Odisha NEET Success: Security Guard’s Daughter And Migrant Worker’s Son From Ganjam Earn Government Medical Seat
Berhampur's Rudra and Sandhyarani overcame severe financial constraints, long journeys and family hardships to secure seats in Odisha’s government medical colleges, reports Samir Kumar Acharya.
Published : August 31, 2026 at 2:31 PM IST
Berhampur: For five years, Rudra Prasad Pattnaik’s father has worked as a migrant labourer in Muscat, Oman. Back home in Ganjam, the family counted every rupee but held on to one hope - that Rudra would one day become a doctor. In Chhatrapur, Sandhyarani Panda was chasing the same dream. Her father earns just Rs 8,000 a month as a security guard with a private company. Preparing for NEET meant long daily journeys to Berhampur, with Sandhyarani leaving home at 6 am and returning around 9 pm.
Both students knew what their families were going through. But neither allowed that burden to affect their studies.
Their hard work has now paid off. After securing good ranks in NEET, Rudra and Sandhyarani have earned seats in government medical colleges in Odisha. Rudra will study at Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital, Koraput while Sandhyarani has also secured admission to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Burla, Sambalpur.
Rudra belongs to Khandadeuli village in the Aska area of Ganjam district. His father once supported the family through farming, but the income was not enough to fund his son’s education. For someone who wanted to become a doctor since childhood, a father did his best to support him. He left the village more than five years ago and travelled to Muscat, where he began working as a migrant labourer. It was when Rudra was in Class 8.
While his father worked abroad, his mother took charge of Rudra’s education. The family struggled even to arrange his admission after Class 10, she recalled. A local teacher eventually stepped in and helped them enrol him in higher secondary education. The difficulties did not stop here. His mother travelled from one place to another, searching for a way to help him prepare for NEET. Rudra finally joined coaching in Berhampur and prepared for the examination for a year.
Rudra credits teacher Basudev Maharana’s guidance and his father’s constant encouragement for helping him remain focused. "But my mother did no less. I had wanted to become a doctor since childhood. Watching doctors treat patients at hospitals and seeing accounts of their work strengthened my resolve to enter medicine. I now want to complete my education and serve patients," he said.
For his mother, the medical college seat is the result of years of sacrifice by the entire family.
“Our financial condition was not good. His father went abroad so that Rudra could study. There was even a time when we were not in a position to fund his Plus II admission, but a local teacher helped us.”
She hopes Rudra’s journey will encourage other students from financially disadvantaged families not to abandon their goals.
Sandhyarani Panda’s journey began in Chhatrapur. Known as a bright student from an early age, she had set her mind on clearing NEET and studying medicine. Her parents supported the ambition even though the family had little money to spare.
Her father’s monthly salary of Rs 8,000 had to cover the household’s needs as well as her education. The family adjusted its expenses so that Sandhyarani could continue travelling to Berhampur for NEET preparation. Her day began before sunrise. She left home around 6 am, travelled to Berhampur for classes and studies and returned at about 9 pm. The routine was exhausting, but she was diligent.
Her mother, Nibedita Panda, said Sandhyarani took only the money required for her daily travel and managed within the family’s limited means.
“She worked very hard for this success. She adjusted to our situation and continued preparing. The success is entirely hers,” she said.
Sandhyarani said her parents never allowed the family’s financial troubles to affect her preparation. Their support helped her concentrate on her studies despite the long journeys and tiring schedule.
Her teachers, including Basudev Maharana and his team in Berhampur, also guided her during the preparation.
The medical college admission has brought relief and happiness to the family. Sandhyarani now wants to study well, become a competent doctor and care for patients.
Basudev Maharana, who guided both students, said many aspirants arrive with big dreams, but success depends on how consistently they work towards them. Rudra and Sandhyarani remained committed to their preparation despite the financial and personal difficulties they faced, he said. Teachers and non-teaching staff also supported them during their journey.
The struggle is not completely over. Medical education will bring another set of expenses and challenges. But Rudra and Sandhyarani have already crossed a major hurdle. Their journeys show that limited means can make a dream harder to achieve, but need not decide where it ends. The medical students feel, there will be a way, when there is a will.
Also Read:
