Saptari Student Secures Full MBBS Scholarship
A 22-year-old underprivileged Dalit student, Omprakash Tatma Das, from Khadakpur, Ward No. 10 of Bodebarsain Municipality in Saptari, has succeeded in securing admission to the MBBS program on a full scholarship under the Dalit quota.
Family Background
Omprakash is the son of local resident Ram Kishun Tatma Das. He said he achieved this success on his third attempt with financial support from the income his father earned through daily wage labor, along with money he saved by doing wiring work morning and evening and teaching tuition classes in his remaining time.
Admission and Immediate Expenses
He has been enrolled for one week at Rapti Institute of Health Sciences, Dang, for MBBS studies. He stated that at the time of admission, he spent NPR 65,500 at the campus and a total of NPR 80,000 including other expenses.
Ongoing Monthly Costs and Financial Concern
He said, “I have been admitted, but the hostel cost is said to be NPR 15,000 per month. Books, copies, pens, clothes, and other necessary expenses make it around NPR 25,000 per month. I am worried whether my father, through wage labor, will be able to manage my education expenses or not.”
He added that while he was studying at school and up to Grades 11 and 12, his father worked 9–10 hours a day as a laborer to manage the education expenses for him and his younger brother.
Managing Living Costs During MBBS Preparation in Kathmandu
He said that during his MBBS preparation period, he could not sustain living expenses in Kathmandu continuously. As a result, he stayed in Kathmandu for six months, then returned to the village for six months to arrange money by teaching tuition, teaching at a school, and doing wiring work, and then went back to Kathmandu again.
Education History
Omprakash studied up to Grade 8 at National Basic School, Khadakpur. He passed SEE in 2077 from Shree 5 Mahendra Chuni Secondary School, Manraja, and passed Grade 12 in 2079 from Little Star, Lahan.
Father’s Statement
His father, Ram Kishun, said, “I feel proud that my son has become the first person in my municipality to secure a full scholarship.”
He further said, “I will take a loan and educate my son no matter what. My son’s three fingers on the right hand are joined, and sometimes he faces difficulty in writing. Of my two sons, the younger one is still studying in school.”
Local Leader’s Comment
Abhishek Yadav, a former Madhesh Province Member of Parliament from the same municipality, said that Omprakash succeeded in securing a full scholarship for MBBS due to his living dream and strong willpower.
Saptari