Former Chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC) Sukhadeo Thorat on Sunday stressed on the need for other States to follow Tamil Nadu in its efforts against the National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test (NEET).
Addressing a webinar organised by the Association for Social and Economic Equality (ASEE) on the impact of entrance exams in providing access to education for socio-economically disadvantaged groups, he said the Union government would soon implement entrance exams for all courses if concrete actions were not taken to stop it.
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Highlighting that the National Education Policy envisioned centralised entrance exams for all the courses, he said such examinations will make education non-inclusive. Only those who are able to afford money, time and other resources to opt for coaching classes alone will have access to education as the experience from NEET has shown.
P.B. Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary, State Platform for Common School System, said the Union government was already taking measures to implement the NEP with the UGC recently releasing the draft National Higher Education Qualification Framework.
He said both NEET and NEP as a whole were designed to exclude access to those from marginalised communities in gaining education. The policy was also against federalism.
It was the duty of informed citizens to fight against NEET and NEP. He shared the example of how various organisations came together to make a pressing issue in the Assembly elections. “Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party assured in its manifesto that the State will not implement the NEP. The people gave the party a resounding victory. It is therefore the will of the Tamil Nadu people to do away with NEET and NEP,” he said.
Pointing to Tamil Nadu Governor recently returning the Bill against NEET to Tamil Nadu Assembly, Mr. Babu blamed the Governor for not being sensitive to the will of the Tamil Nadu people.
Chayanika Shah, researcher and activist, spoke on how entrance examinations can be detrimental to students from socially and economically disadvantaged groups.
