Every year since the advent of NEET, it has been an uphill battle for medical aspirants, parents, teachers and other stake holders in Tamil Nadu, during the medical admission season. Students face mental health issues during this period and inadvertently some have even chosen to end their lives unable to cope up with the pressure.

In order to clear the exam, students are forced to take up NEET coaching either along with twelfth exams or repeat after the completion of the public exams. Even after years of continuous struggle, due to systemic failure, it has been difficult for Tamil students to get admitted in the government medical colleges of the state.

Considering all factors, it is imperative that the maximum number of students of Tamil Nadu are admitted in the seats available in the state. Students who have secured over 650 marks (varies across categories) must be made sure to avail admission through All India Quota- AIQ (15% of total Tamil Nadu medical seats), thus clearing up a few hundred seats in the State Quota (85% of total seats) for Tamil students.

Providing stress management counselling and creating awareness among students against suicide through helpline number are important damage control initiatives. Similar mechanisms must be put up to make sure that maximum number of students of the state are enrolled in the available medical seats in Tamil Nadu. Disappointingly in 2022, from a total of over 750 seats in AIQ, only 14 were Tamil students.

SIO demands the Dept of Medical Education to immediately run a campaign to identify top scorers of NEET 2023, create awareness among them about AIQ counselling, guide them in the admission process and ensure that maximum seats in the 37 medical colleges in the state are filled by Tamil students.

– Syed Saifuddin,
State Secretary,
SIO Tamil Nadu.