State Platform for Common School System - Tamil Nadu on Wednesday appealed to Governor R.N. Ravi to immediately forward the Bill seeking exemption for the State from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
Talking to reporters here, Platform general secretary P.B. Prince Gajendra Babu said the State’s fight against NEET was not merely for admission to medical seats but also to uphold parliamentary democracy and federal polity.
The platform would take up a campaign on the issue across the State during January, and a hunger strike would be held on January 30. “If the Governor does not relent even then, I will resort to indefinite satyagraha,” Mr. Babu said.
NEET was originally planned to regulate admission to medical seats and fee structure in private medical colleges. However, it had failed in ensuring merit in medical admission. “The irregularities in the conduct of NEET have been multidimensional and on a largescale,” he contended.
Irregularities such as impersonation, use of hi-tech communication tools for cheating, leakage of question paper and tampering of score cards had been reported in the media. The Centre, which would not recognise the syllabus of State boards, believed in an entrance exam conducted by a private agency. NEET had proved beneficial only to the affluent who could afford to spend a few lakhs of rupees for private coaching.
Mr. Babu said the purpose of government schools was not to give special coaching, which could only bring stress to students. NEET was denying the right of the poor in getting into to medicine. If NEET was not fought at its present stage, it would be extended to all higher education systems.
