NEET job at uplifting the poor

The 7.5% quota comes as a last-minute blessing for several poor students with big dreams 
Counselling held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. (Photo | R Satish Babu, EPS)
Counselling held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. (Photo | R Satish Babu, EPS)

CHENNAI: Finally, after a never-ending wait, and after being let down multiple times in the past, medical education became a dream-come-true for several government school students on Wednesday -- thanks to the Tamil Nadu government’s 7.5 per cent quota allocated to them. At the first phase of medical counselling held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami himself handed over the allotment orders to 18 students, along with a stethoscope, apron, and a dissection kit. 

“I studied in a government school, and this reservation is my way of helping poor students achieve their dreams,” he said while speaking at the event. “Today is the happiest day of my life!” Later, Palaniswami also announced scholarships for poor students. NEET came as a bolt out of the blue for government school students and their aspirations for medical education.

The lack of resources to get private coaching, coupled with the test being based on the CBSE syllabus, hurt them for the past few years. “In Tamil Nadu total 8,41,251 students pass out from class XII,among them 41 percent that is 3,44,485 students studying in 3,054 government schools.Last year only six students could get medical seats. So, I took an oath to change this status.

That is why we brought this Act,” Palaniswami said. The 7.5 per cent reservation Act was passed after many hurdles. The CM said,” No matter how your families were identified in the past. But now your family will be called as a doctor’s family,” Palaniswami said. 

Palaniswami also said that in 2011 there were only 1,945 MBBS seats but this year there are 3,650 government MBBS seats. This was made possible because of his government’s effort under the blessings of Amma (late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa). The government also got approval for establishing 11 more medical colleges in the State and those colleges will start taking students in the coming year.

Additional 1,650 MBBS seats will be added because of these 11 colleges in 2021-2022, the chief minister said. He also said because of 7.5 percent reservation, 313 MBBS and 92 BDS seats went to government school students. “I come from a village, so I understand the economic status and difficulties of the parents. So, considering the poor economic status of the students, to reduce education fee and other fee burden, to meet these expenses through Post Matric Scholarship and other education aid schemes, I have passed an GO and happy to announce that,” Palaniswami said.

He also implied that since these students come from poor and humble backgrounds, they would understand the difficulties of poor people and serve them better in government hospitals. The CM also recalled how his government always opposed NEET and many times made representations to the Prime Minister, for the State’s  exemption from NEET. His government is still continuing the legal fight.

Seat allotment update
Among the first 10 rankers in the 7.5 quota reservation mark list, nine students including S M Suryalakshmi from Porur who was coached by Government Kilpauk Medical College Alumni Association, got MBBS seat in the prestigious Madras Medical College,Chennai and one student U Indiradevi with NEET marks 523 and 8th rank in merit list secured seat in Government Stanley Hospital, Chennai.

On Wednesday 270 candidates were called for the counselling, among them 262 students attended it. Total 235 MBBS and BDS seats were allotted on the day. 224 MBBS seats were allotted in government medical colleges and four seats in self financing colleges. Seven BDS seats were allotted in Government Dental College.

Rank list released for vet courses
Animal Husbandry Minister K Radhakrishnan on Wednesday released the rank list for the undergraduate veterinary courses for 2020-21. Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University received applications between October 9 and 24 through online. The rank list has been released on www.tanuvas.ac.in or www2.tanuvas.ac.in. 

‘Give seats to TN students’ 
Shocked over names of students from other States found in the TN UG medical course admission rank list, DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday urged government to  remove such names and allot seats only to TN students.

Vijayabaskar refutes Stalin’s claim
Refuting Stalin’s claims, Health Minister C Vijayabaskar said, “There is no restriction for students applying in other States for Open Category. Only, they should not claim dual nativity and claim a government seat. Stalin was the one who demanded online counselling. We are conducting it offline to avoid malpractices.”

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