Odisha: Champa Raspeda Becomes First Didayi Tribe Student To Clear NEET
Champa is the daughter of Lachmu Raspeda from Amlibeda village under Nakamamudi Panchayat in Korukonda block, a tribal-majority district.
Champa Raspeda from Odisha's Malkangiri district has become the first student from the Didayi, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), to clear NEET-2025 and gain admission to Fakir Mohan Medical College & Hospital, Balasore, reported PTI.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his delight over her achievement.
Champa is the daughter of Lachmu Raspeda from Amlibeda village under Nakamamudi Panchayat in Korukonda block, a tribal-majority district.
Her father is a marginal farmer, while her mother is a homemaker. She began her education at the PVTG girls' education complex in Nandiniguda (Khairput block) under the SC & ST Development (SSD) Department, according to an official statement.
She later continued her studies at SSD Girls' High School, Chitrakonda, and completed her matriculation in 2019. After passing Class 12 in the Science stream in 2021 from SSD Higher Secondary School, Govindpally, financial difficulties forced her to halt her BSc studies.
However, her dream of becoming a doctor persisted. With guidance from her former science teacher Utkala Keshari Dash, Champa joined free NEET coaching classes in Balasore.
In recent years, several tribal students have cleared NEET and secured MBBS seats in government medical colleges.
The Didayi tribe, one of Odisha's 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), resides in the remote forested areas of Malkangiri district, especially in the Kudumulugumma and Khairput blocks. Traditionally, the tribe relies on shifting cultivation, forest gathering, and small-scale farming.
'For a young girl from this community to break barriers and enter the medical profession is a remarkable step toward empowerment and social transformation," the statement said.
In an X post, the chief minister said, 'Her hard work, strong determination and success will inspire all youths of Odisha. I hope that in the future she will serve the poor and backward people as a good doctor. I wish her a bright future."
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