Bhubaneswar, Aug 26: In a heartwarming gesture, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi felicitated Champa Rasapeda, a young girl from the Didayi tribe, for successfully clearing the NEET 2025 medical entrance exam.

Champa completed her matriculation from SSD Girls’ High School at Chitrakonda and Plus II science from SSD school at Govindpally. However, financial hardships at home forced her to discontinue her BSc studies.

With the help of former science teacher Utkala Keshari Dash, Champa cleared the national test in her first attempt and secured admission at Fakir Mohan medical college and hospital in Balasore.

Champa, hailing from Amlibeda village in Malkangiri district, has become the first student from the Didayi community, one of Odisha’s Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), to enter the field of medicine.

During the felicitation ceremony, CM Majhi offered his blessings and encouraged her to become a compassionate doctor who serves the underprivileged. He also advised her to uphold the spirit of service and social responsibility, especially toward tribal communities that lack access to healthcare.

Champa’s achievement has been widely celebrated across the state, with many hailing it as a symbol of empowerment and transformation.

The Didayi tribe, one of the 13 PVTGs of Odisha, inhabits the remote forested regions of Malkangiri district, particularly in the Kudumulugumma and Khairput blocks.