Bhubaneswar: Two sisters and their cousin have cleared the highly competitive NEET examination and secured seats in government medical colleges in Odisha. Their success has brought into sharp focus an impoverished tribal family in Kandhamal district, where five children are now firmly on the path to becoming doctors.
In the hilly and forested terrain of Daringbadi in Kandhamal district, the modest asbestos-roofed and mud-walled house of Brushi Naiak (76) and Anusaya (62) in Sikabadi village has become the quiet centre of an extraordinary story. Their eldest son, Bibhisan Naiak (25), was the first in the family to clear the NEET examination. He secured admission to Saheed Laxman Naik Medical College in Koraput and is currently completing his internship at the same institution. His sister Monalisa (23) is now a second-year medical student there.
The family’s remarkable journey has continued. Sunemi (20), Ashriya (18) and Meenakshi (19) have also cleared the medical entrance examination and are pursuing MBBS courses at government medical colleges in Puri, Bolangir and Bhawanipatna respectively.
Meenakshi, though the daughter of Brushi’s younger brother Jishiya Pradhan, has been raised by Brushi and Anusaya since childhood. For Anusaya, the distinction hardly matters. She regards all of them as her own children. The household of nine members includes two younger sons who are still studying in school.
Meanwhile, Jishiya Pradhan has appealed to the state government for assistance to ease the family’s financial burden and support the children’s higher education. Across the village, there is a shared belief that these young aspirants will one day return as doctors to serve the community that nurtured them.
In a region where opportunities remain limited and life is still governed by the rhythms of the land, the achievement has sparked a rare sense of collective pride. The family has long endured the hardships of subsistence farming, raising its children with scarce resources but unwavering resolve. Clearing one of the toughest national entrance tests has become a powerful reminder that talent and persistence can open doors even from the most modest circumstances.
