Rickshaw puller's grandson from Bihar village cracks NEET UG, shares success tips

A family that once depended on a rickshaw puller's earnings is celebrating a milestone that has brought recognition far beyond its home. Aditya, a resident of Ratnauli village in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, has secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 946 in NEET UG along with a category rank of 295, becoming the first student from his village to qualify in the country's premier medical entrance examination.His achievement has transformed into a moment of collective pride for the village. While his grandfather, Saukhi Sahni, earlier earned a living by pulling a rickshaw, Aditya's father, Harendra Sahni, supports the family through a private job. Aditya completed his matriculation under the Bihar Board from his village and later scored 87 per cent in intermediate from RDS College before clearing NEET UG.A family's journey inspires an entire villageFor the Sahni family, the result represents years of determination and steady effort. Saukhi Sahni said his grandson's success has brought pride not only to the family but to the entire village. He also described Aditya as the North Bihar topper in NEET UG.According to family members, Aditya's success has encouraged other students in the village to pursue higher education and competitive examinations. His father said the family remained confident that consistent hard work would eventually yield results.Muzaffarpur records several notable NEET UG successesAditya's achievement came alongside several strong performances from other students across Muzaffarpur district.Sumit Sarraf from Veerpur in Kanti secured AIR 6013 in his second attempt after combining local studies with online learning and dedicating 10 to 12 hours daily to preparation.Tannu from Dharfari village in Paru scored 587 marks. Her father, Deveshchandra Prajapati, credited her disciplined preparation for the result. Akash Kumar from Chanpakdi in Saraiya secured 608 marks, AIR 7,637 and EWS rank 821 in his third attempt. His parents acknowledged the guidance of his teachers, Sahindra Bhagat and Ramchandra Sah, while residents and local representatives congratulated him on the achievement.StudentHometownNEET UG performanceAdityaRatnauli village, Kudhani (Muzaffarpur)AIR 946; Category Rank 295Sumit SarrafVeerpur, Kanti (Muzaffarpur)AIR 6013TannuDharfari village, Paru (Muzaffarpur)587 marksAkash KumarChanpakdi, Saraiya (Muzaffarpur)608 marks; AIR 7,637; EWS Rank 821Divya ChetanBisunpur Patti, Sahebganj (Muzaffarpur)633 marks; AIR 3,135; EWS Rank 284Arya PrakashBairia646 marks; AIR 1,701; Category Rank 934KaustubhMeenapurAIR 11,014Divya Chetan from Bisunpur Patti village in Sahebganj secured AIR 3,135 and EWS rank 284 after scoring 633 marks without attending a coaching institute, preparing from his village through self-study and online resources. Arya Prakash from Bairia secured AIR 1,701 and scored 646 marks in his first attempt after balancing coaching with self-study and staying away from social media during his preparation. Kaustubh from Meenapur also cleared the examination with AIR 11,014 after studying at a coaching centre in Muzaffarpur alongside online preparation.Bihar features prominently in national merit listThe state's strong showing extended beyond Muzaffarpur. According to a TNN report, four Bihar candidates featured among the top 100 in the national NEET-UG merit list. Ayush Bhalotia from Nawada emerged as the state's highest-ranked candidate with AIR 4, while Riya Ranjan secured AIR 6. Ravi Kant Diwakar finished with AIR 55 and Aditya Kumar of Begusarai secured AIR 73. TNN reported that Aditya Kumar said the tougher re-examination paper benefited well-prepared candidates by creating better differentiation, despite requiring students to revise the same syllabus for a longer period.Get the latest Education News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.