A Tamil Nadu Tribal Girl Cleared NEET And Scored More Than The Cut-Off For Reserved Category

Sangavi Muniyappan, a 20-year-old Malasar tribal student, qualified NEET on her second attempt, achieving 202 points, far exceeding the cut-off level for general category students. Whereas people in Nanjappanur, a tribal village near Rottigoundanur in Tamil Nadu, have toiled as farmhands for decades.

Coaching and training institutes were not at the priority list for her. While explaining the journey to clear the NEET exam, she stated that after completing her HSC at Pichanur Government Higher Secondary School, she took the NEET exam in 2018. However, she was only 6 marks away of becoming a doctor. She went on to Narayana Guru Polytechnic College to pursue a diploma. She was also not eligible for all of the state-provided services for tribal students under the ST reservation because she didn't have a community certificate. It was difficult for her to finish college in less than a week. She immediately applied for a community certificate after completing my SSLC.

She also remarked that acquiring the certificate was tough as she had face five times rejection from the village administration on the basis of several reasons. In her region, nobody has completed higher studies, as a result no one had received the community certificate. Sangavi's parents or any of the relative needs to have the certificate. She said that the government handed land to the community without designating it. As a result, the majority of their community members lack any legal documentation confirming that they are members of the Malasar community and have resided there for centuries. She sought for a community certificate five times, but each time was denied by the local administration. It became a major issue once it was noticed by various local television stations and newspapers.

Nanjappanur has four pupils in class ten and another twenty in middle school. More families are expected to come ahead and enrol their children in school, according to Sangavi. The 49 residents that lived in the village had no electricity, roads, or street lights until two years ago. Sangavi preferred to study by lantern.

Meanwhile, Kayalvizhi Selvaraj, the minister for Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare, paid a visit to Nanjappanur on November 5 and praised Sangavi. According to residents, the minister promised them houses and gas services.