A medical aspirant from Pollachi, who was wait-listed for MBBS admissions under the 7.5% horizontal quota, during the counselling for medical and dental courses, has taken up a job in a private catering service to support his family.
M. Yuvanraj (18), who is from a Scheduled Caste and passed out of S.V. Government Higher Secondary School in Samathur, scored 155 out of 720 in NEET this year and was qualified for the 7.5% horizontal reservation in admissions. He told The Hindu on Thursday that he went to attend the counselling on November 19 with hopes of getting admission in a government medical college. However, there were only three private medical colleges in Kanniyakumari, Tiruvallur and Chennai where seats were available for him.
“We were told that the fees would be at least Rs. 8 lakh annually ” he said. With his father having passed away earlier this year and his mother working in a garment company, the family will not be able to afford the expenses. Hence, he was wait-listed in the counselling.
Only subsequently on November 21, the State government announced a revolving fund to financially assist NEET-qualified government school students who have been allotted seats in private medical and dental colleges under the 7.5% quota on November 21.
However, by then Mr. Yuvanraj had returned to his residence at Suleeswaranpatti in Pollachi. “They could have announced it at least a day before,” he ruled.
With his 19-year-old elder brother also employed in a garment company, Mr. Yuvanraj said he is now working part-time as a ‘service boy’ in a local catering service. He has not petitioned the State government or the District Administration regarding his situation yet. “I hope I will get a medical seat at least next year,” Mr. Yuvanraj said.
Sources in the Department of School Education said the State government has not provided any instruction so far regarding the future of wait-listed aspirants who studied in government schools.
