On Friday, several people offered to help to Tamil Nadu students struggling to make their way to test centres outside the State.
T. R. Sudharsan, who is posted at the Ukkaram primary health centre in Sathyamangalam, received calls from five students in Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Madurai and Tirunelveli.
“I asked the students to send their hall tickets through phone but none of them has a smartphone,” he said. His friend from Salem offered to drop a candidate in Ernakulam while his driver took another aspirant from Ariyalur to his test centre, Dr. Sudharsan said.
R. Venkateswaran, a Jaipur-based bureaucrat, said, “Around 30 candidates had contacted through the Rajasthan Tamil Sangam and we are helping them.” Another candidate’s parent had approached the sangam but later made his way to the test centre in Sikkim, a member added.
Actor Prasanna offered help to students from government schools reach their respective centres. Like him, Pady Nagaraj who put up a post on his Facebook account said he had received a few requests for help. Organisations such as the Students Federation of India have shared phone numbers that students in Kerala could call for help. Chennai-based Agni College of Technology has offered to operate free buses from NEET centres in the State.
State govt. under fire
DMK working president M.K. Stalin blamed the AIADMK-run government of callousness in forcing the students to travel outside the State to take the test. He demanded that the State government operate special buses, trains and flights to the various cities where the students have been allotted centres.
T.T.V. Dhinakaran of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam assigned three persons to take care of candidates who were assigned centres in Kerala. Mr. Dhinakaran provided the phone numbers of the support personnel.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) urged the Chief Minister to ensure that sufficient arrangements are made for the students who have to travel outside the State for the tests.
DMDK general secretary Vijayakanth slammed the CBSE and the State government for not giving clear directions to the students.
