Bhubaneswar: For students from the state’s remote tribal pockets, the dream of becoming a doctor often comes with an immediate challenge of finding means to prepare for the entrance examination that could take them to a medical college.For more than three years, a teacher couple and their family from Balasore district have been quietly trying to bridge this gap.Govt school teachers Utkala Keshari Das and his wife, Mitali Madhusmita Sahu, along with Utkala’s sister Sindhumati Das, have been providing free Neet coaching, accommodation and food to promising tribal students who may otherwise struggle to afford the preparation required for the medical entrance examination.Every year, Utkala, a science teacher at PM SHRI Govindapali Higher Secondary School in Malkangiri, identifies one or two promising students from schools in and around his area and helps them pursue their medical aspirations. His wife, Mitali, teaches science and mathematics at Majhidharua Higher Secondary School in Nabarangpur.In the last academic year, the family supported three students — two girls from Bonda community and a boy from Didayi community — with free Neet coaching and accommodation. One of them is now hopeful of securing a medical seat in a govt college in the second or third round of selection which will take place soon.For the family, the support goes beyond paying coaching fees. It begins with identifying students with potential and then ensuring that financial constraints do not force them to give up on their ambitions.Utkala arranges coaching for the students at a private institute in Balasore. The owner of the coaching centre, a friend of Utkala, agrees to substantially reduce the coaching fees, while the couple meets remaining expenses from their salaries. “I request the owner of the coaching centre to provide Neet coaching to the children I send. Every year, he reduces the fees by almost 50%, and Mitali and I meet the remaining expenses from our salaries,” Utkala said.But arranging coaching is only one part of the support. The family also takes responsibility for the students’ stay and food during their preparation period.Utkala’s sister Sindhumati, a homemaker and mother of two girls who lives in Balasore town, provides free accommodation and food to girl students at her home throughout the coaching period. For boys, Utkala arranges their stay and food at his ancestral home in Badakia village, around 7 km from Balasore town. Parents of two young children, Utkala and Mitali set aside a portion of their salaries every month to meet the expenses involved in supporting the students.Among their earlier beneficiaries were Champa Rasbeda, a girl from the Didayi community, and Mangala Muduli, a boy from the Bonda community. Both became the first from their respective PVTG communities to clear Neet – Champa in 2025 and Mangala in 2024.
