CHENNAI: A day after TOI brought to light the struggle of a
tribal girl
from Jawadhu Hills to pursue Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) in a state-run college owing to poverty, corporates and individual donors have come forward to help her financially.
M Sumithra
would be the first girl from the community spread across 300 villages in the Jawadhu Hills, infamous for its red sander smugglers and child marriages, to do a medical course when she joins the Rajah Muthiah Dental College and Hospital, affiliated to Annamalai University. She is a native of Pattankovilur in Kottakarai panchayat.
Hailing from a poor family, the girl scored 135 marks in NEET and secured 64th rank in the ST quota. She undertook NEET coaching in a government-run coaching centre in Polur.
She was asked to pay around 4.5 lakh towards tuition fee and hostel fee on or before July 11. The girl along with her father M Manickam returned home with a heavy heart and decided to quit.
Following the report, collector K S Kandasamy intervened and secured her the seat in the college. "We spoke to the administration of the college. They told me that they have surrendered the seats to the selection committee as the admission time was over. We contacted the higher officials in the DME and ministry. Later selection committee member Dr Saravanan obtained extension time for admission till Monday," Kandasamy told TOI.
The district administration has also taken measures to pool in the fund from philanthropists. Industrialist A C Muthiah contributed 9,07,700 towards the girl's education, while K V Anandan of Rotary Club of Chennai and A Anbarasu of Rotary Club - Pride in
Tiruvannamalai have contributed 50,000 each.