Tamil Nadu: Now fast against NEET

The Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association, along with students and their parents are planning to fast tomorrow. The silent protest will be held at the premise of Madras Medical College.

Their demand is against making NEET mandatory for admissions in medical colleges in the state. Many students and parents are expected to join the association in their endeavor to protect the interest of the candidates seeking admissions.

Association Secretary P. Balakrishnan said to Hindu, “We want a special ordinance to prevent the NEET from being made compulsory in the State. The existing system of admitting students based on Plus 2 marks should continue.”

The association has based their demand on the premise that the state has a separate education act which legally allows it to continue with the same pattern of conducting their own examination for medical college admissions. The Tamil Nadu Admission in Professional Educational Institutions Act cites this view of the association

“Since then, almost 52 to 61 per cent of the students who have been admitted to medical colleges are from rural areas. This has equalised the disparity caused by coaching centres earlier,” Dr. Balakrishnan explained to Hindu.

It is also reported that around 40 students have been protesting along with their parents from with the support of the Tamil Nadu Most Backward Classes Welfare Federation.

The Federation is on the verge of escalating its agitation, by protesting outside Central government offices. They have also threatened to stop trains if their demand is not adhered to.

SC’s recent verdict of NEET has caused uproar in the parliament yesterday. After welcoming the Supreme Court’s decision to hold NEET exam as a sole entry point to medical education in the country, the government now seems to be changing its stance in the wake of strong disapprovals in the parliament. The stand that the government has made is that while it would welcome the idea of NEET examination as a whole, but it would not want the exam to be implemented from this year.