CHENNAI: Tourism Minister and Congress Legislative Party leader S Rajesh Kumar on Sunday claimed that 37 students in the State had died by suicide since the introduction of NEET in 2016, alleging that the medical entrance examination was undermining social justice and placing immense pressure on aspiring medical students.

Rajesh Kumar said medical admissions in Tamil Nadu were based on Class 12 public examination marks until 2016 and argued that the system had ensured wider access to medical education. He alleged that the examination had become a lucrative business for private coaching centres.

Rajesh Kumar reiterated the demand that education be moved back to the State List, even though it was then-Congress PM Indira Gandhi who moved it to the Concurrent List during the Emergency.