03/09/2017
I want to clarify few FAQs about NEET.
1. What is NEET?
National Eligibility cm Entrance Test. It has 3 types-
NEET UG (for MBBS admission)
NEET PG (for MD/MS after finishing MBBS)
NEET SS (for Mch/DM after MD/MS)
We are bothered more about NEET UG, now
2. What is our (TN) stand in NEET?
TN wants exemption for the seats under TN govt quota in TN govt and private medical colleges. Hence, TN assembly passed a bill to effect the same.
3. If all the institutions in India come under NEET, why is TN govt refusing to come under it?
No. Not all institutions of India come under NEET. AIIMS, PGI and JIPMER do not come under NEET. TN asks for a similar exemption.
4. Is TN favouring private and deemed universities by asking for NEET exemption?
No. TN doesn’t ask NEET exemption for Management seats in private colleges and Deemed university. TN demands that those seats can be filled according to central govt norms- NEET.
5. Why is NEET not necessary for TN?
Social Justice. The same reason for which entrance was abolished- To remove the inequalities between rural-urban, rich-poor. Coaching centres are costly. And without coaching you cannot clear NEET. TN also don’t want to burden its student community with competitive exam in an unequal society. Also, medical education is inseparable from medical services. TN has an excellent health delivery system in rural areas that can directly be linked with TN’ policy in medical admissions. TN has more medical seats, relatively. So, in order to save them too, we should oppose NEET.
6. Does TN allow ineligible students to join MBBS without entrance test and hence produce low quality doctors?
Biggest myth of all times. Take this year’ NEET PG results declared 2 months ago. 15-20% of the top NEET PG rank holders were from TN domicile. 12 out of first 50 AI NEET ranks are from TN., Likewise, 80/500, 161/1000, 301/2000, 710/5000, 1421/10000 and it goes on. Totally, 8500+ doctors from TN got qualified in NEET PG. (source RxPG rank list of TN state). Who are these NEET PG holders? None other than the ones who joined and finished MBBS without entrance test. A state with 5.7% of the total Indian population, getting 15% of the AI seats/ranks in PG, itself shows that TN admission procedures admitting students for UG have no flaw in them .
7. What is the problem in having a eligibility test, if it will help enhance quality?
NEET is not like any other test. It’s based on percentile, not percentage. By taking the percentile, you have made it just another entrance test, exclusively. Its not at all an eligibility test in the first place. There is a chance that Central govt will grab the state govt seats, by using this flawed eligibility criteria.
8. Entrance is a good system. It will improve education system, then why TN should not join NEET UG?
Entrance is not the elixir. It’s an Exam. Examination reforms and Educational reforms are different. Bringing a change in Examination system, without bringing a uniform education system and opportunities is plain cheating. And Good for who? For NEET coaching centres. Even a CBSE syllabus student cannot crack these entrance tests without joining coaching classes.
9. At least Entrance will abolish Namakkal kinda schools, right?
NEET will abolish Namakkal kinda schools, but will bring worser kinda schools- Kota coaching centers, where children are coached from 8th standard itself for competitive exams and cost of these coaching centers is another issue. Just google ‘Kota coaching centers’ ‘Allen’. We have flaws in our system too. But NEET is not the solution for that. Let’s not jump into the fire from the frying pan.
10. NEET will create quality doctors?
NEET has no link with that. Doctors are qualified based on university exams, not on an entrance test.
11. NEET is based on SC judgement. How can it be exempted for TN?
Jallikattu was banned by SC. How did we get an exemption?
Where there is a will, there is a way. Exemption for TN from NEET is very much possible and must be given, in respecting the federal nature of our country. The 2016 judgements are highly critical and illogical to me, as far as I could read them.
12. What should we do?
We raise our voice against NEET, demanding the central govt to approve the bill passed by TN govt to nullify NEET.
posted by -Aravind Gandhi
