Tribal family in Odisha sends five members to medical school

An extended tribal family from the Sikabadi village in the Kandhamal district of Odisha has achieved a significant milestone, with five members pursuing or completing medical education. The family, residing in the remote, hilly Daringbadi area, has overcome extreme financial hardship and limited infrastructure to reach this goal.

Three siblings—Sunemi, Meenakshi, and Ashriya—recently cleared the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and secured admissions to government medical colleges in Puri, Balangir, and Bhawanipatna. They join their elder sibling, Bibhisan Naik, who is currently completing a medical internship, and their cousin, Monalisa Pradhan, who is in her second year of MBBS studies.

The family’s success is noted against a backdrop of poverty and geographic isolation. The household’s primary breadwinner, 76-year-old Brushi Naiak, works as a migrant laborer and small-scale farmer. To support the family's educational pursuits, Bibhisan financed his own studies through tutoring and secured a loan of ₹6 lakh to assist his siblings. Students in the region have also faced challenges with poor mobile connectivity, often traveling to hilltops to access online educational resources.