Pre-university students in the science stream have to appear for the Common Entrance Test or National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) to secure seats in professional courses. But special coaching for these tests being a distant dream for students from poorer sections enrolled in government colleges, especially in smaller towns, they feel that their chance at professional courses is very dim. Exams for PU started on March 1 across Karnataka.
While many students in private colleges get special coaching as part of their regular classes, those in government colleges do not get this facility.
“We feel our dreams cannot go beyond a certain point,” said a student of a government PU college in Shivamogga, having received no special coaching on how to tackle the CET or NEET.
Many subject experts charge up to ₹35,000 for special classes on how to prepare for CET.
“I cannot afford to pay so much,” said Chandana, a student in Thirthahalli taluk of Shivamogga district. She wants to study medicine but is not confident of securing the seat as she has no special training. “I was hoping that our lecturers in the PU college would conduct classes on CET and NEET. But they organised just two classes. I am not confident of securing a good ranking,” she said.
CET and NEET are unlike the annual exams
Umma Aiman of Thirthahalli wants to study medicine. “My dream is to become a doctor. I don’t know if I will succeed in securing a seat. I am losing confidence because there is no proper coaching on CET or NEET. It is not like the annual exam. We need special classes on CET and NEET, but our teachers do not prepare us for this test,” she said.
Many rural students wish to pursue paramedical courses if they cannot secure seats in medical or engineering colleges. However, since 2023, CET has been compulsory for nursing courses as well. “Forget becoming doctors, we may not get seats even in nursing colleges. There are hardly any courses that we can join without appearing for the CET. Finally, we may end up doing regular undergraduate courses,” opined Ahalya of Megaravalli in Thirthahalli taluk.
The students in government colleges believe that the system of entrance tests (CET and NEET) favours urban-rich students.
“Rich parents send their children to private colleges that charge high fees. Such colleges conduct classes for CET and NEET throughout the year. In fact, they focus on the entrance tests more than the annual board exams,” opined a lecturer of a government PU college in Shivamogga.
Officials are just doing what they are told, and CET or NEET is not on the agenda
Sindhu B. Rupesh, Director of Pre-University Education, told The Hindu that the department had not given any official communication to lecturers in government colleges either to conduct special coaching for CET and NEET, or to bar them from conducting. “Wherever students have shown interest in appearing for CET or NEET, our lecturers have responded and conducted special classes for entrance tests. However, there is no such scheme in government colleges of coaching for entrance tests in the current academic year,” the officer said.
However, students are hopeful that in the next academic year the department may take up this task. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in the 2024 budget, had announced a NEET-JEE-CET training programme for students in government PU colleges, the officer added.
