47 students from Bastar's free residential coaching initiative qualify NEET
Jagdalpur, July 22
As many as 47 students from Gyan Gudi, a free residential coaching initiative launched by the Bastar district administration, have qualified for the NEET exam, marking a significant achievement for students from the Bastar forest region.
Bastar Collector Akash Chhikara congratulated the students on their success and said their performance had made not only their parents but the entire district proud.
"It is a matter of great joy that among the students studying at Gyan Gudi, a district administration initiative in Bastar district, approximately 50 have qualified for the NEET exam, and four have qualified in nursing. Their counselling will begin next month, and we hope they will be admitted to a good medical college," Chhikara said.
He said clearing the national-level NEET exam had brought glory to the students' parents as well as the Bastar region
Chhikara also said the administration plans to expand the coaching initiative beyond NEET and JEE to include examinations such as SSC and banking.
"We hope they will go on to become excellent doctors and play an integral role in improving medical facilities in our region. We are hoping to expand our preparation from just NEET and JEE exams to SSC, banking and other exams that require questions from general subjects like general knowledge, math, and English," he said.
Gyan Gudi in-charge Alexander Cherian said 379 students have enrolled for NEET through the initiative, with 240 qualifying for the examination.
"All children have talent; it needs to be nurtured. So far, 379 students have enrolled in NEET, 240 of whom have qualified. Many are enrolled in our government medical college, and 37 of our students were selected in PAT. They have enrolled in all the universities and agricultural universities in Chhattisgarh," Cherian said.
He said students from the region could compete and progress alongside those from metropolitan cities if provided with the right opportunities.
"Almost all of our students have also joined medical colleges. If children are provided with opportunities, our children can also compete and progress with the children of metro cities," Cherian added.
NEET-qualified student Aishwarya Panigrahi said the initiative had provided her with significant support during her preparation.
"This is a huge help. I even went to Hyderabad for a year and saw all the struggles there. I faced everything from a language barrier in another state to coming here, and I found all the facilities here," she said.
She added that the teachers were supportive and readily available to clear doubts and provide motivation throughout the preparation.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Wonderful to see such initiatives bridging the urban-rural divide. As someone from the US, I'm impressed by the focus on residential coaching that addresses not just academics but also the holistic needs of students from remote areas. Expanding to SSC and banking exams is a smart move for long-term impact.
Finally, some good news from Bastar! This region has seen so much violence and underdevelopment. Now, these kids can become doctors and serve their own people. The fact that 240 out of 379 students qualified is an amazing 63% success rate. More such initiatives across Chhattisgarh please!
While this is certainly positive, I hope the administration also ensures these students get proper counselling and support during the admission process. Many rural students struggle with the complex medical college application system. Also, the expansion to banking and SSC exams is good, but maintaining quality across all streams will be challenging.
Aishwarya's story about facing language barriers in Hyderabad and then finding all facilities at Gyan Gudi really resonates. The teachers being readily available for doubts is exactly what students in remote areas miss. This model should be replicated in every district! 🙏🏽
Good initiative but let's not get carried away. Only 47 out of 240 qualified (20%) shows there's still a long way to go. The coaching is free, but what about the cost of medical education for these students? Many will struggle with fees. The administration should also tie up with scholarship programs. Still, a commendable first step.
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