Dreams don’t have an expiry date; a 49-year-old mother and her teenage daughter from Tamil Nadu have both cleared the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in the same year.

While the mother, Amuthavalli Manivannan, has already secured admission in a government medical college, her daughter, M Samyuktha, is preparing to start her own MBBS journey soon.

Amuthavalli, from Tenkasi district, had always dreamed of becoming a doctor. But nearly 30 years ago, she couldn’t secure an MBBS seat and went on to study physiotherapy instead.

Her dream came back to life while watching her daughter prepare for NEET. Inspired by Samyuktha’s dedication, Amuthavalli borrowed her books and began studying again.

“My ambition was rekindled after I saw my daughter preparing for NEET. She was my biggest inspiration,” she said.

Samyuktha, a CBSE student, had joined a NEET coaching program and worked hard with her study materials, materials that later helped her mother too.

“I found it easier to remember things by explaining them out loud, often to my mother,” said Samyuktha, who scored 450 marks in the exam.

She added that while her father, a lawyer, wasn’t interested in a medical career, her mother understood and supported her deeply because of her own background in healthcare.

Amuthavalli appeared for counselling on July 30 under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD) quota and secured admission at the Government Medical College in Virudhunagar, close to her hometown.

She had scored 147 marks in NEET. The counselling was conducted by the Directorate of Medical Education and Research and included other special categories like ex-servicemen’s children, sports achievers, and government school students.

Though her mother has achieved her long-lost dream, Samyuktha wants to walk her own path.

“I want my own path, my own experience. I’d like to compete in the general quota and maybe go outside the state,” she told reporters confidently.

She is eligible under both the general and Scheduled Caste (SC) categories and is exploring her options.

Amuthavalli credited their success to the love and support they received at home.

“He was our biggest cheerleader,” she said, thanking her husband for always encouraging them both to dream big.



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