As repeaters corner 7.5% quota, cracking NEET gets stiffer
Madurai/Trichy: With competition going up for seats under 7.5% quota for govt school students who appear for national eligibility-cum-entrance test every year, cracking the test and securing an MBBS seat remains a dream for most students in their first attempt.
Most students scoring high remain repeaters, thanks often to private or special free coaching. Since proper training at school levels remains a challenge, educationists and teachers have called for a comprehensive plan and guidance at the school level for those who wish to tackle NEET.
According to official data, in 2021, a maximum of 17 students enrolled from Madurai had got MBBS/BDS seats. However, the number dipped to nine and seven last year.
In Trichy, the number of govt students qualifying has dipped. In 2023, a total of 106 qualified for counselling, of which four got seats whereas last year, six out of 134 who qualified got seats. This year, 39 students crossed the 113-mark threshold from the 209 who appeared for NEET, as of Wednesday.
S Vennila Devi, Madurai district coordinator of NEET coaching, said students are able to considerably perform better due to the special coaching given by teachers.
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This year, NEET topper among govt school students under 7.5% quota is Priyanka of Y Othakadai Government Model GHSS with a score of 466 marks, while for non-7.5% quota, Kannika with a score of 539, from the same school, topped. In Trichy, four students scored above 300 marks, all of whom are repeat candidates.
The highest score among govt and aided school students in Trichy district this year is 221 for a first-time NEET candidate.
Officials in Madurai said NEET coaching classes (online or offline) for govt school students lack the structure or regularity of a private coaching centre. "The primary focus of govt school teachers is to have students pass and score high in Class XI and XII board exams. NEET comes second. Many students start their NEET preparation properly only when Class XII board exams end," said the headmaster of a govt higher secondary school, who did not wish to be named.
R Murali, secretary, Save Higher Education Movement, Tamil Nadu, pointed out that while free coaching introduced in govt schools is helpful for those from poor backgrounds, it creates division. "Apart from the rural and urban divide, govt school teachers lack the necessary training to provide guidance and prepare students for tackling competitive exams like NEET through their regular classroom teaching. If the govt is genuinely interested in helping govt school students crack NEET, it should appoint efficient and qualified teachers for it," he said.
Officials in Trichy said the govt has not yet announced the cut-off for 7.5% horizontal reservation for govt school students this year. "The counselling process should be more lenient this year, as the overall cut-off is lower due to the difficulty level of the exam," a district education official said. "The govt is planning to introduce weekly coaching classes starting July, with one centre in each of the blocks. Repeaters tending to perform better shows that with practice it gets better," the official added.
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