Chennai, Jan 29 (IANS): Retired Tamil Nadu teacher K. Sivaprakasam cracked the NEET with the 349th rank, under the 7.5 per cent government school student quota, but was rejected on technical grounds.

Officials said that Sivapraksam had completed the Pre University Course (PUC) system which was later abolished by the Tamil Nadu government and this led to his disqualification.

The 61-year-old retired zoology teacher was undecided on taking the seat or not as his son advised him against it as it would mean a young aspirant would be deprived of the seat.

Sivaprakasam was called for counselling on Friday under the government school student quota. There are 437 seats under the quota and Sivaprakasam would automatically have got the seat but for the PUC issue.

Talking to IANS, he said: "I was in two minds on whether to take the seat or not as my son who is house surgeon at Kanyakumari Government Medical College had advised me not to take the seat as it would mean losing the opportunity of a young boy."

He said that he always wanted a young boy to get the seat and that he was happy that he had cracked the NEET.