Private medical colleges are anticipating a surge in student applications this year, driven by the ongoing controversy surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) examination. The lack of clarity on the future of lakhs of students who appeared for the exam, coupled with the unusually high scores achieved this year, is pushing many students towards private institutions.
Experts point to the significant increase in students scoring higher marks than in previous years. This means that even students who would have secured seats in coveted government colleges like CMC or AIIMS last year might now find themselves vying for admission in private institutions. The average NEET-UG score this year was 323.55, significantly higher than last year’s 279.41, according to the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Further complicating the situation is the Supreme Court’s decision to hear petitions regarding irregularities in the exam only on July 8. This delay poses a significant challenge for students and colleges as counselling sessions for successful candidates are scheduled to begin on July 6. The uncertainty surrounding the final rankings and eligibility for government or private medical seats could lead to widespread confusion and last-minute scrambling.
The controversy surrounding the exam stems from allegations of unfair marking, paper leaks, and an unusually high percentage of students achieving top marks. Around 2.4 million students appeared for the NEET (UG) exam in May, vying for one of the 108,940 seats available in private and government medical colleges across India.
The Supreme Court is currently considering various petitions related to the exam, including those challenging grace marks awarded to certain students. The government has since revoked those grace marks and conducted a retest for the affected students.
While the Supreme Court has refused to stay the counselling process, the uncertainty surrounding the exam’s validity and the potential for a re-examination is causing significant anxiety among students and their families. Lawyers are emphasizing the lack of clear guidance from the government on how students who undergo counselling will be treated if the exam is eventually quashed. This leaves open the possibility of a complete recall of the counselling process or the implementation of specific guidelines for affected candidates.
The counselling process, which involves allocating seats in medical colleges based on students’ all-India ranking (AIR), is set to proceed in multiple rounds. The financial burden of medical education is a significant factor for students and their families, with tuition fees at private colleges ranging from 6 lakh to 25 lakh per year. This is a stark contrast to the fees charged by government-aided medical colleges, which can range from a few thousand to 1.2 lakh per year.
The combination of a challenging academic environment and substantial financial pressure is likely to make the competition for medical seats even tougher this year, particularly with the higher than usual number of students achieving scores above 650.
