Tamil Nadu’s medical admissions process has drawn attention after the number of applications for MBBS and BDS seats exceeded the count of NEET-qualified candidates, raising questions over whether the qualifying cut-off may be lowered.
The Directorate of Medical Education and Research’s selection committee is handling admissions to 13,999 MBBS and BDS seats in government and self-financing medical colleges across the state. Candidates were allowed to apply even before NEET results were declared.
By the initial deadline on July 23, a total of 70,488 applications had been submitted. Following student requests, the application window was extended by two more days, during which around 2,100 additional applications were received. Meanwhile, the number of NEET-qualified candidates is stated to be 61,306.
Officials said the higher application count could be due to Tamil Nadu natives who took the exam in other states for work-related reasons but remain eligible for Tamil Nadu counselling. They added that some applicants may not have secured the qualifying score and would not appear in the rank list.
They also noted that if seats in self-financing colleges remain unfilled, admissions may be conducted by lowering the NEET qualifying score, a practice that has been followed in previous years.
