CHENNAI: With the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelling the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) conducted on May 3 following a paper leak, students across the state have resumed preparations amid mounting stress and uncertainty. More than 1.3 lakh aspirants across Tamil Nadu, who had taken the exam, now finds themselves back in preparation mode, grappling with renewed pressure.
Speaking to TNIE, Nithya, an aspirant from a government-aided school, expressed anguish over the development. “It feels like my two years of hard work has gone in vain. I had just started to relax after the exam, but now have to begin preparing again. It is exhausting, and I am losing hope,” she said.
R Yuvaraj, a NEET repeater, said he had appeared for the exam for the third time with the aim of securing high marks to gain admission to a government college. “I have been preparing for NEET since Class 11. In my last three attempts, I missed a government seat by around 10 marks, each time. My parents have been spending nearly `2 lakh every year on coaching classes. They are not in a position to afford a private medical college,” he said.
“I am exhausted from studying the same subjects repeatedly. Only after May 3 did I finally relax a bit after four years of continuous preparation. The NTA’s announcement has come as a major disappointment for aspirants like me,” he added.
According to career counsellor Jayaprakash Gandhi, such repeated controversies have increasingly made NEET a “commercialised exercise” rather than a purely merit-based gateway. He warned that the latest development is likely to delay professional course admissions across the country.
“Students who had relaxed after the exam, especially those confident of scoring well, now have to regain focus adding to their mental pressure,” he said. Reiterating the demand to move education to the concurrent list, he argued that greater autonomy should be given to states in deciding admission processes for professional courses.
Teachers and students are also worried that coaching centres may capitalise on the situation by offering crash courses, forcing families to incur additional expenses. Further, the cancellation is expected to disrupt the academic calendar, with delays in results and counselling likely to push back the start of medical courses.
M Periyannan, a government school teacher who trains NEET aspirants, said many government school students were hopeful of securing medical seats under the 7.5% reservation. “Now, they have to go through another exam for no fault of theirs,” he added.
Seconding him, S Vennila Devi, a NEET coordinator for government coaching, said the primary objective of the coaching programme was to help government students secure admission to medical colleges under the reservation quota. “NEET should be scrapped completely,” she added.
Devi also suggested holding separate state-level and all-India level entrance exams for filling medical seats. “Since the introduction of NEET, government school students have been struggling to cope with the exam pattern. They are increasingly hesitant to opt for science streams after the syllabus was aligned with NEET requirements,” she pointed out.
‘NEET itself is a scam’: Stalin urges tvk govt to reaffirm opposition to exam
Chennai: Stating that the recurring controversies over NEET has yet again caused mental distress to lakhs of students, DMK president MK Stalin on Tuesday urged the new government to reaffirm its opposition to NEET and continue legal efforts seeking exemption for the state from the exam.
In a statement, Stalin said the irregularities had plagued every stage of the NEET process year after year. “There is no scam in NEET, NEET itself is a scam. I urge the new government to continue our legal battle and ensure we succeed in our mission,” he said.
Further, terming the cancellation irresponsible, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam alleged that NEET had become a large-scale commercial system benefiting the wealthy. Repeated irregularities has pushed middle-class families into financial distress, he said.
In a statement, MMK chief MH Jawahirullah said the NTA’s decision to hold a re-exam has exposed its failure to conduct the exam smoothly. Meanwhile, AISF will hold a protest at Royapuram on Wednesday demanding to scrap NEET.
