Meet Sanatan Pradhan: How 19-Yr-Old Odisha Tribal Student Literally Climbed A Hill Everyday To Crack NEET In 1st Attempt

In a remote village of Kandhamal district in Odisha, where opportunities are rare and modern amenities like internet access are a luxury few can afford, Sanatan Pradhan, the 19-year-old son of a small-time farmer, battled innumerable hardships to realize his dream of becoming a doctor which has now become a reality as the tribal student cracked NEET medical entrance test with flying colors in his very first attempt.
Narrating his arduous struggle, Sanatan revealed how he used borrowed books as the family could not afford to pay for new ones, and had to climb a hilltop around 3 kms away from his village to access the internet because his native place has no coverage. Owing to relentless toil, determination, and hard-work, the 19-year-old successfully cracked the NEET test in his very first attempt without any sort of formal coaching, and is now set to join the MKCG Medical College in Odisha’s Berhampur district.
The teenager is the son of Kaneswar Pradhan, a small farmer in remote Tadimaha village in the tribal-dominated Kandhamal district. The Pradhan family, which is part of the Kandha tribe.
Kaneswar, filled with joy and pride over his son’s remarkable success, gave an account of the boy’s inspiring fight against adversity in his journey to realise his dreams. The proud father recounted how his son recounted how his son literally climbed a hill every day for months in order to access the internet for studying.
“It’s very difficult to go to the hill areas every day and spend the entire day on the hill. Two months before the NEET examination, I again came to Berhampur to prepare for the examination. The preparation was made through online and borrowing some books from friends,” Sanatan told news agency PTI.
Talking about his schooling, Sanatan revealed that he completed Class 10th from a government school at Daringbadi and later moved to Khallikote junior college in Berhampur where he completed his Class 12th. Later, the 19-year-old returned to his native village and started preparing for the NEET medical entrance exam.
“Though I was confident to get a seat in medical college in the state, it was a dream come true for me get a seat in MKCG Medical College here”, he said.
“I will study sincerely and become a doctor to serve the people living in remote areas, where the medical facility is scarce”, he said, adding, he has already deposited his money to confirm his seat by borrowing.
“Now several bankers are coming to us and offering student loans. We will request the government for financial help for Sanatan’s medical studies,” Kaneswar said.
The heartwarming journey of Sanatan Pradhan is truly an inspiring tale of determination, hard work and the relentless pursuit of chasing a dream, which has has not only brought pride to his family, but also ignited hope in the region where opportunities, if any, are very rare.
(With PTI inputs)