Tamil Nadu: Student clears NEET, joins MBBS without Physics in Class XII; barred from 1st-year exams

Chennai: An MBBS student of PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, who got admissions under the NRI quota based on the NEET scores, has been barred from appearing for his first-year annual examination after the authorities discovered that he did not study Physics in Higher Secondary stage of education.

As per a recent media report by TOI, the MBBS student of PSG Institute had studied Class XII in Mckinnon Secondary College in Melbourne, Australia with subjects- Chemistry, Biology, English, German and Mathematics. He did not study Physics in Class XII. Thereafter, the candidate joined Deakin University for a course in biomedical sciences, which included Physics. However, on August 20, 2018, he left the course.

A few days after discontinuing the course, the candidate was allotted an MBBS seat in the self-financing PSG Institute under the NRI quota during the single window counselling based on his NEET score. The medical student was even permitted to attend lectures for an entire year.

However, in October, the university turned down the MBBS student's application on grounds that he did not study Physics in Class XII. In counteraction to this, the college and the medical students represented before the university. Following this, the university wrote to the Medical Council of India (MCI) seeking clarification on the same after six months.

Deliberating the concern, MCI held that the candidate cannot be registered as doing so would violate the norms of Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 1997.

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NEET eligibility norms require that it is mandatory for NRI/Foreign candidates to studied Physics, Chemistry, and Biology and they must have passed the theory and practical test in each of these subjects as well as English in the qualifying examination in their respective country. The candidates who have completed their education from outside India must fulfil the NEET eligibility criteria.

Commenting on the issue, PSG dean Dr S Ramalingam told TOI that the candidate was admitted in the medical college only after the state committee allotted him a seat. "There have been instances when courts have ruled in favour of students who cleared NEET without biology," he added.

For the current academic session, the directorate of medical education eliminated names of at least two candidates who did not do biology and physics in Class XII.

"We also removed the name of another student, whose results weren't declared until counselling began. All of them had, however, cleared NEET," selection committee secretary Dr G Selvarajan told the daily.