From understaffed to outstanding: 10 government school students in Tiruppur clear NEET with NGO support
In a notable achievement, 10 students from Iduvampalayam Government Higher Secondary School in Tiruppur have cleared the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2026, the tough examination for admission to MBBS programmes. The students come from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Among them, two cleared the exam on their first attempt, while eight succeeded as repeaters, according to school authorities.
The school's transformation from an under-staffed and under-equipped institution to a high-performing one took place over two decades, with support from philanthropists and non-governmental organisations.
Twenty years ago, successful enterprises in Tiruppur, including Ramaraj Cotton and Chennai Silks, adopted the school under the aegis of the VETRY NGO. The NGO purchased eight acres of land from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department and handed it over to the State Education Department.
VETRY NGO officially adopted the school in 2007, when the student strength was about 450. It established a state-of-the-art building with 24 classrooms, modern toilets, and other essential utility structures on the acquired land at a cost of ₹2.5 crore.
For the past 19 years, the NGO has been contributing ₹1 lakh every month to fund temporary teaching staff. The school now has about 3,600 students, and provides specialised coaching for NEET, JEE, and other competitive exams, said VETRY NGO president T.R. Sivaram.
On Monday, the NGO presented each of the 10 students with a cash reward of ₹25,000 at a ceremony attended by S. Rajeshwari, Commissioner of Police, Tiruppur City; Chief Educational Officer Punitha Anthoniammal; Head Mistress Rajeswari; and industry donors.
Understanding the school's additional requirement of ₹1 lakh per month to sustain progress, Udayshankar of Santosh Garments committed to meet the entire requirement every month from July. Another philanthropist, Swamiappan, gifted stethoscopes to the NEET-qualified students in a symbolic gesture, which was appreciated by grateful parents.
