Vadakarai, a quiet village panchayat, erupted in celebration as 19-year-old K Ganesh Kumar became the first student from the community to secure an MBBS seat at the Government Medical College in Dindigul.
Scoring 454 marks in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance-Test (NEET) examination, Ganesh’s achievement has filled the village with pride and inspired widespread jubilation, according to The New Indian Express report.
Community rallies to honour Ganesh
Inspired by Ganesh’s success, the youth of Vadakarai have united to organise a felicitation event in his honor, celebrating his accomplishment. His victory marks a significant milestone for the panchayat, showcasing the potential of its young residents.
Humble beginnings, yet bold determination
Born to M Krishnasamy, a 50-year-old parotta master, and K Jayanthi, a 43-year-old daily-wage labourer from Narikulam, Ganesh hails from a family with an annual income of just Rs 1 lakh. As the third child, he overcame financial hardships to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor, demonstrating remarkable resilience.
Ganesh shared his challenging journey with TNIE, noting that it took three attempts to crack the NEET exam. “I studied from Class 6 to 12 at the Government Higher Secondary School in Sivalingapuram. I prepared independently for my first attempt and later joined a coaching center in Madurai for the second, but I didn’t succeed,” he said.
Undeterred, Ganesh enrolled in a coaching center in Salem for his third attempt, where his focus, and hard work finally paid off.
Ganesh’s mother, Jayanthi, expressed immense pride in her son’s accomplishment, highlighting the family’s sacrifices to support his education. “Despite financial struggles, we borrowed money and took loans to fund Ganesh’s coaching. Even after two failures, I believed in his dedication and ensured he never gave up,” she said.
