Scrap NEET before it takes more lives: Congress

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 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who moved it to the concurrent list during the Emergency, contending that many of the issues surrounding NEET could be resolved if states were given greater control over admissions.

Demanding accountability, he said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign over the alleged lapses in the conduct of NEET.

"If a candidate can secure a postgraduate medical seat merely by appearing for the examination, why should such a test be conducted at all?" he asked, citing discrepancies in the UG and PG admission process.

Rajesh Kumar said the State government had consistently maintained that NEET was detrimental to rural students and added that Congress would launch a major statewide protest against the examination under the leadership of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Manickam Tagore.

He further alleged that there had been more than 150 instances of question paper leaks and examination-related irregularities since NEET was introduced in 2016, and called for a comprehensive review of the system.