Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin tables Bill against NEET in Assembly

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin today tabled a bill in the Assembly seeking permanent exemption for the state from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). The development comes, after a  19-year-old student died by suicide in the state’s Salem district, hours before he was scheduled to appear for NEET, an all-India pre-medical entrance test for students who wish to pursue undergraduate medical and dental courses. "NEET is not an equitable method of admission", the statement of objects and reasons of bill says, according to legal news website livelaw.in. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), however, staged a walkout from the Assembly, with its leader and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami saying that his party leaders were not provided an opportunity to discuss the student's suicide.

“Students and their parents were totally confused over the conduction of NEET exam here. There is no clear stand taken by the DMK government on NEET. Yesterday, a student, S Dhanush committed suicide. DMK is responsible for it,” Palaniswami, who hails from Salem, told reporters. In the Assembly, Stalin urged the opposition parties to extend their support to the resolution against NEET. “Today, I have presented the resolution against NEET. You (AIADMK) also brought this resolution. I urge opposition parties to extend their support to this resolution,” he said, according to news agency ANI. This is the second time that the Tamil Nadu Assembly introduced a Bill seeking exemption from NEET. The President did not give his assent to legislation passed by the previous AIADMK government in 2017.Since NEET was introduced in Tamil Nadu in 2017, more than a dozen medical aspirants have died by suicide either due to fear of failing or having failed in the exam, according to reports. State BJP president K Annamalai said that the DMK should stop playing with students’ lives when the Supreme Court has made the exam mandatory. “ Students’ lives are being lost for politics,” he said. The BJP is the only party in the state that supports NEET.