R. Manojkumar, one of the nine ‘elite’ government school students who secured admission to MBBS course in government medical colleges with impressive cut-off marks, thanks to the special coaching offered by the district administration, missed the top rank by a whisker.
Son of a hotel employee, Manojkumar from Valantharavai in Mandapam block, scored centum in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and missed the magic figure by one mark in Physics to secure a cut-off of 199.75 and missed the top slot by just 0.25 mark.
“I never thought the mistake in one mark question would cost me so dearly but I am happy I will be able to secure admission to one of the medical colleges in Chennai,” he told The Hindu on Friday. His father worked in a small hotel at Mandapam and his mother supplemented the family income by working under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
His teacher and coordinator of ‘elite students’ S. Navaneethakrishnan assured to get him a sponsor. His father almost gave up work after a paralytic attack four years ago and he wanted to become a neurologist, he said. His parents were happy but worried over financial commitments.
Nine ‘elite’ students, including four Scheduled Caste students and one de-notified community student, qualified for MBBS admission in government colleges this year against two students last year, Mr. Navaneethakrishnan said.
All the nine students were from poor families and he was looking for philanthropists, he said.
Rangasamy, a doctor from Thoothukudi, has offered to bear the educational expenditure of three students while Chinnadurai Abdullah, a Ramanathapuram doctor, and Nagendra Boopathy, his old student, a cardiologist in Apollo Hospital, would sponsor one student each, he said.
R. Selvapandi, an SC student who secured a cut-off of 197.50 and ranked 34, could not even share his joy with his parents, who were illiterates.
His father virtually worked as a bonded labour, herding goats for a landlord for an annual payment of Rs. 50,000. “Sir (Mr Navaneethakrishnan) has assured to get a sponsor,” he said.
Similar was the case of S. J. Surya Prakash from a weaving family. His father worked as a weaver for his employer for a monthly salary of about Rs. 7,000. D. Ilakkiya Ezhilarasi, the MBC student, secured 198.50 and was ranked 52.
Her father is working in a petrol filling station.
S. Nasrin (198) and three other SC students – M. Surjith (195.75), P. Gokila (195.75) and M. Mahesh Kumar (195.50) – are also pinning their hopes on sponsors to pursue MBBS.
