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Bijapur, Jul 27 (PTI) Nine students from Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur, once known as a Maoist stronghold, have cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026 re-exam after taking coaching classes at a local administration-run centre, marking a significant turnaround for the district.
These students, most of them hailing from families of farmers or daily wagers, were among candidates who were taught under a district administration-run coaching programme aimed at nurturing academic talent in different fields from backward areas of the district, officials said on Monday.
The successful NEET candidates, who have qualified for admission to medical colleges, were students of “Chhu Lo Aasman” (touch the sky), a residential coaching centre
run by the district administration to prepare local students for competitive examinations, they said.
The achievement reflects the changing face of Bijapur, where improvement in security scenario after the end of armed Maoism, and development initiatives have begun yielding results in the field of education, the officials maintained.
“Nine students from our district, most of them hailing from interior areas, have passed NEET. All of them studied at the ‘Chhu Lo Aasman’ coaching centre run by the district administration,” Bijapur Collector Vishwadeep said, describing the result as a major achievement.
District Education Officer Rajesh Pande said 25 students, including 21 regular Class XII biology students and four repeat candidates, appeared for the NEET re-examination held on June 21.
Of them, five regular students and four repeat candidates cracked the prestigious medical entrance examination, the results of which were declared on July 16, he said.
Among the successful candidates, five belong to the Scheduled Tribe category, three to Scheduled Castes and one to the Other Backward Class. Most of their parents are farmers or daily wage labourers, Pande informed.
Siddharth Durgam emerged the top performer from the coaching centre with 482 marks out of 720.
The other successful candidates were: Champa Poyami (352), Arun Todem (339), Tejesh Durgam (294), Sameer Lakda (241), Kursam Jitendra (240), Devid Durgam (213), Humeshwar Devangan (213) and Ganesh Kumar Vachham (179).
Poyami, a resident of Sanknapalli village, who scored 352 marks, credited her teachers and parents for the success.
“Our teachers guided us throughout, and we studied accordingly. Students should stay focused on their goal and work hard. I want to give credit to both my teachers and my parents (for clearing NEET),” she said. PTI COR TKP RSY
