DMK’s anti-NEET protest on January 20

The agitations would be led by DMK district secretaries in front of state and central government offices in all districts. DMK working president M K Stalin in a party release alleged that “in the name of National Education policy, the Centre is being proactive to thrust an education system inclined toward religion and make Sanskrit a compulsory language”. 

He claimed NEET would adversely affect the poor and rural students’ prospects of pursuing higher education. In Tamil Nadu, students to professional courses, including medicine and engineering, are selected on the basis of marks secured by them in Class 12 examination. 

Joining in the proposed protest, TNCC chief Su Thirunavukkarasar urged the ruling AIADMK to promulgate an ordinance to save the students of Tamil Nadu from NEET. He recalled that the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa opposed the test. He also said that the state should factor in the future of eight lakh students while acting in this issue. 

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar had last month said that the government will announce a committee, which would draft the national education policy. The ministry had already held comprehensive discussions with all stakeholders, including states, educational institutes, parliamentarians and experts, he had said. 

The draft New Education Policy was released in June last. The proposed policy focuses on areas including preventing gender discrimination, a common curriculum for science, mathematics and English and setting up educational tribunals.