Students ‘caught between’ NEET and TNEA

For instance, Kaviya P, who scored Rank 10 in the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admission, is also qualified through NEET. “Medicine was my first option, but I don’t know when the results will be out and also, if I will get the college I like. If at all I do, I will give up my seat and continue with my medicine dream.” Kaviya is not the only one, many students like her don’t exactly know what to do. 

Sujatha (name changed on request)  says, “All the court are cases around NEET only creating confusion. My plan is to do  NEET but filled the engineering form in the last minute to have a backup. Now I am  really not sure.” Parents are also worried about fees that may go waste. 

“We have been assured that only a small amount will be deducted if we want to drop out after taking admission in engineering. I am opting for loans and I don’t know if there will be any complication. There is no clarity on anything,” a parent added.

When it comes to the top 6,733 in the TNEA whose cut-off scores are in the range of 197 to 200, 5,376 candidates are also eligible for medical seats. Higher education minister K P Anbazhagan had earlier said that there would be so many empty engineering seats and nothing could be done about it.