Theni: Jeevithkumar, a son of a cowherd and a Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) worker from Theni district of Tamil Nadu, is among the ones who cleared National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2020.
A student of the Government Model Higher Secondary School at Silvarpatti, Periyakulam, in Theni district, Jeevithkumar scored 664 marks out of total 720 in his second attempt of taking the examination and topped the list of students from government schools in the country who have cleared NEET this year.
Speaking to ANI, Jeevithkumar said he might not be able to pursue medical education as the fees of even the government colleges are beyond his family’s reach.
“It wasn’t my aim to become a doctor, but I tried it because the exam was very hard to crack. Now I would like to pursue MBBS course, but my family wouldn’t be able to pay the fees for even government colleges, let alone a private one. I want to request people to help me pursue my studies,” he said.
He also thanked his teachers at his school for their guidance and help in enrolling at a coaching institute for NEET preparation.
“Last year I wrote the exam only to realise how tough it was. I planned to write it again and my teachers helped me in joining a NEET coaching and this time I was able to score 664 marks which made me the national topper among government school students across the country,” he added.
Jeevithkumar’s mother Parameshwari who is an MGNREGA worker expressed happiness at her son’s success and thanked his teachers at the government school for their help and guidance in her son’s studies.
“Jeevith’s school and teachers played a major role in ensuring that he was able to enrol in a year-long coaching class. Jeevith was the first in our family to score high marks in Class 10 and 12. We are happy with how well he has done and it feels like he has already become a doctor,” she said.
The National Testing Agency had declared the NEET 2020 results on Friday.