Amid NEET exam row, doctor sparks debate on merit and privilege — ‘I just had better chances’ | Today’s news

A doctor has sparked a debate on social media about merit and privilege amid a series of NEET UG exams. The doctor detailed how money and privilege play an important role in determining life chances and diminishes the merit of the role, comparing her success to that of her partner and acknowledging that she “just had a better chance”.

In an Instagram post, Dr. Anitha, who specializes in internal medicine, revealed that she secured admission to CMC Medical College Vellore and Thanjavur in one of the most sought-after courses — MBBS — in 2012. But just qualifying the exam does not determine a candidate’s intelligence.

“Completely different odds of winning the game”

Describing how each individual’s life situation determines their success, she stated, “Two people of the same intelligence should not have very different chances of winning a game.” According to her analysis, the odds of her not becoming a doctor were actually zero due to the privileged background she came from, making it easier for her than 99% of the population.

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Narrating how her privileged background increased her chances of success, she said her father booked her a seat in a good private college as a deposit even before she cleared Class 12. She further noted that her father was also willing to pay cash to send her abroad to pursue a career in medicine as she failed to secure a seat through marks.

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“I was taught in my air-conditioned living room – a different teacher for < each subject. I didn't have to think too much about the logistics of documents or filling out forms - my father's staff took care of that," the post said.

She compared her situation to that of her husband who got into Assam Medical College in 2007 for MBBS. The life circumstances of her partner, who was preparing for the crucial entrance exam from a one-room house where he had no electricity or lights until the eleventh grade, were completely different.

She went on to explain how the logistics were a significant hurdle for the first-generation graduate in his family, writing, “He didn’t have a lot of the necessary documents,” and he had to figure it out on his own. Hailing from a minority community, he had to go through the tedious process of visiting government offices to get the required documents, while facilities were just a distance away for Dr. Anitha.

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The post added: “It was no longer for him to try again and again, he had to do something else immediately because the priority was to get into the workforce immediately. He had one golden chance with zero margin for error – and if he missed it? He could have kissed his dreams goodbye.” In the end, her husband managed to get his MD in Dermatology despite limited opportunities and high odds against him to win the race.

Her insight suggests that she had wide strong safety nets and endless possibilities, but her partner only had one golden chance. Speaking of caste and class privilege that seems invisible, she argued that merit is not the mere existence or non-existence of real intelligence, but rather a system that determines “who is allowed to fail and who has systems to catch them when they do, pat them on the back and say, try again”.

Reaction on social networks

The user wrote: “I love when people are so open about their privilege. Not in a ‘feel guilty’ way, but in a ‘here’s the facts and here’s a comparison’ way.”

Another user commented: “I am a Jain. We are a real minority. I don’t agree with the picture that talks about discrimination against minorities in India as if it is institutionalized. We have never been discriminated against. Except by the Ministry of Minority Affairs itself which favors two minorities over others.”

A third user said, “It should be based on economics. Definitely not based on caste. Caste basis is unfair to the poor people of the so called upper caste whose equally deserving children are not given this privilege.”

A fourth comment read: “Even if someone manages to seize this ‘golden chance’, they can still spend years as a fraud, surrounded by people who had opportunities they never had, people who often don’t realize that not everyone started life on the same starting line.”

A fifth user said: “The greatest privilege is living in such an echo chamber that you are unable to recognize that you are privileged.”