Champa Raspeda from Odisha’s Didayi PVTG tribe creates history by clearing NEET 2025 and securing admission at Fakir Mohan Medical College
OdishaPlus Bureau
Education, as the saying goes, is a significant equalizer. This statement holds particularly true in the case of this most underprivileged tribal girl from Odisha.
Champa Raspeda, a student hailing from the Malkangiri district of Odisha, has made history by becoming the first individual from the Didayi, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), to successfully pass NEET 2025. She has gained admission to Fakir Mohan Medical College & Hospital in Balasore, representing a significant milestone for her community.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his delight regarding the student’s accomplishment. Champa is the daughter of Lachmu Raspeda, residing in Amlibeda village within Nakamamudi Panchayat of the Korukonda block, an area predominantly inhabited by tribal populations.
Her father works as a marginal farmer, while her mother is a homemaker. She commenced her early education at the PVTG girls’ education complex located in Nandiniguda (Khairput block), which operates under the SC & ST Development (SSD) Department, as stated in an official announcement.
She subsequently continued her education at SSD Girls’ High School in Chitrakonda, where she completed her matriculation in 2019. After successfully passing Class 12 in the Science stream in 2021 from SSD Higher Secondary School, Govindpally, she was compelled to halt her BSc studies due to financial difficulties.
Nevertheless, her aspiration to become a doctor remained strong, as stated, and with the support of her former science teacher Utkala Keshari Dash, Champa enrolled in free NEET coaching classes at Balasore.
According to the statement from the Odisha government, the state has been experiencing a consistent increase in the educational accomplishments of tribal students, especially in the medical field. In recent years, numerous tribal students have successfully passed NEET and obtained MBBS placements in government medical colleges.
The Didayi tribe, recognized as one of the 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in Odisha, resides in the secluded forested areas of Malkangiri district, specifically within the Kudumulu Gumma and Khairput blocks. Historically, this tribal community relies on shifting cultivation, foraging in the forest, and small-scale agriculture.
“For a young girl from this community to overcome obstacles and pursue a career in medicine is an extraordinary advancement towards empowerment and social change,” the statement remarked.