Odia boy Pooshan becomes NEET PG topper, claims didn't dream of AIR-1

In a pride moment for Odisha, young Cuttack boy Pooshan Mohapatra has become the all-India topper in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG)-2025, result of which was released by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) on Tuesday.

A Kaligali native from Cuttack, the 24-year-old has done his MBBS from SCB medical college and hospital. He achieved a record-breaking 707 out of 800 in the exam, securing rank-1 in his first attempt while taking care of the patients simultaneously.

Addressing the mediapersons, Pooshan explained that he made up his mind to appear for the examination in January this year. "My internship got over in March and I began preparing for the exam at home from April. I had availed the services of an online platform and had done test papers. Although I had done well in the exam, scoring the position of all-India topper was something unexpected for me," he said.

Pooshan feels his diligent work along with fate reaped the prosperity he is experiencing today. The 24-year-old gave credit for his success to the incessant guidance from his older sister throughout his preparation and motivation from parents Jaykrishna Mohapatra and Rachita Mohapatra.

"My older sister who is currently studying PG after finishing MBBS from SCB MCH has inspired me. Apart from that, the humongous amount of support I got from my parents who never pressurized me for anything else, allowed me to give all my attention to my preparation," said Pooshan.

We had left him free to study in his own way since the very start and never pressured him for anything," said Pooshan's father Jaykrishna who runs a printing and publishing company.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi himself met Pooshan and congratulated him on his success. Referring to X, the chief minister said, performing well in a very competitive examination and topping the list is no mean challenge but Pooshan has achieved it. His achievement is an inspiration to the state's youths. The state requires diligent and gifted individuals like him," he added advising those sitting for any exam or interview to believe in themselves and their efforts.

Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan also congratulated Pooshan on the achievement. When asked about his future, Pooshan replied that he wishes to specialise in either medicine or radiology. He also told aspirants to prepare sincerely without worrying much about the ranks.