An orphaned boy’s hard journey to white coat glory

Berhampur: Amidst the quiet hills of Dumiguda, under Adava panchayat in Gajapati district, where poverty often eclipses dreams, a tale of resilience has bloomed. Neera Mallick (21), an orphaned tribal boy who once stood at life’s crossroads with shattered hopes, has carved his path to become a healer of lives.

After stumbling in his first attempt at NEET, despair had nearly chained his aspirations. Neera, ready to abandon his dream of becoming a doctor, sought livelihood instead. But destiny had other plans. The guiding hands of Aryabhatta, a coaching centre in Berhampur, brought him back on track, offering him free coaching and unyielding encouragement. Persuaded to try once more, he rose against all odds — and this time, success embraced him.

Neera, after clearing Class X with 88 per cent marks from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in 2019, decided not to pursue higher studies as he was suffering from TB. His mother, afflicted with paralysis, died in 2022. His father Sania Mallick had died in 2014.

Now selected for MBBS at Sri Jagannath Medical College and Hospital in Puri, Neera’s journey is nothing short of a triumph of willpower and compassion. To ensure that financial hurdles do not clip his soaring wings, arrangements have already been made to cover his entire study expenses, Sudhir Rout, Director of Aryabhatta, said.

For the children of Dumiguda, Neera’s story is more than an achievement. It is a living testament that even in the harshest soils, dreams can blossom when nurtured with hope, guidance and kindness.