The Supreme Court on May 9 had said that NEET will be the only gateway for admissions to medical and dental courses across the country.
Highlights
- National Eligibility Entrance Test now mandatory for medical aspirants
- Earlier in Tamil Nadu, admissions were based on class 12 scores
- Now, many students are worried about the test, scheduled for July
The Supreme Court's directive last week on making National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) mandatory for admissions has spread panic among medical aspirants in Tamil Nadu.
The state had abolished medical entrance exams nine years ago to make the admission process stress-free and to provide equal opportunity to high-scoring rural students. Before the top court's final verdict on the NEET exam on May 9, admissions in MBBS and BDS courses in the state used to take place on the basis of their class 12 scores.
The students, left with inadequate time, have requested the state government to provide them at least three years' time to prepare for the test, which is scheduled for July.
Speaking to NDTV, a medical aspirant Deepa Christina expressed dissatisfaction, saying she and her friends who had appeared for class 12 exams this year will now have to clear NEET to get an admission.
Another cause of concern for students is that the competitive exam is based on CBSE syllabus, and most Tamil Nadu schools are affiliated to the state board. This can result is severe disparity, as CBSE students may corner most of the 4,500 medical seats in the state.
The Supreme Court on May 9 had said that NEET will be the only gateway for admissions to medical and dental courses across the country.
However, with Assembly elections round the corner, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and DMK chief Karunanidhi have promised to maintain status quo if elected.