Age No Barrier: Senior Citizens Clear NEET, Apply for MBBS Seats in Tamil Nadu

Chennai, July 14, 2025: Proving that age is truly just a number, three senior citizens aged 68, 67, and 60 have cracked the NEET 2025 exam and applied for MBBS admissions in Tamil Nadu. Among them are two practicing lawyers who have ignited a conversation on educational boundaries and the spirit of lifelong learning.

This year’s admission cycle has taken a unique turn, with more than 25 applicants above the age of 35 seeking undergraduate medical and dental seats in Tamil Nadu. Officials from the state selection committee have confirmed that this is the highest number of older aspirants since 2017, when the National Medical Commission (NMC) removed the upper age limit and cap on the number of NEET attempts.

What sets these senior applicants apart is not just their age, but their qualifying marks, which are strong enough to earn seats under the 69% reservation policy, entitling them to subsidised or even free medical education in government and private colleges.

All three senior candidates have applied under the 7.5% special quota, which reserves medical seats for students from government schools, allowing them to study free of cost. While their applications meet the qualifying criteria, officials are now grappling with technical difficulties, including documentation mismatches that don’t align with the current prospectus requirements.

The development has sparked a broader debate among policymakers: Should special quotas meant for underprivileged youth also include older graduates and professionals seeking a second innings in education?

One official noted, “This year, we’ve seen graduates and professionals returning to classrooms, and it’s an incredible sign of the evolving education mindset in India. But the system may need rethinking to accommodate such unique cases.”

Regardless of the final decision, these senior citizens have already sent out a strong message: learning truly knows no age.