Tamil Nadu CM Stalin, DMK leader Elangovan renew call to abolish NEET

Senior Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader T K S Elangovan today reiterated the party's demand for the abolition of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), alleging that the centralised medical entrance examination benefits commercial coaching centres and paper leak cartels at the expense of meritorious students. Speaking to PTI, Elangovan said scrapping NEET has been a key electoral promise of DMK, adding that the party has consistently received public support in Tamil Nadu for its stand against the exam.

Questioning the need for NEET, he argued that admissions to medical colleges should be based on students' Class 12 board examination performance. He said the current system disadvantages talented students from economically weaker backgrounds who cannot afford expensive coaching classes. Referring to the death of Ariyalur student Anitha, Elangovan described it as a watershed moment in Tamil Nadu's opposition to NEET.

"Why NEET when students can get good marks in their school final examination? Those students who have got very good marks could not get admission in medical colleges because they could not afford money for coaching," he said.

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Elangovan also alleged that repeated question paper leaks, particularly in northern states, have undermined the credibility of the examination. "It suits the BJP to have NEET... question papers are leaked. The coaching centres themselves give question papers to the students. This is the atrocious thing happening in India," he alleged.

DMK has opposed NEET from the very beginning: CM M.K. Stalin

Backing the ongoing student protests in New Delhi over alleged examination irregularities, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the agitation had now captured the attention of the entire country. In a post on X, Stalin said the DMK had opposed NEET from the very beginning, arguing that the examination was "designed to enable large-scale irregularities."

"We were the first to warn that #NEET was designed to enable large-scale irregularities. That is why the DMK has opposed NEET from the very beginning, consistently pointing out the dangers it poses," Stalin said.

Calling for the exam's abolition, he said, "Tamil Nadu, which led India in defending social justice and paved the way for the First Constitutional Amendment, has only one demand: #AbolitionOfNEET." Stalin added that ending NEET should be at the centre of the ongoing protests, saying, "Only scrapping NEET will provide a lasting solution to all these problems."

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Commenting on the recent protests in New Delhi led by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi over alleged examination irregularities, Elangovan defended the decision to hold demonstrations outside Parliament. He claimed that opposition leaders were not being allowed to raise the issue effectively inside the House.

"If he starts speaking in Parliament, the Speaker or the Chairman will adjourn the House and run away. So he had to fight from the street," Elangovan said.

Reiterating the DMK's position, he called for restoring state-level medical admissions based solely on Class 12 board examination marks, asserting that the demand continues to enjoy overwhelming public support in Tamil Nadu.

(With PTI inputs)