Fewer NEET candidates choosing Tamil question paper
Recent data released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) indicates that an increasing number of NEET-UG candidates are opting to write the examination in English and Hindi, while the use of most regional language question papers has declined.
Tamil remains one of the most widely selected regional language options, but registrations have fallen compared with their peak. After reaching more than 36,000 candidates in 2024, the number declined significantly in 2025 before showing a modest recovery in 2026.
Despite the recent drop, the long-term trend still reflects growth compared with earlier years. Registrations for the Tamil paper have increased considerably since 2019.
Several other regional languages have experienced sharper declines over the same period, while English has continued to dominate as the preferred medium. Hindi registrations have also increased steadily.
Education experts believe many students are choosing English because it offers greater access to coaching materials, textbooks, scientific terminology, and reference resources. They suggest that improving the availability of quality educational content in Tamil could encourage more students, particularly those from Tamil-medium schools, to take the examination in their mother tongue.
The trend may particularly affect students from government and state board schools, where Tamil continues to be the primary language of instruction.