The enrolment of students for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) in the state of Tamil Nadu recorded a 13% decline when compared to the previous year. However, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh saw an increase in enrolment by 28% and 16% respectively.
According to the state-wise distribution of candidates released by the National Testing Agency, 1,34,714 candidates enrolled for the test in 2019 while only 1,17,990 enrolled this year from Tamil Nadu. The NTA also shared data that the number of testing centres across the country has been increased from 2,546 to 3,843 and that 15.97 lakh students have registered for the exam from all over India.
NEET has been a contentious issue in Tamil Nadu. Aspiring medical students, parents, teachers and political leaders in the state have been against the exam as they feel it disadvantages those who study under the state board syllabus while aiding students of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) board. Both the state government and the Madras High Court found the exam to be discriminatory for poor students from the state. The Tamil Nadu cabinet recently passed a resolution to reserve 7.5% of all medical seats in the state for government school students who pass the NEET exam.
Speaking to TNM, K Ramachandran, Chief Strategy Officer of learning and education website 361DM, says a combination of three factors could have led to the current situation.
"COVID-19 could have disrupted the students' preparation and so, many of them could have lost confidence and hence, not applied. Training is still very costly for a majorty of state board students who definitely need extra classes. Many could not afford it. Thirdly, although the Tamil Nadu syllabus has been upgraded in terms of curriculum rigor to meet CBSE standards, it will take another two to three years for Tamil Nadu schools and teachers to upgrade their capability and do justice to the teaching and learning process under the new syllabus. Other states like Bihar have been doing this for a longer period of time and therefore, they are able to prepare more students," he says.
However, he believes this is only a temporary blip. "In the next two to three years, Tamil Nadu's students will become competitive and prepare themselves for NEET," he adds.
By contrast, in Bihar, 56,907 candidates had registered for the exam last year which increased to 78,960 candidates in the current year. Uttar Pradesh also follows a similar trajectory with 1,39,497 students registering in 2019, whereas 1,66,582 students registered for the exam in 2020.
This comes in the wake of students across the country protesting the Center’s decision to conduct the NEET examination during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They have said that the rising number of COVID-19 cases and floods in Telangana, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh which led to displacement of residents has added to their woes. Various political leaders, celebrities and activists have also voiced their support for the students’ protests by seeking postponement of the exams.
The NEET exam which was to be conducted in the month of July was postponed and will be held on September 13.