Chennai, June 14 (IANS) Even as Tamil Nadu continues its strong opposition to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), six students from the state have made it to the top 100 in the NEET-UG 2025 results announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday.

Among the top performers from Tamil Nadu, Soorya Narayanan secured the highest position with an All India Rank (AIR) of 27. He was followed by Abhineet Nagaraj (AIR 50), Pugazhendhi G.S. (AIR 61), Hruthik Vijaya Raja K.S. (AIR 63), Rakesh A.J. (AIR 78), and Prajan Srivari G. (AIR 88).

Nationally, Rajasthan’s Mahesh Kumar topped the exam, followed by Madhya Pradesh’s Utkarsh Awadhiya (AIR 2), Maharashtra’s Krishang Joshi (AIR 3), and Delhi’s Mrinal Kishore Jha (AIR 4).

Among female candidates, Delhi’s Avika Aggarwal emerged as the top scorer, securing AIR 5.

Over 22.09 lakh candidates appeared for NEET-UG 2025, of whom 12.36 lakh qualified — slightly down from last year’s 13.15 lakh qualifiers.

The number of test-takers was also marginally lower than in 2024, when more than 23.33 lakh students had appeared.

Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of qualifying candidates (over 1.70 lakh), followed by Maharashtra (1.25 lakh+) and Rajasthan (1.19 lakh+). Tamil Nadu, which has consistently opposed NEET, witnessed at least two student suicides in recent weeks, reportedly linked to NEET-related stress and fear of failure.

In the past few years, over 20 students in the state have reportedly taken their own lives due to the pressure surrounding this exam.

The ruling DMK government, led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, has repeatedly urged the Union government to abolish NEET, arguing that it discriminates against students from rural and underprivileged backgrounds who studied under the state board syllabus.

The state legislature has even passed a Bill seeking exemption from NEET for medical admissions, which is pending Presidential assent.

Despite Tamil Nadu students securing high ranks, the State continues to maintain that medical admissions should be based on Class 12 marks — a system it followed before 2017.

State officials say that while toppers deserve recognition, the exam has created a parallel coaching economy and crushed the aspirations of thousands.

NEET-UG is the sole entrance exam for admission to over 1.08 lakh MBBS seats across India, including approximately 56,000 in government colleges and 52,000 in private institutions.

It also determines entry into courses like BDS, Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy. With results now declared, counselling sessions are expected to begin shortly. Yet in Tamil Nadu, the debate over NEET’s fairness — and its deadly consequences — continues unabated.

–IANS

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