- Twelve girls from Mirzapur cleared NEET-UG 2025 without private coaching
- Jayaprakash Narayan Sarvodaya Balika Vidyalaya offers free NEET and JEE coaching
- In first batch, 12 of 25 girls passed NEET and 5 of 13 passed JEE exams
In one of Uttar Pradesh's most backward districts, a quiet educational revolution is taking place. In 2025, twelve girls from the remote Madihan tehsil in Mirzapur district cleared the highly competitive NEET-UG examination - without spending a rupee on private coaching. Their achievement has not only stunned the local community but also turned a little-known school into a beacon of opportunity.
The success comes from Jayaprakash Narayan Sarvodaya Balika Vidyalaya, a fully residential school run by the Department of Social Welfare with academic support from the ExNavodaya Foundation in Varanasi. The initiative offers free coaching for NEET and JEE aspirants from underprivileged backgrounds, alongside their regular Class 11 and 12 curriculum.
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Launched in June 2023, the programme selected talented girls from Dalit and OBC communities from 29 districts of Uttar Pradesh through a competitive process. At the Madihan centre, free accommodation, meals, academic coaching, and mentorship are provided for students.
In its very first batch, 25 girls appeared for NEET and 12 of them qualified. For JEE, 13 girls wrote the exam, and five succeeded. The results have sparked wide recognition across the region and renewed conversations about the potential of public-private partnerships in education.
The girls, many of whom come from families with limited means, describe the atmosphere as encouraging. "I have come from Lucknow to prepare for NEET. The teachers here are very good, they provide all the booklets and support to students. The teachers are friendly," one of the students Lakshmi told NDTV.
Notable achievers include Shweta Pal, Pooja Ranjan, Princy, Malti, Komal Kumari, Lakshmi, Anuradha, Sabha Prajapati, Deepti Gupta, and Pooja Sonkar - young women whose stories are now being celebrated in their villages and beyond.
"The teachers here are accessible, we clear all our doubts. they are available even after the class is over, to help us," said another student Premlata.
At a time when private NEET and JEE coaching often demands lakhs of rupees, this model offers a cost-free, merit-based alternative that has already delivered measurable results.
"This centre has been developed as centre of excellence. Students receive coaching here and then appear for NEET and JEE. I congratulate all the 12 successful students," said Priyanka Niranjan, District Magistrate, Mirazapur.
She said that the centre also provides residential facility along with classroom (in-person) teaching. "This gives a great opportunity for students from the weaker section of the society to prepare for high-profile exams like NEET and JEE."