Bidi-rolling part of Sohail Anwar’s NEET journey- scored an all-India 12,550 rank

The 20-year-old scored an all-India 12,550 rank in the just-declared NEET medical results, scoring 616 out of the possible 720

Sohail Anwar: Telegraph picture

Alamgir Hossain   |   TT  |  Behrampore   |  03.11.21: Successful NEET aspirant Sohail Anwar, 20, knows the fundamentals of biology and bidis. 

A few months ago, Sohail would spend afternoons helping his mother Keshbanu Biwi, 44, roll bidis for a local manufacturer in Jadavnagar, Murshidabad. His father Bani Israel, 48, was a hawker of bedsheets in villages but lockdown dampened sales. His family’s income did not exceed Rs 10,000 a month, so everyone had to pitch in.

Sohail scored an all-India 12,550 rank in the just-declared NEET medical results, scoring 616 out of the possible 720.

“My brother Saeed, who is two years elder to me, has always been my inspiration,”  Sohail said on Tuesday, when asked by this paper about his success, which places him  among candidates eligible for top medical colleges in Bengal.

Two years ago, Saeed secured admission to Murshidabad Medical College. Besides studies, Saeed tutors medical aspirants in Behrampore town.

“Saeed and my uncle Samirul, a WBCS officer, have been a huge support and inspiration,” added Sohail, adding he misses his brother. 

How did he manage to crack NEET while rolling out bidis? ‘I could not prioritise on one thing, both were equally important,” says Sohail, who helped his mother in the afternoons and studying on his own in the evenings and nights.

Sohail’s father Bani Israel said he was “fortunate and grateful to god” for his sons.

“I have not been able to do more for my boys than give them two rooms, four brick walls and a tiled roof. I cannot ask for more than what they have already done,” Bani said softly. 

The head of an eight-member family, Bani feels academic success of this scale in his home “is like a dream”

Sohail passed his higher secondary with 83 per cent from a high madrasa in Malda and got coached for NEET from Al-Ameen Mission,  Howrah. He devoted two years to NEET coaching. “That paid off,” he said. 

He added that  he will continue helping his family in their chores till the next phase of his academic career becomes clearer.