In a statement issued by A.S. Shankarapandian, General Secretary of Samuga Pothunala Iyakkam (TNSPI), he stated as follows:
Following irregularities in the NEET examination, the Central Government attempted to suppress the massive student protest held across the country. However, as students continued the protest without relenting, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned from his post. Although this has become a victory for the students’ protest, it raises the suspicion as to whether, instead of abolishing the NEET examination system to address the problems of marginalised students, the Central Government is staging a drama to reduce the intensity of the protest.
The NEET examination was made compulsory across the country from 2017. It was said that the examination was introduced with the objective of ensuring a uniform standard in medical education. However, it has become a destroyer of the student community’s dream of becoming doctors. In Tamil Nadu, medical admissions had been conducted on the basis of Plus Two marks, but after NEET was introduced, it proved disadvantageous to Tamil-medium students. It was only among students who attended coaching classes that 99% secured eligibility in the examination. Students who had prepared for the Plus Two examination were pushed into another high-pressure examination.
In such circumstances, incidents of students dying by suicide after experiencing mental stress became recurring. A student from Ariyalur, despite scoring 1176 out of 1200 in the Plus Two examination, died by suicide after NEET did not help her fulfil her dreams. Similarly, there are many students who died in connection with NEET, including Monisha, Pradeepa, Indhu (Villupuram), Subashree (Tiruchi), Rithu Sri (Tiruppur), Vaishya (Thanjavur), Vignesh (Ariyalur), Jagadeeswaran (Chennai) and Devadarshini (Chengalpattu). Despite this, the Central Government did not show the same concern for the future of the student community that it showed in protecting coaching centres that exploit students.
These examinations were conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), during which various irregularities and question paper leaks occurred. Despite this, the Central Government continued to show negligence on the issue. A Bill was passed in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 2021/2022 seeking exemption from this qualifying examination, which is against State rights. However, the President has not granted assent to it. A case relating to this is pending before the Supreme Court.
On 19.6.21, the Tamil Nadu Government constituted a committee headed by former Madras High Court Judge Dr. A.K. Rajan to study the NEET issue. According to the report submitted by the committee on 14.7.21, it clearly stated that NEET had increased the dominance of CBSE students in government medical colleges and that Tamil-medium, marginalised and rural students had been severely affected by this examination system. The committee therefore recommended student admissions based on Plus Two marks instead of NEET. Accordingly, completely abolishing NEET, which is against State rights and students’ rights, and bringing education under the State List would be the permanent solution to this problem.
Head Office,
Samuga Pothunala Iyakkam (TNSPI).