REGIONAL DISPARITIES AND GENDER DYNAMICS IN NEET 2025: AN ANALYSIS OF STATE PERFORMANCE AND QUALIFICATION EFFICIENCY

This study examines the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2025 results to analyze regional performance disparities, state-level qualification efficiency, and gender participation patterns across India. Using data from 1,236,112 qualified candidates across 36 states and Union Territories, we developed a Qualification Efficiency Index (QEI) to assess state performance. Our findings reveal significant regional variations, with the southern region demonstrating superior per capita performance (1,257 qualified per lakh population) despite contributing only 28.5% of national qualified candidates. Kerala emerged as the top performer with a QEI of 129.9, while Punjab showed concerning results with a QEI of 11.6. Gender analysis revealed progressive trends, with female candidates comprising 58.41% of qualified candidates nationally. The Gender Parity Index exceeded 1.0 across all analyzed states, with Chandigarh showing the highest value at 1.52. These findings highlight the critical role of quality teaching infrastructure and socioeconomic factors in determining medical entrance examination outcomes, suggesting targeted interventions for underperforming regions.