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Key Points

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian inspected a mental health counselling centre for NEET students in Chennai. The state's 104 helpline provides support and career guidance to students who failed or couldn't secure medical seats. Over 600 students were counselled on the first day of operations. Subramanian also urged parents to avoid pressuring their children and explore alternative career paths.

Key Points: TN Health Minister Subramanian Inspects NEET Mental Health Counselling Centre

  • TN govt offers counselling for NEET aspirants via 104 helpline
  • Over 600 students counselled on first day
  • Minister urges parents to avoid undue pressure
  • 76,181 TN students cleared NEET this year
2 min read

Tamil Nadu Health Minister inspects mental health counselling centre for NEET students

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian oversees mental health counselling for NEET students, offering support via the 104 helpline and career guidance.

"Since this government assumed office, we have been providing mental health counselling through the 104 helpline to students who could not clear the NEET. – Ma Subramanian"

Chennai, June 16

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Monday inspected the Mental Health Counselling Centre at the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services Campus in Teynampet, Chennai. During his visit, he spoke with a student over the phone, offering reassurance and support.

The Tamil Nadu government has launched a mental health counselling initiative for students who either failed to clear the NEET exam or did not secure a medical seat despite qualifying.

Addressing the media, Subramanian said, "Since this government assumed office, we have been providing mental health counselling through the 104 helpline to students who could not clear the NEET. Over the past four years, we have offered counselling every year to those who either failed the NEET or couldn't get a seat even after passing. Last year, we also extended counselling to Class 12 students who failed their board exams."

He added, "The 104 helpline does more than just mental health counselling--it also provides career guidance, explaining multiple academic and professional options to students."

Sharing this year's NEET data, Subramanian stated, "In Tamil Nadu, 1,35,717 students appeared for NEET this year. Out of these, 76,181 cleared the exam, while 59,534 did not."

Speaking about today's counselling sessions, he said, "The 104 helpline has just begun its operations. In the first phase, 80 mental health counselors are providing support in two shifts--forenoon and afternoon. Since morning, over 600 students have already been contacted and counselled."

The minister also urged parents to avoid putting undue pressure on their children. "Alongside counselling, we are guiding students on alternative career paths and advising parents to support them constructively," he added.

The National Testing Agency on Saturday declared the results of the NEET (UG) examination. The NTA shared a post on their official 'X' handle and informed about the development.

The NEET (UG) examinations were held on May 4 across 548 cities in India and 14 international centres. More than 20.8 lakh students appeared for the NEET (UG) examination.

Rajasthan's Mahesh Kumar achieved the first rank in the NEET (UG) 2025 examination with a percentile of 99.9999547, whereas Madhya Pradesh's Utkarsh Awadhiya achieved the second rank with 99.9990095 percentile.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya K.
This is such a thoughtful initiative by the TN government! The pressure on NEET aspirants is unreal - I've seen cousins cry for months after not clearing. Mental health support is badly needed. Hope other states follow this model 👏
R
Rahul S.
While counseling is good, why isn't TN pushing harder for NEET exemption? Our state board students suffer due to CBSE syllabus mismatch. The real solution is fixing the education system, not just damage control.
A
Ananya M.
As someone who failed NEET twice before finding my calling in biotechnology, I wish this existed 5 years ago! Parents need to understand there are SO many career options beyond medicine. The career guidance part is gold ✨
K
Karthik V.
Good step but implementation matters. Are these counselors properly trained to handle student trauma? Also 80 counselors for 59k students seems inadequate. Hope they scale up quickly.
S
Saranya P.
The real heroes are these counselors! Dealing with hundreds of heartbroken students daily must be emotionally draining. Government should ensure they get proper support too. #MentalHealthMatters
V
Vijay R.
Instead of just counseling, why not create more medical seats? TN has excellent hospitals but not enough colleges. The competition is artificially created by limiting seats. Solve the root problem!

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