PMK Seeks NEET Overhaul After Data Shows Few Students Clear Exam on First Try

Pattali Makkal Katchi president Anbumani Ramadoss has demanded a review and abolition of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, pointing to official data showing that only five per cent of government school students admitted under Tamil Nadu's 7.5 per cent quota passed the exam on their first attempt.

Admissions Breakdown

Official numbers for the 2025-26 academic year show that out of 650 government school students who got MBBS seats under the 7.5 per cent reservation in government and private colleges, only 33 students qualified on their first try. The remaining 617 students needed multiple attempts, with 235 succeeding on their second try, 283 on their third, 91 on their fourth, six on their fifth, and two taking six or more attempts. A similar trend appeared in the remaining 92.5 per cent quota, where only 1,613 out of 8,053 students cleared the test on their first attempt.

Cost Concerns

The PMK leader stated that the quota was originally created because government school students could not afford high-cost private coaching. With 95 per cent of these students now spending two to six years on extra training, families face heavy debt to pay for coaching classes, which he called clear proof that medical education has become commercialised.

Context

The NEET exam was announced in 2010 and became mandatory in 2017 to stop commercialisation and raise medical education standards. Debates around entrance exams and their impact on students from public schools remain a major political issue in Tamil Nadu.