Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government's Adi Dravidar Welfare Department has reportedly discontinued special coaching classes for NEET and JEE examinations in its higher secondary schools, prompting concern among students and activists.

The department runs 98 higher secondary schools across the state. To help Class 12 students secure admission to professional higher educational institutions through competitive entrance examinations such as NEET and JEE, special coaching classes were introduced in 2023.

The classes were conducted during March and April ahead of the board examinations, with special teachers and volunteers appointed for the programme.

However, officials are said to have shown little interest in continuing the initiative after none of the students enrolled in the first batch in 2023 cleared the examinations.

Despite this, funds continue to be allocated for the scheme in the State Budget, students said, urging the government to resume the coaching programme.

Office-bearers of the State Adi Dravidar Welfare Awareness and Monitoring Federation alleged that officials were withholding details such as district-wise performance and top scores in the Class 12 public examinations.

They further claimed that coaching classes for NEET and JEE had not been conducted for the past two years and demanded that the programme be restarted immediately.