Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami, on Tuesday, inaugurated the free online coaching for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for students studying in class 12 in the state.
The inauguration took place in the Secretariat in Chennai where apart from the Chief Minister, KA Sengottaiyan, the School Education Minister was also present. The NEET coaching by the state government was started in 2017, in an attempt to prepare the students to face the test in 2018. The classes are being imparted at 412 centres across the state in which around 7,500 students have registered so far. The state department of School Education has tied up with Amphisoft Technologies (E-box) to provide the coaching services.
According to a press release from the government of Tamil Nadu, the classes will be held everyday for four hours, followed by four hours of practice tests in Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Zoology for the students. Apart from this, the coaching sessions will also have mock tests, unit tests and revision tests for the students to test their skill to face NEET.
The free coaching by Tamil Nadu government is seen as an attempt to bridge the gap between the students from central education boards like the CBSE and ICSE and those studying the Tamil Nadu state board. NEET has been constantly slammed in Tamil Nadu for being discriminatory against the students from government schools and for those who studied in the state board of education. Critics have also pointed out that how NEET has systematically caused a reduction in the number of students from government schools who ultimately secure an MBBS seat in Tamil Nadu’s medical colleges.
Meanwhile, recently the Tamil Nadu cabinet gave its approval to promulgate an ordinance for a quota for students who have completed their studies in government schools in the state, to get admission to MBBS seats after qualifying NEET.