BHUBANESWAR: This week at Amlibeda village in Malkangiri district, the Didayis - a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) - had a reason to celebrate. A daughter of the community, Champa Raspeda returned home after creating history by being the first Didayi to clear the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and study medicine.
A few kilometres away at the Bonda Hills, Mangala Muduli had written a new chapter in the collective history of Bondas, another PVTG, last year. He, too, was the first Bonda to clear NEET and is currently pursuing MBBS at the MKCG MCH in Berhampur.
Both the meritorious students have two things in common. First, they dreamt of becoming doctors for the sake of their fellow tribals for whom healthcare continues to be a misnomer and second, it was a teacher who gave wings to their dreams.
Science teacher Utkala Keshari Das did not just identify their potential but also provided them with every help including NEET coaching, to turn their dreams into reality. The 40-year-old teacher has spent over a decade in various government schools in Malkangiri and joined Badbel Girls High School in Khairput block of the district two months back.
Hailing from Badkia village in Balasore, Utkala began his career as a government school teacher in Malkangiri. He joined Chitrakonda Girls High School in 2014 where Champa was studying. “She was extremely shy but topped the class in every exam. She was excellent in Biology,” he recalled. He taught her in Class IX and X. After clearing Class X with good grades in 2019, Champa pursued Class XII in SSD Higher Secondary School at Govindpally.
Champa wanted to study science but her father Lachmu, a farmer, did not have the resources. Although she joined a degree college to pursue BSc, lack of funds forced her to drop out and pursue CT training to become a primary school teacher.
When Utkala, who was in a different school then, came to know about it, he met Champa and her parents offering help with NEET coaching. “She reminded me of Mangala who was also a brilliant student but did not have the resources to pursue NEET coaching. In 2019, I was transferred to SSD High School at Mudulipada in Bonda Hills where Mangala was studying in Class IX. He was a dedicated student and even after class hours, stayed back at my quarters to study,” Utkala said.
He facilitated free NEET coaching for both at a private coaching institute in Balasore. “As the owner of the coaching centre was a friend, I had requested him to give free coaching to Mangala after his Class XII in 2022-23. Realising the boy’s potential, he agreed. After Mangala’s success last year, I didn’t have to convince him much for coaching Champa for free. She joined in 2023-24,” said Utkala with a smile.
He saved Rs 10,000 from his salary every month for meeting food and other expenses of both his students. Utkala’s sister Sindhumati Das, who resides in Balasore town, kept Champa in her house throughout the coaching period. A mother of two daughters, Sindhumati ensured that there was no hindrance in Champa’s preparations. She scored a rank of 314 among ST candidates and has taken admission to FM Medical College and Hospital.
Mangala stayed in Utkala’s home at Badkia and the latter provided him a cycle to commute to the coaching centre in Balasore town, 8 km away. He got a rank of 261 among ST reserved seats.
Like Champa and Mangala, he aims to help at least eight more meritorious students from poor socioeconomic backgrounds clear NEET. Because, becoming a doctor was his dream too, which could not be fulfilled owing to financial hardships at home.