Coaching centres have taken up the reponsibility of translation

(Representative image)

CONSEQUENT to the poor performance of students from Tamil medium schools in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), coaching centres in the city are working on a war footing to translate NEET exam materials exclusively for Tamil medium students. After a long wait by students and tutors of coaching centres, several Tamil teachers and professionals have been roped in for translation work. However, they are finding the going tough as Central Board of Secondary Edu-cation (CBSE) books are difficult to translate and make them understandable to Tamil medium students. A 17-year-old boy from a Tamil medium school, a district topper in his Class X board examination and who also scored above 1,160 mats in his ClassXI:Moat results, managed just 127 out of 720 in his MEET exam. "Though I was performing well academically in higher secondary, I could not do the same in NEET as there are no exam materials available in Tamil," he said. Though the State government has announced an 85 per cent medical seat quota for State board students, the boy is shattered he scored such low marks in the NEET exam. Another aspirant from the city hoping to study medicines and from a Tamil medium background scored 72 out of 720 in the NEET exam. '1 never expected that NEET would be made mandatory this academic year. I joined a coaching centre soon after the exam date
was published," he said. He prepared for the exam by translating the questions and an-swers with the help of online translators, but in vain. Like these two students, there are many others who scored low marks due to the non-availability of vernacular exam material.

Coaching centers in the city have now started translation work from English to Tamil. City-based competitive examination trainer T Pugazhenthi said, "We have been requesting many renowned Tamil teachers for this translation work but as words in CBSE books are a bit complicated, many were not happy with their translations." He said last year, an unknown publisher released NEET books in Tamil but they were not up to the mark. The ongoing translation work would take up to a year and Pugazhenthi has brought in many professionals well-versed with Tamil. He urged the State govern-ment to consider the pleas of Tamil medium students who aspire to study for MBBS and BDS degrees. B Sudarkodi, who runs a training centre, said the CBSE must release translated NEETbooks in Tamilat minimum cost She said just books would not help students prepare for NEET as the exam itself is tough. Sudarkodi suggested exam materials should be uploaded online to benefit more students. "Mostly video tutorials for medical aspirants would be useful in obtaining concepts and formulas at a fast pace," she said. Speaking to Express, educationalist Prince Gajendra Babu pointed out CBSE students who were earlier trained to score high marks in the NEET exam did not fare well. He rued no student from Tamil Nadu made it to the top 25 ranks across India. "Even though translated copies of NEET study materials are being made, they would be expensive as they sell like hotcakes. This would affect students from underprivileged backgrounds," he said.
Source: epaper. . newindianexpress. com/c/20157021