'Give consent to NEET Exemption Bill to prevent loss of lives'

CHENNAI: While requesting the students not to take extreme steps in fear of the NEET exam, MDMK general secretary and PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss has urged the central government to give consent to the NEET Exemption Bill to prevent loss of lives in the state.

Pointing out suicides of a student and his father in Chromepet, Vaiko, in a statement, said that due to the authoritative attitude of the union government, the student and his father have killed self. "Since the introduction NEET, around 20 students, starting from Anitha in 2017, have committed suicide. Suicides due to NEET are occurring every year. When will this stop?" he asked.

He added that the student committed suicide on the same day when Governor RN Ravi categorically said that the would not clear NEET bill. "It raises concern how many lives will be lost due to the union government's attitude, " he said.

While urging the central government to give approval to the bill, Vaiko requested the NEET students not to fall into suicidal thoughts.

Meanwhile, Anbumani Ramadoss said that everyone knows that NEET is a fatal disease. "The reasons for bringing NEET as cited by the central government are to increase the quality of medical education and to prevent commercialization. The central government should have cancelled NEET as the intentions failed, " he said.

He alleged that NEET is sacrificing the future of rural and poor students. "To clear NEET, students should get a minimum coaching for 4 years by spending Rs. 20 lakh.

PMK has been urging the government to drop NEET for the past 12 years. Even after the lapse of 19 months, the central government is yet to accede to the NEET bill," he said.

He opined that the role of education is to provide a good future to students. "It should not be a reason for taking their lives. The central government should give approval to the bill, " he urged.