Amid row of Tamil Vs Hindi grows in South India after allegation of three language formula in National Education policy, report shows growth among NEET applicants who are giving medical exams in Indian languages.
The prominence of Indian languages in medical entrance exams has been growing, with Tamil emerging as the fourth most popular language among test takers for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). According to a Moneycontrol report there is a significant shift in language preferences, amid the broader discussion on the three-language formula prescribed by the National Education Policy (NEP).
Surge In Regional Language Preference
Data from the National Testing Agency highlights the increasing number of students choosing regional languages for NEET:
Hindi: The number of students opting for Hindi nearly doubled, from 179,857 in 2019 to 357,908 in 2024.
Tamil: Students taking the exam in Tamil increased significantly, from 17,101 in 2020 to 36,333 in 2024.
Bengali: Similar growth trends were seen in Bengali and other local languages.
This trend aligns with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s appeal to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to introduce engineering and medical education in the Tamil language for the benefit of local students.
English Remains Dominant
While English remains the primary language for nearly 80% of NEET applicants, its share has shown a gradual decline:
In 2019, 79.3% of students registered for NEET in English, but by 2024, this ratio dropped slightly to 78.6%, marking its lowest level in three years.
Decline In Other Languages
While some languages have gained popularity, others have seen a reduction in usage:
Gujarati: Test takers decreased slightly from 59,395 in 2019 to 58,836 in 2024.
Odia: Students opting for Odia plummeted from 31,490 in 2019 to just 1,312 in 2024.
Urdu: The number of test takers dropped from 1,858 in 2019 to 1,545 in 2024.
Rising Numbers Of NEET Applicants
The overall number of students appearing for NEET has nearly doubled over the last five years, reflecting the growing demand for medical education across India. In 2024, over 2.41 million students registered for the exam, showing the increasing role of regional languages in national-level examinations.
