A cowherd's son in Tamil Nadu cleared this year's National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), topping the list of students from government schools in the country who took the coveted exam for admission to undergraduate medical courses.

However, due to financial constraints, Jeevithkumar, the son of a cowherd and a Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) worker from Theni district of Tamil Nadu, said he might not be able to pursue the course.