Champa Raspeda, a 19-year-old from Odisha’s Malkangiri district, has rewritten the narrative for the Didayi tribe by becoming the first girl from her community to clear the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2025 and gain admission to Fakir Mohan Medical College & Hospital, Balasore.
The Didayi, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), predominantly reside in the remote forested areas of Malkangiri, Odisha, where poverty and superstition often curtail access to education and healthcare. Champa’s achievement is all the more remarkable given her background: the daughter of Lachmu Raspeda, a marginal farmer, and a homemaker mother, she faced significant socio-economic obstacles that made schooling and higher education a privilege few could afford.
Yet, despite these challenges, she excelled with a 66 percentile score in NEET on her very first try, a milestone celebrated by her community and officials alike.
A Journey of Struggle, Support, and Determination
Education was no easy path for Champa, who once shared how schooling was a shared family resource: “If my brother went to school, I stayed back, and vice versa.” In the Didayi community, girls are frequently married off early, often ending their education prematurely.
The prevalence of superstition, quackery, and fear of modern medicine in her village further complicated her pursuit of becoming a doctor. Inspired by witnessing her mother’s reluctance towards medical treatment and her neighbours’ preference for witchcraft, Champa aspired to be the healer her people desperately needed.
The turning point came through the encouragement and practical support of her former science teacher, Utkala Keshari Dash, who recognised her potential and facilitated her access to free coaching classes in Balasore. This mentorship proved crucial in building her confidence and enabling her to compete successfully in the fiercely competitive NEET exam.
Context of the Didayi Tribe and Social Significance
The Didayi tribe, one of Odisha’s 13 PVTGs, mainly inhabits the Kudumulugumma and Khairput blocks of Malkangiri district. Their traditional livelihood depends on shifting cultivation, forest produce collection, and small-scale farming. Education levels are generally low, especially among girls, who are often subject to early marriages and limited schooling.
Champa’s success is not an isolated event but part of a positive trend where more tribal students from various communities are clearing NEET and securing medical college seats.
Such recognition underscores the importance of educational upliftment and access to healthcare as vital tools to break cycles of deprivation in India’s most vulnerable regions.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Champa Raspeda’s story is a powerful testament to the transformative potential of resilience, mentorship, and education in empowering marginalized communities. At The Logical Indian, such stories strengthen our conviction that kindness, empathy, and dialogue between tradition and modernity are essential in fostering inclusive growth.
Champa’s commitment to returning to her village to promote medicine and education embodies the spirit of positive social change, the kind that is driven by grassroots leadership and genuine care.
Champa’s success is a call to action and a reminder that every child, regardless of background, deserves the opportunity to dream, strive, and succeed.
Champa Rasapeda, the first student from the Didai (PVTG) community of Malkangiri, has successfully qualified in the All India Medical Entrance Examination. Congratulations 🎊 👏 💐. God bless you dear pic.twitter.com/G85SrdUGqr
— Sidharth patnaik (@Sid_patnaik24) August 26, 2025
