Neet test likely to be tough nut to crack this year

Chennai: Though the formal announcement is yet to be made by the Central government on whether the state will get an exemption from Neet, educationists said students from the state will find it difficult to clear the exam.

Anna University former Vice-Chancellor M. Anandakrishnan said, “Neet will definitely put Tamil Nadu students at a disadvantage as they prepare for it the first time. Rural students will be the most affected.”

But, he also expressed confidence that the students from the state will be better prepared next year. The Tamil Nadu government cancelled the entrance exam for B.E. and MBBS courses based on Mr Anandakrishnan’s committee report in 2007.

“The Tamil Nadu government did not fully implement the recommendations of the report. We have recommended changing the higher secondary curriculum once in four years. But it was not revised for more than a decade,” he said.

Tamil Nadu Health Development Association president Dr C.S. Rex Sargunam said Tamil Nadu does not need an entrance exam like Neet.

“Poor students cannot compete with their peers for medical seats. Students who can afford Neet coaching alone can clear the exam.”

“Either they should take the Neet as eligibility test or they should give weightage for the board exams in medical admissions to make the plus 1 and plus 2 relevant for the students,” said P. Swaminathan, secretary, SRV schools in Namakkal and Tiruchi districts.

Around 5 to 10 per cent Tamil medium students are entering into medical courses each year in the state.Pointing out no resource material available in Tamil he said,

 “Though they have given the option of attending the exam in the Tamil language, these students cannot clear the exam without any study material.”

Sami.Sathiamoorthy, state president, Tamil Nadu High and Higher Secondary Schools’ Headmasters Association said this year students will find it difficult to clear the Neet.

“We have to change our syllabus. We also need to convert the plus one exam into board exams. More weightage is given to the plus-1 syllabus in Neet,” he said.

P.B. Prince Gajendrababu, general secretary, State Platform for Common School System, said the students who spend years and money in coaching classes will not be interested in serving the rural areas and government hospitals.