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New Indian Express

7.5 per cent quota: Just one student gets MBBS seat in Tiruchy, ‘crash course' blamed

TIRUCHY: The number of beneficiaries of the state government's 7.5% horizontal reservation for government school students in medical admissions stands at one in the district this year. Scoring 157 marks in NEET, K Koushika, a disabled student of the Government Model Higher Secondary School in Thuvakudi, secured admission in the Government Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai. Pointing out six students in the district having benefited from the horizontal reservation last year and four the year before, educationists largely blame the free NEET coaching provided by the government-run centres, which was 'shrunk' to a month's crash course this year in the district, for the poor show. According to data accessed by TNIE, among the 185 candidates from government schools in the district who appeared for NEET this year, only 22 crossed the NEET eligibility threshold score of 113. All the 185 underwent NEET coaching at the government-run centres located in Manapparai, Musiri, Manachanallur and Srirangam, one of whom was Koushika. Bemoaning this year's performance of students at government-run centres, educationists blamed the commencement of NEET coaching only after the Class 12 board exams for the situation. "To expect NEET-level success from a month's crash course after board exams is unrealistic," said S Sivakumar, an educationist. "We must begin structured coaching from June itself, with subject-specific faculty, regular assessments, and classes integrated into the school calendar."