NEW DELHI: Kushal Garg’s father, a carpenter, is going through depression. His mother suffers from epilepsy. Like countless others, the family saw immense hardships due to Covid-19 and lockdown, with Kushal facing many hiccups in online classes. But undeterred by these challenges, the teenager aimed big and is now close to achieving his dream of securing admission at AIIMS and becoming a neurosurgeon.
The 18-year-old, who scored 700 out of 720 in the National Eligiblity-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and secured All India Rank 165, did his schooling from Delhi government’s Rajkiya Pratiba Vikas Vidyalaya. Congratulating the boy, Delhi’s Education Minister Manish Sisodia tweeted, “History created by a Delhi govt school student Kushal Garg…All India Rank 165, secured seat at AIIMS. Father 10th pass, carpenter. Mother 12th pass, house wife. Congratulations Kushal. Proud of you.”
Kushal told The New Indian Express that seats will be allotted after the counseling session, which starts on November 20, but the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences would be his first choice for admission. “AIIMS is my dream college and I have a high chance to get into the college as I secured ninth rank under the Economically Weaker Section category. I would definitely prefer AIIMS,” he said.
Kushal cracked NEET in his second attempt. “I always wanted to become a doctor. I appeared for NEET in 2020 after Class XII exams in March but scored only 531 marks. I did not give up and continued preparations…NGO Dakshana Foundation provided coaching for a year.”
The gritty teen, who lives in a joint family in North Delhi’s Shastri Nagar, said, “Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, I faced many obstacles in my preparations for the medical entrance exam. My father, who sells wooden boxes, lost his business. Due to a financial crunch, I faced problems in attending online classes. But later I got a scholarship and went to Pune for a year (for coaching) and cracked the exams.”
Having watched his parents suffer made Kushal resolve to not give up on his dream despite the hardships. “I have seen my mother having epileptic fits and my father’s depression problem…They are still suffering…and could not get proper treatment as they could not afford it. That’s why I decided to become a doctor, with specialisation in neurology.”