Introduction The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a standardized medical entrance exam introduced in India in 2013. It was implemented with the aim of streamlining the admission process for undergraduate medical and dental courses. However, the introduction of NEET brought about significant changes in the medical education landscape in Tamil Nadu, a state that has historically had its own medical admission process like any other states in India.
TN state had an exception from NEET until the supreme court directed all states to follow the NEET based medical selection process from 2017.
In this article, we will explore the key differences before and after the implementation of NEET in Tamil Nadu through a comparative analysis.
Before NEET: The Era of State-Level Exams Prior to NEET, Tamil Nadu had medical admission through state-level 12th standard exam science (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) and math subjects cut off marks.
Here is a comparative analysis of the situation before and after NEET:
| Aspects | Before NEET (pre 2017) | After NEET (post 2017) |
| Selection processes | the selection process was through the 12th Exam cut off marks. 100% seats to be filled by state quota. | NEET became the sole entrance exam for medical courses in India. 85% seats to be filled by State quota and 15% seats by centra quota |
| Syllabus | Tamil Nadu has its own state board syllabus like any other states which don’t match with NCERT. | NEET has forced all states to upgrade their syllabus to match with NCERT Standard. |
| Medical Reservation system | Tamil Nadu had Community based 69% reservation + 7.5% introduced for Government School students in 2020. | NEET made no changes to states reservation policy. |
| 7.5% Reservation for Government School Students. | No separate quota for government school students before NEET | Tamil Nadu State has introduced 7.5% reservation and ensured 350+ medical seats for Government School Students. |
| No. of Attempts | Only 1 Attempt was availed before NEET. Students were forced to go through Management quota or engineering if he/she could not secure a medical seat through 12th Standard cut off admission process. | No limits on no. of attempts with NEET which increases chances for students to secure their dream medical seats through multiple attempts. |
| Management Quota | Private colleges misused the Management quota and provided medical seats to ineligible wealthy rich students. | Management quota admission is not possible for any students without clearing NEET. |
| geographical distribution | Students from private resident schools had been securing 60% of medical seats before NEET. | Students from across state geography have been securing medical seats. |
Besides all the above, Tamil Nadu government was reluctant to provide 15% seats to the central quota, so the TN government started 11 new medical colleges in 2020 to compensate for that central quota and accommodate more in-state students.
Conclusion The implementation of NEET in Tamil Nadu has significantly transformed the medical education landscape. While it brought standardization and transparency to the entrance exam process, it also forces students to focus on NEET preparation from 11th Standard and increased the burden on under privilege background state run govt school students preparing for the exam though 7.5% horizontal reservation has been introduced in 2020.
The debate around NEET in Tamil Nadu continues, highlighting the need for a balance between standardized national assessments and accommodating regional needs and aspirations. The impact of NEET on medical education in Tamil Nadu is a dynamic issue that continues to evolve.
