Students in limbo over NEET sans official word

The National Testing Agency, in March, announced that NEET (UG) – 2021, which should have been held in May, will be conducted through pen and paper mode on August 1, 2021 due to the second wave of COVID-19. The online application process is expected to start soon.

Accordingly, students, including in government schools in the state, were preparing for NEET. The previous AIADMK government also launched an online platform to provide free NEET coaching for the medical aspirants studying in state-run schools.

A senior official from the School Education Department, seeking anonymity, said that the free online NEET training for government students was about to start in June first week. “However, the contract with the private company, which provided online training is at stake due to change in the government,” he added.

Stating that about 3,500 medical aspirants in the state-run schools were active participants in the free online coaching, he said, “many students, who had registered in the online programme, were kept on asking about the resumption of classes since June first week itself.”

Pointing out that soon after the new government asserted that NEET will not be allowed, he said, “many students have stopped enquiring about the online classes, but are only asking whether the medical entrance exams would be cancelled here so that they could concentrate on some other educational activities.”

P Ganesh Kumar, from a state-run school and MBBS aspirant, who had enrolled in the online coaching, said, “the only source for me to prepare for NEET is through online and ‘Kalvi TV’ -- educational channel -- coaching and e-lectures on NEET. We do not have a clear picture till now whether to continue our preparation for the exams as there is no official confirmation on the cancellation of NEET exam from the state.”

Tamil Nadu Teachers Association president PK Ilamaran said, “students, who want to join MBBS, were already in severe stress after the cancellation of Class 12 exams and further they are also under pressure whether NEET would be held or not as there are contradictory statements from both the state and the Centre on the medical entrance test.”

Opposing all the entrance tests, including NEET, Illamaran said the Centre should cancel the NEET and other competitive exams this year to ensure the safety of the students.