Girl from tribal community in Kalvarayan Hills earns her seat in IIT

17-year-old A. Rajeshwari from a remote village in India secures a spot in an IIT against all odds.

In a remote village tucked away in the Kalvarayan Hills, where dreams often struggle to take flight, 17-year-old A. Rajeshwari has carved out an extraordinary path. A student of the Government Tribal Residential Higher Secondary School in Karumandurai in Salem district, she has cleared the JEE (Advanced) 2025, an achievement that would earn her a seat in one of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

She is the first student from a government tribal residential school under the administration of the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department to secure admission to an IIT. Hailing from the Malayali tribal community, Ms Rajeshwari lost her father, Aundi, a tailor, to cancer a year-and-a-half ago. Since then, her mother, Kavitha, has been supporting their family of five by working as a daily-wage agricultural labourer.

Despite the odds, Ms. Rajeshwari scored an impressive 521 out of 600 in her Class XII exam and went on to secure an All India Rank of 417 in the Scheduled Tribe category in the competitive exam. According to her, this feat was made possible because of her teachers and the focused coaching programme launched by the department. The initiative, which began for selected students at the end of Class XI, brought in expert teachers and subject specialists from Chennai to conduct daily online coaching sessions. “They took classes in the mornings and evenings, and were always available to clarify students’ question,” said D. Vijayan, the headmaster of Ms. Rajeshwari’s school.

Speaking to The Hindu over phone from the Government Tribal Residential School in Kumizhi, near Chengalpattu, where she is undergoing a training programme on soft skills, Ms. Rajeshwari, who studied in Tamil medium up to Class XII, expressed happiness over her achievement. “JEE Mains was in Tamil, so I found it easier. But JEE Advanced was in English, and that made it more difficult,” she said.

After her Class XII Board Exam, Ms. Rajeshwari was sent to a special training programme in Perundurai in Erode district to intensify her preparation for JEE Advanced. “With the guidance of teachers and motivation from fellow students, I cleared the exam. Hopefully, I will get into IIT Madras or IIT Bombay. I want to pursue Aerospace Engineering,” she said, adding: “Students from Tamil medium can overcome challenges and crack exams such as JEE with proper guidance and support from teachers.”

“I am very happy and proud. Her achievement is a beacon of hope for many more students from remote areas, who now believe that they too can reach the prestigious higher educational institutions,” Mr. Vijayan added.