Is NEET driving MBBS aspirants to foreign universities?

There are around 84,000 MBBS seats in India, while over eight lakh students qualified NEET in 2021 alone. 

The untimely death of an Indian student who went to pursue his medical education from Ukraine has once again raised a debate around NEET and the number of MBBS seats in the country as it adversely affects meritorious students who despite scoring high marks in board exams have to go abroad.

On Tuesday, 21-year-old, Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, who was struck in Kharkiv had gone to a nearby store to make a purchase, was killed by Russian shelling in war-torn Ukraine.
While speaking media, Naveen’s father said that despite scoring 97% in PUC, his son could not secure a medical seat in State. “To get a medical seat one has to give crores of rupees and students are getting the same education abroad spending less money," said the father of Naveen Shekharappa.

Following this, once again an uproar has erupted to scrap the national level medical entrance test, NEET. Tamil Nadu last year introduced legislation to opt-out of NEET as according to the state government NEET discriminates against state board students.

NEET discriminates against state Board students

Puneeth Gowda, a resident of Karnataka has termed NEET (National Eligibility and Entrance Test) as a direct invasion centre into state functioning. Gowda said: “NEET is a direct invasion of the Union on States. High-time education should be brought back to the state list. Till then, NEET should be scrapped and student future should be safeguarded.”

Those opposing NEET are of the view that a national level MBBS exam is detrimental to students from state boards. According to them, any form of centralized scheme cannot work longer in India due to its diverse nature.

“The idea of "One nation, One exam" is detrimental for the Kannadiga students. NEET favours the CBSE syllabus, which is again a blow to the federal system of the Indian Union. CBSE must be limited to Central govt employees' children and NEET must be scrapped immediately,” said Chetan Jeeral, another resident from Karnataka.

Union Minister, Prahlad Joshi while speaking to reporters said: “90% of students going abroad fail in NEET, the medical entrance exam in India.”

NEET: Death statue, says H D Kumaraswamy

H D Kumaraswamy, former Chief Minister of Karnataka in a series of tweets expressed his reservation against NEET and has termed it as a death statue of parents and NEET aspirants. He wrote: “NEET is shattering dreams of the middle class and the poor of studying medical education. NEET has become a Death Statue for parents and students. Higher education is being reserved just for the haves while denying for the have-nots.”

“Tragic death of Navin, a medical student who was killed in a shell attack in Ukraine is a reflection of the NEET's shameless face which is causing injustice to talented but economically vulnerable rural students in the guise of qualification. Navin secured 96 % in SSLC and 97% in PUC. Even then, he was denied a medical seat in India which is considered as Kashi of Global Education. It is not easy for a rural student to secure such a high percentage. Despite that medical seat was denied,” Kumaraswamy wrote.

He further writes that after being denied a medical seat in India, Navin went to Ukraine to realise his dream and become a medical doctor. He wrote: “The youngster's death has made India, which is longing to become ‘Vishwa Guru’, question its `Self Conscience.’ Who is responsible for this?”

Questioning mushrooming of coaching institutes Kumaraswamy writes: “Dreaming medical education has become a mirage for the poor and the middle class after introducing NEET. Tutorials have mushroomed fleecing lakhs of rupees from students. As many as 99% of students who are clearing NEET have got themselves enrolled in these tutorials.”

He claims that it is impossible for govt and rural students to clear NEET. Aware of this fact, tutorials are expanding their market and dancing on corpses of students like Navin.” Everyone should raise their voice against NEET which is meant only to provide higher education to the rich. I am surprised by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi's comments that nearly 90% of students who get medical education abroad fail in the Entrance test in India. He has also said that this is not the time to discuss and to compare the cost of medical education in India and abroad,” says Kumaraswamy.

Kumaraswamy questioned the Union Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister over his statement where he said that he wouldn't like to compare the cost of medical education that could lead to a new controversy or a debate. Kumaraswamy says: “What is your intention behind making this statement? His statements have led to a lot of speculations. Who is behind tutorials? Is the Central government secretly backing them? How many more students must die due to education anarchy caused by NEET?”

Navin's death has questioned the very intention of NEET. “The Medical education system that aims to help the rich by sucking the blood of the poor is a disgrace to the country. The Central government which is longing for becoming Vishwa Guru and brag about New Education Policy should once think from its heart,” he wrote further.

According to a Twitter user, there are 9,445 undergraduate medical seats in Karnataka out of the total 84,649 in the country, which is around 11% of total MBBS seats in the country, but NEET had made these seats unavailable to meritorious students from the State.

Are foreign medical colleges better than India?

The number of medical seats in India is around 84,000 while over eight lakh students qualified NEET in 2021. One of the important reasons for students looking for study abroad options is the cost factor as a five-year MBBS course from a private medical college in the country costs around INR One Crore, which can be completed in less than half the cost from Ukraine, Russia, Philippines, Kazakhstan or China.
The second factor that drives Indian students to foreign medical colleges is also the quality of education being offered vis-a-vis that offered by a second rung medical college in India.

Nishit Gupta who is pursuing his medical education from the Philippines says: “I am currently pursuing MBBS from the Philippines and despite getting 95% in 12th I did badly in NEET but I am glad I moved there because my medical school was better than most private colleges in India. Some people just don't have the will/ acumen for physics, chemistry and biology and the curriculum of medical schools abroad are better.

Some of the students also allege that there are no cut off marks for admission into deemed medical colleges in India. “Even if you get 110 out of 720 marks in NEET, you can still get a seat at a leading private deemed university in Maharashtra at INR 1.25 to INR 5 cr for 5 years. While in Ukraine, Russia or the Philippines MBBS costs around INR 20 lakhs to INR 35 lakhs for six years. Parents opt due to vast difference in fees,” said a student from Delhi on condition of anonymity.

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