Ganesh Baraiya’s journey from a rejected MBBS admission and a Rs 5 lakh circus offer to becoming a doctor has inspired many. Here’s the story of the Gujarat doctor who appeared on KBC 18.
The first significant turning point in the life of Dr Ganesh Baraiya came in his childhood when a circus group offered Rs 5 lakh to his farmer father due to Ganesh’s short height. However, Ganesh’s father opted for education over money. Later on, this decision would prove useful in shaping Ganesh’s way to medical profession from a village of Gujarat state.
Dr Ganesh Baraiya is from Gorkhi village of Bhavnagar district. He was born with dwarfism and has reportedly a locomotor disability of 72%. Despite the obstacles, Ganesh kept performing well academically by obtaining 87% marks in his class 12th and 233 in NEET.
MBBS Admission Challenge
Qualification in NEET was expected to bring Ganesh close to his dreams of becoming a doctor. But things went opposite when Ganesh was denied admission in an MBBS course after the examination revealed his incapability to handle emergency situations during his practice.
The case was appealed by Ganesh with the help of the principal of his college, Mr. Dalpat Katariya, and won a victory at the Supreme Court of India, in October 2018. He was granted permission to enroll in 2019 batch since the admission process for that particular year was closed.
From Classroom to Hospital Wards
Ganesh enrolled himself in Government Medical College, Bhavnagar, in the year 2019. The period of his medical school faced many difficulties for him but with the support of his peers and mentors, he managed to complete MBBS and internship.
In November 2025, Ganesh started practicing as Medical Officer at Sir Takhtasinhji General Hospital in Bhavnagar, turning into a doctor treating the people in the same city where he studied medicine.
Ganesh Baraiya On KBC 18
His tale was recently broadcast to the nation through an appearance in the Kaun Banega Crorepati 18, where he featured along with Amitabh Bachchan. In the show, he talked about the circus offer, his studies and how he got over the hurdles. Eventually, he gave the wrong answer to a Rs 3 lakh question and walked away with Rs 25,000.
However, for Ganesh, the win in KBC was just a part of his bigger success in fulfilling his childhood dream of joining a profession, and showing that a physical disability was not a limiting factor.