Twelve girls from Dalit and OBC communities studying at the government-run Sarvodaya Vidyalaya residential school in Marihan, Mirzapur district, have successfully cleared the NEET-UG examination this year. Their achievement has been hailed as a major milestone in the region’s educational progress.
Out of 25 girls from the school who appeared for the exam, 12 qualified. The successful students include Shweta Pal, Kumari Pooja Ranjan, Princi, Malti, Komal Kumari, Lakshmi, Anuradha, Komal, Laxmi, Sabhya Prajapati, Dipti Gupta, and Pooja Sonkar, all belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.
Shweta Pal expressed her joy at the results and credited the supportive environment at the school. “Our teachers and wardens ensured we stayed focused. My Chemistry teacher Arvind sir and Biology teacher Sudhir sir were always available to help. The school also provided indoor and outdoor games facilities to refresh ourselves,” she said.
Parents praised the school’s role as well. Shweta’s father, Heera Lal, said, “The school and hostel facilities were excellent. The teachers were cooperative and encouraging.” Similarly, Ramesh Ranjan, father of Pooja Ranjan, shared that Pooja’s dedication and hard work—studying up to 18 hours a day—were key to her success.
The achievement caught the attention of state officials. Uttar Pradesh’s Minister for Social Welfare, Asim Arun, congratulated the students on X (formerly Twitter), calling their success “brilliant” and assuring continued support for their scholarships.
District Magistrate Priyanka Niranjan described the accomplishment as “a milestone for the area” and praised Sarvodaya Vidyalaya Marihan as an exemplary government school model. She highlighted that the residential school provides free lodging, boarding, education, and coaching for competitive exams like NEET and JEE.
District Social Welfare Officer Trinetra Singh added that the school was developed as a Centre of Excellence, with close monitoring to provide all necessary resources such as books, coaching, and recreational facilities.
Director of Social Welfare Kumar Prashant said the Centre of Excellence initiative runs in collaboration with the Ex-Navodayan Foundation in Varanasi and Tata AIG. Of the 39 girls who received free coaching for NEET and JEE at the centre, 26 registered for NEET, 25 appeared, and 12 qualified.
The Social Welfare Department operates around 100 Sarvodaya Vidyalaya residential campuses across Uttar Pradesh, aiming to offer free quality education and coaching for competitive exams to economically weaker students from marginalized communities.
