A girl belonging to a Scheduled Tribe (ST) from a settlement near Pichanur in Coimbatore district has cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in her second attempt, scoring 202 out of 720 marks.
M. Shangavi, 19, from the Malasar tribal community, who became the first person to complete Class XII in her tribal settlement in 2018, has now become the first to clear NEET in her settlement. Currently residing near Rottigounden Pudur in Madukkarai taluk, she was in the news in 2020 for her long-drawn struggle to receive community certificate, which she later got after intervention from the Collector.
She told The Hindu on Tuesday that amid a two-year struggle to get her community certificate last year, her father died and her mother was undergoing treatment for cataract in both eyes. Through assistance from various NGOs, Ms. Shangavi enroled at a private coaching institute in Saravanampatti earlier this year, but could not continue attending physical classes due to the lockdown. “I prepared using State Board textbooks and the study materials provided by [the coaching institute],” she said. She attempted NEET in 2018 after completing Class XII, but could not clear the exam. She studied Class XI and XII at the Government Higher Secondary School in Pichanur.
The cut-off score for ST candidates who appeared for NEET 2021 ranges from 108 to 137. Having scored above the cut-off range, Ms. Shangavi said she aspires to study medicine at a government-run medical college.
