Bhubaneswar: In a historic achievement for the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of Odisha, Champa Raspeda from Malkangiri district has qualified the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2025, becoming the first student from the Didayi community to pursue MBBS.

A resident of Amlibeda village under Nakamamudi gram panchayat in Korukonda block, Champa has secured admission to Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital, Balasore. Her success has brought immense pride and joy to the Didayi community, one of the 13 PVTGs of the state.

Champa comes from a humble background. Her father is a marginal farmer and her mother a homemaker. She began her education at the PVTG Girls’ Education Complex in Nandiniguda (Khairput block), later studying at SSD Girls’ High School, Chitrakonda, where she completed her matriculation in 2019. She passed Plus II Science from SSD Higher Secondary School, Govindpally in 2021.

Financial constraints forced her to discontinue her B.Sc. studies, but her determination to become a doctor never waned. With the guidance of her teacher, Utkala Keshari Dash, she enrolled in free NEET coaching classes in Balasore, which paved the way for her remarkable achievement.

The Didayi tribe, primarily residing in the forested regions of Malkangiri’s Kudumulugumma and Khairput blocks, has been relying on shifting cultivation, forest produce, and small-scale farming. Champa’s success marks a new chapter of hope and inspiration for the community.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, in a post on X, has congratulated Champa and expressed his happiness over her accomplishment.