VIRUDHUNAGAR: Celebrations erupted in the quiet Vadakarai village panchayat after 19-year-old K Ganesh Kumar secured an MBBS seat at the Government Medical College in Dindigul by scoring 454 marks in the NEET examination.
Ganesh is the first student from his panchayat to crack the national-level exam and secure a medicine seat, sparking pride and joy across the village.
Inspired by his achievement, the village youth have now come together to organise a felicitation event in his honour.
Born to M Krishnasamy (50), a parotta master, and K Jayanthi (43), a daily-wage labourer from Narikulam, Ganesh is the third child in a family that survives on an annual income of just Rs 1 lakh. Despite the odds, Ganesh never let go of his dream of becoming a doctor.
Speaking to TNIE, Ganesh recalled his journey who took three attempts to crack NEET. “I studied from Class 6 to 12 at the Government Higher Secondary School in Sivalingapuram. I prepared on my own for the first attempt and then joined a coaching centre in Madurai for the second. But I couldn’t clear it,” he said. Determined not to give up, Ganesh later enrolled at a coaching centre in Salem, and with renewed focus, he succeeded.
He attributed his success to his school Biology teacher, Saraswathi, whose constant encouragement and guidance helped him stay motivated through each setback.
Ganesh’s mother, Jayanthi, said that despite ongoing financial struggles, the family remained determined to support the education of all three children. “We borrowed money and took loans to pay for Ganesh’s coaching. Even after he failed twice, I believed in his hard work and never let him give up. We did everything we could to support him,” she said with pride.
