State NEET topper aces MBBS merit list, to take up AIIMS

K Keerthana, who topped the state with 676 marks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) has topped the list. She will be taking up a seat in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, she said. Keerthana was followed by R Raj Chendur Abhishek (656) who ranked second and R Praveen who ranked third with 650 marks. 

Of the top 10 who featured on the list, four students are from Chennai, while the remaining are from the other districts. The counselling to fill 3,393 MBBS and 1,198 BDS government and self-financed seats across the state will begin on Sunday. 

On the dual nativity issue that was brought up last year, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said that regulations have been tightened this year to avoid any further problems. It may be noted that there are 2,447 MBBS seats available in government medical colleges, besides 127 in Raja Mutthaiah Medical College, 65 in ESIC, KK Nagar, and 689 in self-financed colleges. 

Besides this, under the All India Quota, there are 453 seats in government colleges, 23 in Raja Mutthaiah Medical College and 15 each in ESIC and self-financed colleges.