Lack of resources could not stop the ambition of Delhi government school students – Times of India

Delhi government school students have proved that shortage of funds can never be an impediment towards the fulfilment of their dreams. Kushal Garg, the son of a carpenter from Delhi’s Kishanganj, realised his ambition of cracking NEET 2021 with this end in view. With All India Rank (AIR) 165, he is all set to join AIIMS and dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon. “Both my parents suffered neurological disorders in the past—my mother used to have epileptic fits and my father was a victim of depression. This strengthened my resolve to become a neurosurgeon and serve the less privileged in remote areas,” says the 18-year-old who took a gap year to improve his ranks in the medical entrance exam. It was his second attempt, and one that paid off well, as he scored 700 marks out of 720, as opposed to the earlier 531 score which he secured last year.

A student of Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya (RPVV), Kushal is one among the 496 students from Delhi government schools who have cracked NEET 2021, many of whom are from the economically weaker sections.

The second attempt

Ishika Jain, daughter of a stationary shop owner from Surajmal Vihar, has a similar trajectory, scoring 700 out of 720 to secure a seat in AIIMS. She too dropped a year and was willing to take her chances. Her score of 559 in NEET 2020 may have compelled her to go out of Delhi, had she had not made the second attempt in NEET 2021.

Self-belief matters

Attributing the success of these students to Delhi’s government’s focus on education and health, Dr Arun Kumar Gupta, president, Delhi Medical Council, says, “The recent turnaround was a result of the micro level monitoring by Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on the state of education in Delhi government schools. The focus on improving the schools’ infrastructure and the rejuvenation of the school management committee to make it more vibrant and active also hold key. Both teachers and students of government schools were imbued with self-confidence, a trait that was earlier lacking. It is this ‘can-do’ attitude that worked to their advantage.”

The conviction and the hard work of the students cannot be understated. That coupled with proper guidance and impetus shown by the governance in Delhi has catapulted students’ career to newer heights,” says Dr Aloy J Mukherjee, senior consultant, Minimal Access, Gastro intestinal, Bariatric and Robotic Surgery, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals who, apart from his regular clinical practice engages in treating patients from the EWS category in Delhi-NCR and knows their privations too well.

Inspiration for others


According to Dr Mukherjee, there are 10 medical colleges and 3 dental colleges in Delhi/NCR. “Last year, 569 students from Delhi government schools had cleared the competitive exam and the data compiled by the government shows that only around 10% scored the cut-off necessary for admission to government medical colleges. But the grit and determination to succeed always stems success. Guidance helps, but focus is intrinsic. Hence the students and their parents, mentors and coaches need to be lauded as their efforts have borne fruit to this extent. This will inspire more aspiring youngsters to chase and cherish their dreams,” he says.

Focus on performance


Kushal, for instance, owes a large part of his success to Dakshini Foundation, an NGO that provided free coaching, books and hostel facilities in Pune where its campus is located. After clearing their qualifying exam, Kushal was selected along with 179 other students to spend nearly a year in Pune, to focus single-mindedly on NEET 2021. It meant 12 hours of rigorous studies sans any distractions. “We were not allowed to have television sets or mobile phones, and could talk to our families only once a month. All our classes were offline even in pandemic times though not a single Covid case was reported. The Foundation followed a concise teaching-learning pattern that helped save time and made us more performance-centric. I wanted to see my parents happy and help them become financially solvent. This was but a small price to pay,” he adds.