It has been six years since the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) became mandatory for medical admissions across India.
Earlier this month in Chennai, a young medical aspirant who did not score enough marks in NEET to get admission into a medical college, ended his life. A day later, his grief-stricken father too died by suicide. This was preceded by an assertion by Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi that left to himself he would never ever assent to a Bill that seeks exemption from NEET for Tamil Nadu. He argued that NEET awarded merit, and that not having NEET would leave students from Tamil Nadu intellectually disabled.
Last week, the DMK youth wing conducted a fast reiterating its opposition to NEET and condemned the Governor’s remarks. It is not just the present T.N. government, but even previous regimes, including J. Jayalalithaa’s, had opposed NEET when it was proposed.
There are two political narratives. One, by the BJP in the Centre, is that NEET has ensured meritocracy and curbed the commercialisation of medical colleges. The other, by Tamil Nadu political parties, is that NEET gives an undue advantage to those who can afford expensive coaching, thereby giving very little chance for those students from poor and rural backgrounds.
Can a ‘One Nation One Test’ be justified in a vast country like India?
Script and presentation: D. Suresh Kumar
Production: Shibu Narayan
Videography: Thamodharan Bharath
