CHENNAI: TNCC president B Manickam Tagore on Saturday demanded the complete abolition of NEET, following the death by suicide of a student from Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli, who had reportedly cleared the entrance examination but failed to secure a seat during medical counselling.
In a statement, Tagore expressed shock over the death of Sruthilaya, saying the loss of a young student who had worked hard to realise her dream of becoming a doctor was deeply painful. He conveyed his condolences to her family and said Tirunelveli MP Robert Bruce and Congress functionaries would meet the bereaved family and offer their support.
Tagore said lakhs of students in Tamil Nadu aspire to study medicine after completing Class 12, while the State has only 13,999 medical seats. He also claimed that the number of students qualifying in NEET in Tamil Nadu had fallen from 76,181 in 2025 to 61,306 in 2026, a decline of 19.5 per cent.
Alleging that the NEET system was destroying students' dreams and lives, Tagore blamed the Narendra Modi-led Union government for continuing the examination despite repeated demands from Tamil Nadu.
He urged the Union government and Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi to respect Tamil Nadu's sentiments and abolish NEET, stating that no more students should lose their lives due to the pressure associated with the examination.