M Sivaraj, who was born in Muthugapatti hamlet near Pennagaram in Dharmapuri district, studied in a government school from Class 6 to 12. During his school days, he dreamed of becoming a doctor. “I got the police job but I always wanted to be a doctor”, said Sivaraj. A 24-year-old Grade II constable passed the National Eligibility Cumulative Entrance Test (NEET) in Tamil Nadu on his second attempt and has been accepted to study MBBS at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Krishnagiri, under the 7.5 per cent quota for government school students.

“I scored 915 marks in the Class 12 state board examination in 2016, which was not enough to get a medical seat,” Sivaraj told Times of India. Sivaraj’s parents Manickam and Inbavalli are daily wage labourers. He has two brothers and one sister. Despite his dreams, Sivaraj accepted reality and enrolled in BSc (Chemistry) at Government Arts and Science College in Karur, where he graduated in 2019. After completing his undergrad, he chose to register for the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB) and was subsequently cleared. Following his training, he was sent to Avadi Battalion in 2020, where he has worked as a Grade II police officer ever since.

The Tamil Nadu government issued an ordinance in 2020 guaranteeing 7.5 per cent horizontal reservation for government school students who pass the NEET for admission to undergraduate medical programmes. Sivaraj, who had taken a job after finishing his undergraduate degree due to family obligations, decided to pursue his ambition once again and started to prepare for NEET.

“I got the police job but I always wanted to be a doctor. I believed that the 7.5 per cent reservation quota would help me achieve my dream,” he told Indian Express. Sivaraj’s family was not rich and relied on his wages; yet, the police officer, who could not afford private NEET coaching, resolved to study on his own. Sivaraj began collecting books and internet materials to help him prepare for the exam with the help of his friends.

Sivaraj earned 268 points on his first attempt in 2022. He prepared afresh and took his second attempt in 2023, scoring 400 out of 720 and securing a seat at the Government Krishnagiri Medical College. When asked how he found time to manage between working hours, Sivaraj explained that he was focused on achieving his goal and hence did not waste time on things that were not required.