NEET 2016: Mixed reaction from students across India ahead of results

The controversial NEET examination results, which determines admission into private and government medical and dental institutions across the country, is expected to be released by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Wednesday. This will bring relief to lakhs of students.

The first phase of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, which saw 6 lakh candidates register, was conducted on May 1 just three days after the Supreme Court made it compulsory for all students to appear for the exam for admissions to medical and dental colleges across India.

As thousands of students had not registered for the first phase, the second phase was held on July 24 and over 4 lakh students across the country appeared for the exam, out of which only around 1.5 lakh candidates were fresh applicants.

According to the top court’s verdict, students who registered for Phase I were allowed to appear for the next phase of NEET on July 24 but with a rider that they will have to give up their Phase I score.

While the Supreme Court made it clear that medical and dental aspirants will have to compulsorily appear for the NEET in order to seek admission to colleges, an ordinance was passed by the central government and finally approved by President Pranab Mukherjee on May 24.

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The ordinance declared that seats in state government medical colleges and government seats in private medical colleges would not be allotted on the basis of NEET this year, bypassing the apex court’s ruling. The ordinance would ensure only private colleges will have to admit students through NEET and state entrances conducted for this year would prevail.

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Next year onwards, NEET will be the only eligibility and entrance test accepted by all institutes.

Here is what students and teachers have to say, a day before the results:

Maharashtra

Like many other students this year, Abhijit Raikar has already confirmed his admission at a Mumbai college under the BSc-IT course but is hoping to score well in NEET to be eligible for courses in private and deemed institutes in Maharashtra.

“Medical admissions should have been over by now and classes should have begun, but NEET has delayed the entire process. We are all desperately waiting for the results and the admissions process to begin,” Raikar, a medical aspirant, said.

Students are also worried about the delay in the announcement of admission rules for the upcoming process by state Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).

“This process of informing students about the admissions should have been complete by now so that students know exactly which institute and course they can choose, but nothing has been announced yet,” a parent said.

Many have also requested DMER to announce admission rules and the directorate has assured parents and students that it will be announced in a day.

Rajasthan

Students in Rajasthan’s Kota, the coaching capital of India, are both keen and anxious about NEET results.

Seventeen-year-old Tanmaya Bhatnagar said he appeared in both phases of the examination this year and is looking forward to the results.

“I am expecting good marks in NEET as per the answer key but result is result so waiting for it,” he said.

Brajesh Maheshwari, director of Allen Career Institute, said that once the results will be declared, students will get to know their cutoff and seek admission in medical colleges.

Successful students will be eligible to participate in counselling likely to be held between August 22 and August 25.

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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu has been the most vociferous opponent of the NEET examinations, which were allowed to proceed this year after an intervention by the Supreme Court.

Leader of Opposition MK Stalin had said that the exams would “discriminate against students from poorer or rural backgrounds,” while chief minister J Jayalalithaa wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that the exams not be held in the state.

“There’s been a lot of confusion and uncertainty for us,” Praveen Balasubramaniam, an aspiring dentist, said. “I and my friends have been desperately waiting for our results so we can begin admissions.”

“The state wants us to only be judged by our CBSE marks,” Paul Sathraj, who dreams of becoming a doctor, said. “I’m just glad we’ll finally get our results tomorrow.”

The first phase of NEET saw 14,500 students taking the test across 21 centres in Chennai. A total of 1.75 lakh students appeared for the second phase of the examination, according to CBSE officials.

Jharkhand

Like all other medical aspirants in Jharkhand, who are waiting with bated breath and are hoping for the best, Ankita Anand said she is a little tensed about the results.

“Conducting a re-examination was a bad idea because those who had to cheat, cheated this time around as well,” Anand, who completed Class 12 from Delhi Public School in Ranchi, said.

The 20-year-old added that she dropped two years to prepare for the entrance examination.

Another aspirant, 21-year-old Shrija said that students had to suffer a lot due to the many changes in the conduct of the examination.

“The exam was not properly planned and we got to know about new changes every other day. Due to the confusion, I could not concentrate on studies and was stressed,” Shrija, who uses one name, said.

In June, medical aspirants from across Jharkhand protested against the state government’s decision to conduct a separate medical examination. They alleged that the state’s examination have tough and out of syllabus questions.

The students added that allocation seats after the exams are not done in a fair manner.

Uttar Pradesh

With only 24 hours remaining for the result, the countdown has begun for medical aspirants. And like many other students, Mallika Agrawal, said she is a bit tense and keeping her fingers crossed.

“I should get a good college to fulfil my dream of becoming a doctor,” an apparently nervous Mallika said.

Her parents, Dr Tulika Chandra and Dr Rajeev Agrawal, can also feel the tension. They not only helped Mallika with her preparation but even kept awake while she studied during the night.

“More than the candidates, their parents are worried. I can say this at least for our family,” Dr Chandra, a senior faculty with King George’s Medical University, said.

Amit, a resident of Gomti Nagar in Lucknow, cancelled his trip to Uttarakhand just to make sure he stays with his parents when the result is announced.

“My parents have always supported me. Even when I decided to take NEET-II after taking NEET-I they supported me. So I will see the result with them,” he said.

“The results can be announced any time now as the court has asked the CBSE to declare it by August 17. I hope for the best,” Pratishtha, an aspirant from Gorakhpur, said.

In Lucknow, over 30,000 candidates appeared for NEET-II, out of which roughly 5,000 took NEET-I in May.

(Inputs from Shreya Bhandary from Mumbai, Aab Shar H Quazi from Kota, Aditya Iyer from Chennai, Saumya and Aastha from Ranchi and Gaurav Saigal from Lucknow)