CUTOFFS FOR MBBS/BDS ADMISSIONS SET TO RISE As Students Raise The Bar, Competition Gets Tougher;

CUTOFFS FOR MBBS/BDS ADMISSIONS SET TO RISE As Students Raise The Bar, Competition Gets Tougher;

 Cutoffs May Go Up By 50 To 100 Marks

 Pushpa.Narayan@timesofindia.com TIMES OF INDIA 20.08.2024 

 Cutoffs for MBBS/ BDS admissions to govt colleges in Tamil Nadu are likely to increase by up to 50 marks for the open category and more than 100 marks for some reserved categories this year as the number of top scorers in NEET 2024 is higher than NEET 2023. The MBBS/BDS rank list for 2024 admissions, released on Monday by health minister Ma Subramanian, showed 90 students from the state scored above 700 out of 720 marks in NEET 2024. Last year, 29 students and, in 2022, five students had done this. 

This year,1,446 students scored above 650 marks compared to 379 in 2023 and 199 in 2022. As many as 4,729 students scored above 600 compared to 1,538 in 2023. Those with marks above 500 nearly doubled to 13,176 compared to 6,449 last year. Year after year, students from Tamil Nadu have raised the bar. 

“We have vehemently opposed NEET for various reasons,” Subramanian said. “But students, including those from govt schools, have improved scores. While we continue our fight against NEET, we will ensure students are trained well to compete for the exam,” he said. 

Rajaneesh P from Villupuram was one of 17 students across the country who got a perfect 720/720. Eight TN candidates got 715 marks and one scored 710. The improvement was sharper for students who passed out of govt schools. Roobika P from Krishnagiri topped with 699 marks. In 2023, the top score under this category was 569 marks, and in 2022, it was 518. Gayathridevi M from Salem scored 668, and Anushiya S from Tiruvannamalai and Rathish G from Namakkal 665 each. There were 2,767 students with scores above 300 compared to 1,170 last year and 250 students in 2022. Analysts say the overall cutoff for the open category in govt colleges is likely to be above 650 marks, which is nearly 50 marks more than in 2023. 

In the BC category, it is likely to increase by up to 62 marks. The cutoff is likely to go up by around 100 marks for the ST category in govt colleges. “There is crowding at the top this year,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. “This means more students from Tamil Nadu will gain admission to central institutions and under the all India quota for state colleges. Students must explore opportunities in central institutions such as AIIMS-Delhi, JIPMER, or Armed Forces Medical Colleges. And if they don’t wish to move out of Tamil Nadu, they should opt for seats through the all-India quota,” he said. 

More than 70% on list repeaters 

More than 70% of candidates on the state rank list for MBBS/BDS admissions were repeaters, selection committee officials announced on Monday. Of the 28,819 applicants in govt quota, 7,791 were freshers and 21,028 were repeaters. “The percentage of repeaters may increase in the admission list. Repeaters have better experience and training. So, most of them manage to get better scores and secure admissions,” a senior official said. In 2023, 31% were firsttimers, 40% attempted for a second time and 21% for a third. About 2% had attempted more than five times. “There were also those who made seven attempts,” he said. Most firsttimers who fail to get a seat take a gap year to prepare. “It’s almost impossible to secure good marks without attending special coaching. This is one of the reasons why we oppose NEET,” said health minister Ma Subramanian. In the 7.5% govt quota list, all students on the 2024 top 10 list were repeaters. Fewer than 10% of govt students make it to the rank list on the first attempt.