NEET discriminates poor, why can’t Centre scrap it: Madras HC

A division bench comprising Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice P Velmurugan, on expressing surprise and dismay that only those who attended coaching classes paying as much as Rs 5 Lakh obtain medical seats, said, “It is shocking to note that only negligible candidates have got admission without undergoing coaching classes. This means medical education is not available to the poor and it is available only to those who take extra coaching classes by spending lakhs and lakhs of rupees.”

“Moreover, this will also put the rural students in a disadvantageous position, as they lack facilities of undergoing coaching. It should also be taken note by the Central government, which brought the rules and regulations or Amendment for conducting NEET Examination,” the bench said.

The above observation by the bench came forth based on the State government’s submission that only 48 students have got medical seats without undergoing any coaching classes, whereas 3033 students who underwent coaching classes have been admitted in the Government colleges. Similarly, in self-financing colleges, only 52 students have got medical seats without undergoing any coaching classes, while 1598 students have got medical seats after undergoing coaching classes.

Regarding the NEET impersonation, which the court had taken suo moto cognizance, the bench also recorded the submission of the National Testing Agency (NTA) that the fingerprints of 6976 students belonging to the Government and Private Medical Colleges and 1250 students belonging to 7 Deemed Universities have been handed over to the CBCID officials.

The court also recorded the government submission on its query about the students who attended NEET examination for the first time and got admission. The figures revealed that students who were admitted to government colleges in the first attempt was only 1040, whereas the number of candidates who appeared multiple times and got admission was 2041. Similarly, in self-financing colleges, only 588 students have got admission in their first attempt itself, whereas more than 1062 took more than one attempt.

Based on this the bench said, “The first-timers have to prepare for the Plus 2 examination as well as for the NEET examination simultaneously, whereas the students who had already completed their Plus 2 examination could fairly devote their time for preparing exclusively for the examination. This meant that the unequal’s have been treated equally in the NEET examination and the results would speak for themselves. This fact should also be taken note of by the Central Government.”