With the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) counselling under way in Tamil Nadu, The Hindu Education Plus Career Counselling Series, presented by the SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, hosted a webinar on ‘The Challenges of NEET Counselling during the Pandemic’.
A. Ravikumar, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Medical and Health Sciences, SRM IST, discussed the evolution of NEET and its impact on medical education.
He said though the number of medical aspirants and the available seats had increased, there was still a significant gap between the two. He also explained the measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure student safety and the challenges for those who were unable to access online classes easily.
Satyajit Mohapatra, professor, Department of Pharmacology, SRM IST, shared statistics and discussed the eligibility criteria and process by which students could register for counselling, the documents they would require, the different institutions involved and the various rounds of counselling.
He also spoke briefly about the MBBS course and the careers one could pursue after the degree.
S. Mohan Raj, psychiatrist and director, Tharu Clinic, Chennai, focused on the psychological aspects, which were not just limited to NEET counselling.
He pointed out that with NEET now being the only exam, “it is like putting all your eggs in one basket, which causes a lot more anxiety. Earlier, when different colleges held their own exams, students felt like they had multiple chances to try again.”
He also highlighted the negative aspects of the coaching system that puts a lot of strain on students and adds to their anxiety.
He ended by reminding students and their parents that the outcome of the exam is not the end of the world and that there would be other chances and routes.