NEET UG 2024: Father-daughter duo clears exam; ‘wanted to motivate her’

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The father daughter duo appeared from different centres in Delhi NCR — Vikas from Greater Noida centre and his daughter Meemansa (18) from Noida centre.

Mangotra, who hails from Jammu, qualified the NEET in 2022 as well. “I appeared for the state PMT in the early 90s. Though I wished to become a doctor and even had enough marks to secure a medical college, but due to some personal issues I had to go ahead with engineering the next year,” he said.

Not just NEET, Vikas had also appeared from other competitive exams like GATE, JKCET and UPSC CSE around two decades back.

The first time when Vikas appeared in 2022, he said it was testing his own abilities and gathering confidence to understand the examination better. The second time in 2024, was for motivating his daughter and using it to enhance his teaching skills.

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“I was initially apprehensive considering my age but then I got to know that a 60-year-old man in Odisha in 2021 qualified NEET as well,” said Mangotra who finds teaching interesting. “I have always been fascinated with teaching since my school days and I only studied for four months in my 2022 attempt,” he added.

NEET UG which took place on May 5, 2024 at 571 cities across India saw more than 24 lakh candidates.

Vikas, who managed to study after his office hours, felt the requirement to devote more time for preparation and hence took leave from his job to study for 15-16 hours a day. He said, “Time is not physical and its usage is very arbitrary.”

His daughter Meemansa has taken a drop year to prepare and improve her NEET score. Mangotra said that it was only after he started teaching her that he realised the challenges that students faced while preparing for the examination. “I would suggest that if parents really wish to contribute to their child’s preparation, then they help them with the syllabus themselves,” he said.

Mangotra analysed that the test this year was comparatively straightforward as against previous years. “In my 2022 attempt, I felt the paper was a little tricky.”

On allocation of grace marks

NTA, that conducts NEET UG, is under the radar for multiple reasons including the grace marks policy. Fifty-year-old Vikas said he was very disheartened to hear that grace marks are being rewarded.

“I have never heard of such policy in the competitive exams before. Seeing this happen with NEET, I feel NTA should have taken responsibility for its carelessness, ” said Mangotra.

NEET UG which took place on 05 May 2024 at 571 cities across India saw more than 24 lakhs candidates. (Express photo)

Students start preparing for entrance exams like NEET and JEE right from standard 6 or 9, resulting in a lot of pressure. However, Vikas believes that our education system needs to fix this issue of early preparation. “It is both the parents and coaching institutes that pressurise a child to compete in a rat race, alternate careers are not even considered an option,” he said.