Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday met Ifu Mallick, who was finding it difficult to arrange funds for his studies after clearing NEET, at Naveen Niwas in Odisha capital.
On Tuesday, the state government sanctioned Rs 62,950 towards expenses for his 1st-year MBBS course at Saheed Lakshman Nayak (SLN) Medical College and Hospital in Koraput district following media reports that he was working in farmland and construction sites to fund his medical education.
Ifu spoke to the CM about his struggles to arrange funds for his studies. He said that he would like to serve his community and Odisha after becoming a doctor. He was told that the funds were sanctioned under an initiative launched by the CM to help meritorious ST/SC students pursue their studies, especially in professional colleges.
“I thanked him for his help. He assured to support my family. I feel lucky to have met him in person. When I was taking a selfie with him, he noticed the broken part of my mobile and immediately gave me a new mobile. I am very happy after meeting him,” he said.
Ifu is a son of a daily wager from Bagramila village in the tribal-dominated Kandhamal district, He cracked NEET on the second attempt. But to realise his dream and pay the annual hostel fees of Rs 15,000, he had to work as a farmhand and at construction sites. He had borrowed Rs 38,950 from his friend’s father to deposit the first-year admission fees at the government-run medical college. Besides the hostel fee, he also needed Rs 4,000 to pay the monthly mess charges and was struggling to arrange the money with December 15 as the deadline when classes are to start.
