DMK Advocates for Abolition of NEET to Prevent Student Suicides and Cheating Incidents
DMK’s Stand Against NEET: A Fight for Student Lives and Fairness in Education
Tamil Nadu, India - The ruling Dravidian party, DMK, on Wednesday reiterated its stance against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), stating that its abolition is the only solution to prevent student suicides and halt incidents of cheating, such as impersonation.
In an editorial in the party’s Tamil mouthpiece “Murasoli”, the DMK claimed that 26 individuals have lost their lives due to NEET in Tamil Nadu alone. The party has consistently maintained that the test is “an altar, on which lives are lost.”
The editorial further stated that a total of 119 students who were pursuing coaching to clear NEET have died by suicide over the past eight years. It also revealed that last year alone, 24 aspirants ended their lives, a fact disclosed by the Rajasthan state government itself.
The DMK provided year-wise data on the suicide of students who had enrolled in coaching centres in Rajasthan, indicating that the deaths due to NEET continue.
The party also cited specific incidents of cheating and irregularities linked to NEET in states including Gujarat, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. It questioned if this was not a betrayal of about 24 lakh aspirants.
“Scrapping NEET is the only solution to prevent suicide by students and halt incidents involving cheating (to illegally clear the test),” the editorial asserted.
The incidents highlighted include a second-year MBBS student’s alleged impersonation in Maharashtra and some students leaving the exam hall early from a centre at Swai Madhopur in Rajasthan, allegedly to help aspirants still writing their answers at the same centre.
Just this week, 24 persons, including eleven students, 13 others who were invigilators, and parents, have been arrested in Patna, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand in connection with the leak of the NEET question paper, the DMK daily reported.
The DMK continues to advocate for the abolition of NEET, highlighting the tragic consequences and irregularities associated with the test. The party believes that this step is crucial to protect the lives and futures of students across the country.
