successfully cleared this year's NEET exam—the country's toughest medical entrance test . These girls, all from SC/ST and OBC communities, were part of a group of 25 students from the school who appeared for the exam, reported TOI.Princy, whose father works as a farm labourer, once feared her dream of becoming a doctor would remain out of reach due to financial constraints. Pooja Ranjan, daughter of a farmer from Sonbhadra, never thought she could afford medical coaching. Shweta from Kaushambi, who grew up in a small shop selling bicycle seat covers, had limited ambitions beyond government school education.Yet, all three are now on the path to becoming doctors. "I never imagined that this would be possible. I am still surprised," Pooja told TOI.According to the report, the girls benefited from free residential coaching provided by the Sarvodaya school in Marihan. Along with regular classes from grades 6 to 12, the school offers hostel facilities for students from economically weaker families."Sarvodayas are residential schools, and these girls were staying in Marihan. In addition to regular school, they also attended coaching specifically for NEET, which was completely free," social welfare minister Asim Arun told TOI.The NEET coaching program, launched in 2024, provides focused training to prepare students for competitive exams."The coaching provided to us was top class. We had regular tests to help us prepare. I never thought that coaching here would be so good that I would be able to clear this exam," said Pooja. "But with my hard work and assistance from govt, my dream has come true."Social Welfare Minister Asim Arun said the program targets girls from neighboring districts, and those selected were brought to Marihan with the consent of their families. Princy, Pooja, and Shweta all moved to Marihan for this specialized coaching after clearing entrance requirements.The success of this batch has raised hopes for the future of Sarvodaya Vidyalayas across UP. Kumar Prashant, Social Welfare Director, called the Marihan school a 'center of excellence' and said this model would be expanded to other Sarvodaya schools, which number about 100 in the state.This initiative, supported by Tata AIG and the Ex-Navodayan Foundation, is an encouraging example of how targeted government programs can help talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds reach their potential.
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