Name of the student:

Ms. Sulochana R.

Title:

Constructing Merit in NEET: A Validity Study of Equity Interventions through Student Perspectives in Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract:

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) serves as the exclusive standardized examination for undergraduate medical admission in India. This study examines merit within two equity interventions in Tamil Nadu: a 7.5% reservation for government school students and Government Model Schools that integrate NEET coaching. Employing a Justice-Oriented, Antiracist validity framework (JAV), the study analyzes interviews with 20 students. The findings reveal that misalignment between NEET's demands and students' varied linguistic, cultural, and substantive (LCS) patterns, shaped by their schooling, generates coaching dependence, particularly in Physics. The study argues that while equity interventions succeed in increasing representation of target groups, those that fail to interrogate the construct of merit merely manage unequal outcomes without dismantling their source. Consequently, these interventions generate new hierarchies within the reserved pool. The study further contends that validity inquiry must consider the contextually interactive effects between assessment design and equity interventions.

Ms. Rencita Pinto will be presenting her Ph.D. research proposal seminar titled "Rethinking Certainty: Resources for reasoning about stochastic systems in secondary science" on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in Room G1, Main Building, HBCSE.

The NIUS Astronomy 2026 camp is scheduled from 17-28 July 2026. 41 students from across the country will be attending the camp.

Ms. Akshi Chauhan will be presenting her Ph.D. research proposal seminar titled "Posing Problems with Care: Fostering Responsive Problem Posing Among Preservice Mathematics Teachers" on Friday, July 17, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. in Room G1, Main Building, HBCSE.