On June 14, the day NEET UG 2025 results were declared, there was no celebration for Rupanjali and Puja, only anxious fingers refreshing a jammed website. “Server not responding” flashed repeatedly, heightening the already simmering tension. The dodgy internet connection in their homes in Khunti and Koderma districts of Jharkhand wasn’t helping. In another remote village of Dukri of West Singhbum district of Jharkhand, Utkal was more confident but equally anxious.
All three of them are first-generation learners from different corners of Jharkhand and had given their Class 12 boards a few months ago. With modest backgrounds, limited access to resources, and family responsibilities tugging at their sleeves, these students have dared to dream of medicine.
Across India, NEET results are typically dominated by repeaters, mostly living in urban areas with extensive coaching class support. But Utkal, Rupanjali and Puja represent the vast majority of Indian students.
Studying in government schools, they have tried to make do. They have given their best and have not lacked in dedication and burning the midnight oil. Their schools have tried to help by signing up with an Edtech company operating as a social entrepreneurship.
Even at 6 p.m., the three were continuing to wait for the website to open. And when it did, there was no euphoria, only a resigned acceptance of their circumstances.
Rupanjali’s and Puja’s scores wouldn’t give them government medical college seats, and they couldn’t even dream of affording private colleges. Utkal’s rank was a cause of some celebration. He would get into a government college, although not a very highly regarded one. But Utkal was happy and grateful to the online tutor on his Edtech tool.
But all three had been realistic. NEET was not a make-or-break exam for them. They had been considering multiple options such as CUET. And if medicine doesn’t bear out, then they are willing to consider paramedical courses too.
Rupanjali Kumari
Eighteen-year-old Rupanjali has been preparing for the NEET UG exam for the past two years. She has appeared for the AIIMS Nursing 2025 entrance and the CUET 2025 exam. She said she is determined to keep every possible door to medical education open. She is willing to attempt for Jharkhand Paramedical Entrance Exam 2025 too. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to give NEET another attempt but I want to get selected into any government medical college this year itself.”
“I was in grade 7 or grade 8 when I decided I should pursue medical….although I was good in Maths, my relatives wanted me to pursue a subject related to Math but I want to stand firm on the decision I took for my father…”
Rupanjali’s decision to become a doctor took shape when she was in Grade 7 or 8; her father has a skin condition that has cost the family lakhs in treatment which is yet not cured fully. “When I see my father struggling to find the right doctor, and my family breaking down financially, I feel even more sure. I want to become a doctor and help him.”
Despite the pressure, Rupanjali remained firm and told that “everyone said Science and Biology would be too competitive and that Maths was a safer option. Relatives kept telling me to choose Maths, but I stood by my dream I decided for my father.” She credits her parents for backing her through that decision.
Rupanjali admits that her relationship with Biology wasn’t always easy. “When I finally started studying Biology in school, I found it very theoretical….I don’t have a habit of studying subjects that are theory-based. I like practical and numerical subjects more. In Class 11, I used to think that I just have to memorize everything by rote and write it in the exam… I was strong in Physics and Chemistry, but Biology felt weak. I used to sleep in Biology classes.”
Things began to change when the school provided Filo, the Edtech app. Filo teaches students for free under the program Sampurna Shiksha Kavach by Filo targeting working with government agencies. This program is funded by the respective government body – in this case district administration (Jharkhand). Filo representatives say they are supporting more than 200 schools and have more than 60,000 tutors online.
But as she started preparing for NEET she started liking Biology. The tutors on the app helped too. “Chemistry was my favourite subject since Class 9 and 10…but in Class 12, biology became my favourite subject.”
Her family, which depends on farming, cannot afford private college fees. Hailing from Rewa village in Jharkhand she did her higher secondary from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) from Karra, (Khunti), Jharkhand. KGVB is a residential girls’ secondary school run by the Government of India for SC, ST, OBC, minority communities, and families below the poverty line.
“I have siblings who need to study too, so I’ve never taken any tuitions,” she said. Instead, she relied on school studies, self-study and learning support through the Filo app to stay on track.
When asked about the results a before the scheduled date, Rupanjali did not seem excited about the it. Rather she said, “I got to know my result on the day of test itself (May 4),” referring to how she felt about her performance. “I didn’t do well in Chemistry… not because the questions were out of syllabus, but because they were twisted. I couldn’t attempt many of them.”
At around 10 p.m. on the result day, Rupanjali finally checked her NEET UG score and her All India Rank (AIR) was 6,98,696 and OBC NCL category rank was 3,08,041, which meant she won’t be able to make it to a government college. “I had a feeling I won’t score enough to get a government seat through NEET,” she said. When asked about her next steps, she added, “I will now prepare for Jharkhand Combined,” referring to the Jharkhand Combined Entrance Competitive Examination for medical and paramedical seats.
Puja Kumari
Eighteen-year-old Puja Kumari hails from Bhagazpur village in Jharkhand and recently completed her higher secondary education from KGBV in Karra, Khunti. Like Rupanjali, she too has been preparing for the NEET UG exam and is one of the first in her family to do so. “Not many girls from my village go for higher studies,” she said as started to narrate her journey.
A first-generation learner, Puja said she never imagined she would sit for a competitive exam like NEET. “I come from a financially weaker family and I never thought that I would ever sit for a competitive exam like NEET… my teachers supported me and encouraged me to go for it.”
Her journey toward a medical career began in Class 11, when she decided to pursue medicine seriously, but her journey was tough because she struggled in the language. “I was weak in all subjects and I especially struggled with English…. I couldn’t understand anything in the language,” she noted.
Despite the challenges, Puja remained determined and appeared for multiple entrance exams including CUET and BSc Nursing 2025, keeping several options open. “I’ve also given the BSc Nursing exam and will try my luck there if NEET doesn’t work out…that’s my backup plan,” she said. Like her classmates, she also plans to attempt the Jharkhand Paramedical Entrance Exam 2025. “Our teachers suggested that we all appear for at least two to three competitive exams.”
Puja said her entire family supports her decision to pursue medicine, “Everyone in the family supports the field I’ve chosen.” However, she wasn’t too hopeful about NEET this year. “I prepared very well, the exam did not go well, so maybe I won’t be able to go to college.” She mentioned that she would appear for the exam again next year if nothing works at all.
At around 9 p.m. on the result day, Puja found out that her AIR Is 7,28,103 and OBC category is 3,22,107, which does not give her a government college seat. “I knew my paper didn’t go that well,” she said, sounding composed despite the outcome.
When asked which section of the NEET paper she found most challenging, Puja said, “Physics has always been tough for me. I tried to practice it more but during the exam, I still found it difficult to manage.”
Utkal Samade
When Utkal checked his score on the NTA website, he found out that his AIR was moderately good, 24,033. The 18-year-old hails from Dukri, a remote village in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district. A student of Chakradharpur, he scored 82.2% in the Science stream in his board exams.
For Utkal, this number carries immense weight. He is the youngest of four brothers, three of whom are daily wage earners, while his parents are farmers. He mentioned that his family isn’t financially secure, but they have always stood behind his education.
“They don’t know much about the courses I’m pursuing but all they want to see is me studying. We are simple village folks, but they make sure I get the space to study,” he says. He fondly recalls how his parents would leave the house to give him peace and quiet during exams.
Utkal’s motivation to move forward in the science/medical steam was when he scored 82% and when he realised that the village he belongs to does not have good hospitals. “Everyone has to go very far for the hospitals from the village. I decided I wasn’t going to give medicine a try.”
He said he was not specifically preparing for NEET but focused on his boards. He talks about a Raman Sir — a tutor on the app. He coached him, mentored him, gave him a routine, and ensured he was disciplined. He says Raman Sir treated him like a younger sibling.
“Now that I have decided that I want to be a doctor, there is no going back. I won’t lose and will do anything to achieve my goal,” he said when asked what is his backup plan.
Utkal does not want to give the NEET exam again. He will join a college that he gets with his rank. He has also appeared for Olympiad exam and secured first rank at the regional level. He said he is preparing for NDA 2025 and AIIMS Paramedical exam 2025 which is on July 13, 2025.
Utkal has a scheduled daily routine. He doesn’t listen to music much and watches movies only occasionally to refresh his mind. He wakes up at 5 a.m. and goes for a run. As he’s fond of football, he plays with his friends till 7 a.m. He studies 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with breaks every two hours. Then starts his study routine, 7 am to 7 pm, with breaks every two hours. He credits this discipline to his tutor.
Published – June 17, 2025 03:44 pm IST
