By Express News Service
CHENNAI: After being on hold for weeks while the State optimistically pursued efforts to get exemption from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, Tamil Nadu finally released the provisional rank list for medical admissions based on the national test here on Wednesday.
Out of the top 20 ranks, students from CBSE stream cornered 13 while 2 went to ICSE students, while State Board students managed only 5 ranks – a concern that those who opposed CBSE syllabus-based NEET.
Counselling for special category will be held at Government Super Multi-Speciality Hospital in Omandurar Estate on Thursday, and counselling for general category will begin from Friday and will go on at the same venue till September 4.
As it held that Tamil Nadu could not be given exemption, the Supreme Court had directed authorities here to finish counselling by that day, extending the deadline by four days. With little time left, the candidates have been informed about the counselling both by way of phone call and SMS, said an official.
In all, there are 3,534 MBBS seats in government quota, including those in the 22 government medical colleges and Rajah Muthiah Medical College, besides 102 seats surrendered to the All India Quota. “Of these, approximately 2,224 seats go to State Board students, and the rest 1,310 to other boards,” said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.
Of the 31,629 candidates, who applied for counselling, 27,212 were eligible. Among these, 23,830 students are from State Board with the rest hailing from other boards. The numbers show that 3,016 State Board students have not qualified in NEET, a substantially high number when compared to 63 candidates from all other boards combined.
There are 5,636 students, who completed Class 12 last year or earlier, who have applied for government seats, while 5.083 old students applied for management quota seats. This is much higher than the figure last year – 3,266. This year, counselling for the management seats in self-financing colleges too would be conducted by the State government. The Directorate of Medical Education has uploaded the rank list on www.tnhealth.org. Candidates, who did not receive call or SMS, can check the rank list and attend counselling if their name is on the list, officials said.
