'NEET destroyed my family': Anitha's brother at CJP's Delhi protest

CHENNAI: S Manirathnam, brother of S Anitha, the Tamil Nadu student who died by suicide in 2017 after failing to secure a medical seat under the NEET-based admission saying Tamil Nadu’s opposition to NEET began with students like Anitha, has been taking part in the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protests in Delhi, saying the examination had "destroyed" his family.

Speaking about the impact of NEET on his family, Manirathnam said, "NEET has destroyed my family."

Anitha's fight against NEET

Anitha, a 17-year-old from Ariyalur, had scored 1,176 out of 1,200 in the Class 12 Tamil Nadu State Board examinations in 2017, with a medical cut-off of 196.75 out of 200. However, after NEET became mandatory for medical admissions, she could not secure a medical seat as she had prepared under the State Board syllabus.

She went on to challenge NEET legally and became one of the petitioners before the Supreme Court, seeking an exemption for Tamil Nadu students.

The court did not grant the relief sought by the State, and Anitha died by suicide at her home in Ariyalur on September 1, 2017. Her death then became a defining moment in Tamil Nadu's opposition to NEET.

Recalling his sister's journey, Manirathnam said Anitha's fight against NEET was deeply personal and rooted in her dream of becoming a doctor despite the hardships her family faced. Manirathnam said Anitha was raised by their father, a daily wage labourer, after their mother died when she was seven. He said her mother's death due to an illness inspired Anitha to pursue medicine.

'Pradhan's resignation is not enough'

Manirathnam also criticised the conduct of the examination, saying, "These NEET irregularities like paper leaks and exam centre allocations (referring to far-off locations and other states being allocated) --- all these small, small mistakes affected 25 lakh people. It is a failure model."

Reacting to calls for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, he said, "The resignation of the Education Minister is a small step. It is his responsibility, but it is not enough. We want an exemption from NEET. Ban NEET. NEET is against marginalised, economically weaker and rural people."