Suicide over NEET failure sets TN politics on fire, again
Tamil Nadu (TN) is witnessing yet another turmoil. After the Cauvery protests and Sterlite violence, it's NEET that has set the state's politics on fire. A student killed herself for not being able to clear the exam. Opposition parties waged war on the government, accusing it of failing to protect TN's students. The government insists it has to follow laws. So who's to blame?
TN has never supported the NEET
TN has protested NEET since the beginning, arguing it will leave out social justice while deciding medical admissions. Moreover, TN has 3,534 medical seats, the third-highest number among states (following Karnataka and Maharashtra), and NEET implies seats would go to many non-TN students. The government claims it has established 1,000 new seats in six-years at its cost, but its own students aren't being benefitted.
Anitha, the 17-year-old who waged a war against the Center
Last year, S Anitha of Ariyalur, who scored 1176/1200 in her Class-12 boards, couldn't join MBBS due to poor NEET scores. She approached the SC challenging medical admissions solely based on NEET in TN's state-run colleges, arguing rural students were at a disadvantage in such common exams that tested them and urban students together. But after the court ruled against her, she hanged herself.
More young lives on the altar of sacrifice
Monday, S Prathiba of Villupuram, who had cleared the NEET last year but was repeating it to secure a better branch, consumed rat poison after securing low scores this time. She got 495/500 in the state Class-10 exam. Keerthiga, another student in the same district, is believed to have consumed poison too. She is now fighting for her life. Parents of both blamed NEET.
DMK, Congress, PMK slam the ruling AIADMK for "failures"
The opposition has erupted in noisy protests. DMK and Congress have moved a special call attention motion on Pratibha's death, demanding to know the status of resolutions sent to the Center seeking TN's exemption from NEET. Both staged a walkout from the assembly, blaming the ruling AIADMK for failures. "The Modi government last year killed Anitha and this year, Prathiba," alleged PMK founder Ramadoss.
Government speaks against NEET too, but cites SC order
In the government's defense, Health Minister C Vijaybhaskar said it too was against the NEET and had raised the issue with the Center, but the SC had ruled in support of the exam and it had to adhere to the court's order. Condoling Pratibha's death, School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan urged students not to take such extreme steps due to failure in exams.
But whose fault is it, really?
Reports of students' suicides emerge after every major test, even Class-10 exams, which are relatively insignificant. Stakeholders have demanded getting rid of exams, but there can't be assessment without them, and assessment becomes necessary at some point. We've to address excessive emphasis we put on "success." This takes a toll on young minds, who're often made to feel worthless if they don't score top-marks.
