A free preparation program for the medical entrance exam was launched in the Barmer district of Rajasthan, changing the lives of many talented but underprivileged students.
In the arid Thar desert, located in Barmer, talented children from poor families often stopped their education after the 10th or 12th grade due to the inability to afford higher education, courses, or preparation for medical exams.
A government healthcare worker, Dr. Bharat Saran, observed this cycle for a long time while working in Barmer. He concluded that poverty should not determine people's future and decided to create opportunities through free medical education.
Inspired by Indian educator Anand Kumar and founder of the Super 30 program, Dr. Saran established the organization Fifty Villagers Seva Sansthan in 2012. This organization provides a free residential program for NEET preparation exclusively for economically disadvantaged students.
Initially, Dr. Saran taught 25 students from the 11th and 12th grades in a rented room after finishing his work at the hospital. The initiative initially received its unique name thanks to fifty students who studied annually.
Selection criteria require students to have achieved the first quarter in the 10th grade and successfully passed an aptitude test with 50 marks. An additional 30 marks are awarded for visiting the home to assess financial status, ensuring a combination of merit and real need.
One of Dr. Saran's students, Nem Singh Rajpurohit, is a prime example. After the death of both parents in a car accident, he joined the program in 2013 and is now successfully studying medicine at Dr. SN Medical College in Jodhpur.
The initiative relies entirely on donations, which range from 500 to 5 lakh rupees. Despite accumulating a debt of nearly 9 lakh, Dr. Saran continued to cover expenses for rent, books, and student support.
Approximately 25,000 rupees is spent per student annually, covering tuition, accommodation, food, and textbooks, demonstrating that quality medical education can remain accessible with community support and dedicated leadership.
In 2015, 28 students successfully passed NEET-UG. Since then, the program has educated 286 students, 119 of whom have gained admission to medical colleges across India thanks to continuous mentorship.
In 2025, Shree Cement company committed to allocating 25 lakh rupees annually for two years to support residential education for 25 girls, advancing the program in a more gender-inclusive direction.
A story from the city of Lucknow demonstrated that with strong aspiration and determination, poverty is not an insurmountable obstacle. Nilu from the village of Digdia, located in the Gomti Nagar area of Lucknow, successfully passed the NEET exam despite numerous difficulties.
Nilu lives with her mother, Rajkumari, and three sisters. The eldest sister, Nitu, is married, and the youngest, Kumkum, is still studying. When Nilu was in the eighth grade, her father passed away due to a severe illness. The family's financial situation was so dire that providing him with proper medical care was impossible.
Nilu recalls that her father died precisely because they could not provide him with timely medical assistance. On that same day, she made a firm decision to become a doctor so that other people would not have to lose loved ones due to lack of means.
After her father's passing, all responsibility fell on her mother, Rajkumari. She worked as an assistant in a hospital and also cleaned in private homes to support the family. Despite this arduous labor, her monthly income amounted to only 10-11 thousand rupees. Nevertheless, she did not give up and, by gathering funds little by little, helped her daughter realize her dreams.
Nilu began her studies at Inspiration Girls School. She always possessed outstanding academic abilities. Thanks to her talent, she received a scholarship at Stady Hall school in the eleventh grade. She scored 86 percent in the tenth-grade board exams and 94 percent in the CBSE 12th-grade exam this year. Furthermore, she was selected to receive the prestigious Vahani scholarship, which is awarded to only 50 talented students across the country. This scholarship will cover tuition fees and other educational needs in the field of medicine.
Having qualified for NEET, Nilu emphasized that Inspiration Girls School taught her that education can change one's destiny regardless of their background. She hopes that her story will inspire other girls to boldly set big goals. Her ultimate goal is to become a successful cardiologist. She strives to provide timely and quality care to needy and poor people so that financial difficulties no longer lead to the loss of loved ones in families.
