District toppers in the two districts preferred to pursue medicine but faced the arduous task of clearing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to MBBS and Dental courses from this academic year.
After the Supreme Court made it clear that this year’s admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses would be based on NEET, the aspiring students pinned their hopes on the new government to clear the legal hurdles and continue with the existing counselling system based on plus two marks.
When results of the plus two examinations were announced on Tuesday, the toppers, who have secured high cut-off marks for admission to MBBS course, were not elated as the task of clearing NEET loomed large.
M. Swathy, student of Syed Ammal Higher Secondary School, who emerged district topper with 1183 out of 1200 marks, stood a fair chance of securing an admission to medicine with a centum in Chemistry and Biology but was keeping her fingers crossed. “I worked hard focussing on getting good cut-off marks for medicine and never thought NEET would come in the way,” she said.
M. Nithes Kumar, student of Paramakudi Lions Matriculation Higher Secondary School, the third district topper also preferred medicine but was worried over NEET. He has scored 1,179 marks with centum in Chemistry. The government should do away with NEET at least for this year, the toppers pleaded.
“Elite students,” R. Manoj Kumar and D. Ilakkiya Ezhilarasi, the government school students who hailed from poor families and were offered special coaching by the district administration, said they could easily seek admission to MBBS course if the existing counselling method was followed. Manoj Kumar has got a cut-off mark of 199.75 and Ilakkiya 198.5 for admission to medicine.
The students really worked hard to seek admission to MBBS course and now they proposed to organise special coaching to clear NEET, their Coordinator S. Navaneethakrishnan said.
In Sivaganga, Manju, student of Karaikudi Maharishi Vidya Manddir MHSS emerged topper with 1,184 marks. A commerce student, she wanted to become a Chartered Accountant. Pavithra, a student of Thirupuvanam Velammal MHSS stood district second with 1183 marks.
She wanted to become a surgeon after completing MBBS and would have to settle for an engineering course if she does not get herself admission to MBBS.
Muthu Priyadarshini, student of Karaikudi Alagappa MHSS, the third topper with 1181 marks, also aspired for medicine.
