JAIPUR: Shrawan Kumar, 19, of Rajasthan’s Balotra who toils in a factory while studying and whose parents wash dishes at village ceremonies to support life in a thatched two-room mud house, has cleared this year’s NEET.Shrawan was at work in his factory in Balotra when he received word that he secured an impressive 4071 rank in OBC category. His score is likely to earn him a seat in three to four government medical colleges in Rajasthan.With just over 55,688 MBBS seats in government colleges nationwide, Shrawan’s success is extraordinary. His family’s only source of livelihood comes from washing utensils at weddings and ceremonies, along with occasional MGNREGS work. Despite severe financial hardship, Shrawan remained focused on his education, completing both Class 10 and 12 from a government school, securing 97% and 88%, respectively.Saturday’s NEET results put Shrawan’s mud house amid sand dunes in Balotra’s Khattoo village in the spotlight. Neighbours gathered to celebrate and social media influencers flocked to the spot, hailing the teenager and his parents. The fanfare was a far cry from the days since his childhood when Shrawan helped his father clean utensils at village ceremonies and rear livestock to support the family. Although a bright student throughout schooling, he never imagined pursuing anything beyond Class 12, until life changed drastically over past three years.Getting electricity in late 2022 and a free smartphone with three years of internet access, provided to his mother under a previous state government scheme, completely changed his life. “It extended my study hours & internet exposed me to outside world,” he told TOI. Shrawan received free NEET coaching from government doctors in Barmer, who mentor underprivileged kids.
