Rajasthan’s Suraj Saini Overcomes Poverty, Family Struggles to Crack NEET-UG 2026

A journey from painting rural homes for survival to securing a seat in a government medical college has transformed the life of 19-year-old Suraj Saini from Rajasthan’s Bundi district . After years of financial struggles, Suraj cleared NEET-UG 2026 with 99.16 percentile , scoring 583 marks and securing an All India Rank of 16,569 .

A resident of Kapren town in Bundi, Suraj is now set to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. His achievement is being seen as a testament to determination, resilience and the power of educational support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Suraj’s childhood was marked by economic hardship following the separation of his parents. He lives with his mother Ghisi Bai, an agricultural labourer , and his younger sister Garima, who had to discontinue her education after Class 8 due to financial constraints.

After completing his early schooling at a government school in Kapren, Suraj moved with his mother and sister to his maternal grandparents’ home in Alkodia village. Despite difficult circumstances, he remained focused on academics, scoring 87 per cent in Class 10 and 85 per cent in Class 12 . Inspired by his maternal aunt, an ANM nurse, Suraj chose Biology and aimed to enter the medical profession. However, financial pressures forced him to take up work as a house painter and whitewasher during vacations and after school hours to support his family.

Suraj credited his success to the Shiksha Sambal programme of Allen Career Institute and the L N Maheshwari Philanthropic Trust , which provided free coaching and accommodation facilities for underprivileged students. After two unsuccessful attempts in 2024 and 2025, the programme helped him prepare effectively for his third attempt, which finally brought success.

“ Shiksha Sambal has truly become the real support of my life. Without this programme, I may never have been able to crack the exam, ” Suraj said. He also expressed his determination to help his sister resume her studies and improve his family’s future. Suraj recalled that his mother’s hard work in agricultural fields and his earnings from painting helped them build their own two-room house in Alkodia village.

Allen Career Institute director Naveen Maheshwari congratulated Suraj, saying such achievements reflect the purpose of initiatives aimed at helping talented students from rural and underprivileged backgrounds access quality education.