Kerala, TN to Compensate Student Whose Dad Died During NEET Exam

Krishnaswamy had a heart attack when his son was writing the NEET exam.

In a tragic incident on Sunday, Krishnaswamy, who accompanied his son Kasthuri Mahalingam to write the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) in Ernakulam, passed away owing to a heart attack.

Kasthuri Mahalingam, a student from Thiruthuraipoondi, Tamil Nadu, was assigned to take his exam at the Nalanda Public School in Ernakulam, Kerala. Krishnaswamy and Kasthuri Mahalingam left for Ernakulam on Friday. In a tragic turn of events, Krishnaswamy passed away at the accommodation they stayed in even as Kasthuri Mahalingam was writing his exam on Sunday morning.

According to news reports, the father suffered a cardiac arrest at the accommodation centre in the city. The staff at the accommodation rushed him to the Ernakulam City Hospital.

"Our staff got an autorickshaw for the boy to reach the exam centre in the morning. Later, the father called the reception complaining of ill health and was taken to a hospital," a hotel staffer told IANS over phone from Ernakulam.

An official of City Hospital told IANS: “Krishnaswamy came to the hospital around 8:20 am and his sugar levels were high. He was conscious and oriented. Unfortunately, he collapsed soon after that. We could not revive him.” The official said police were informed and later the body was handed over to the relatives.

Following the tragedy, the Chief Minister's Relief Fund is to provide a solatium of Rs 3 lakh to the family. The Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary has also reportedly spoken to her counterpart in Kerala asking to expedite the process of bringing the body back. While a team from Tamil Nadu has been dispatched to Kerala, Krishnasamy’s relatives will take back the body in ambulance this evening.

Stating that Krishnaswamy had died as he did not respond to treatment, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami tweeted, "As per my instructions, the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary has contacted the Kerala Chief Secretary and informed him to advise the Ernakulam District Collector Mr Sabullah to provide all help to bring the body of Mr Krishnaswamy to his native town immediately. Accordingly, the Ernakulam District Collector is taking all actions swiftly."

என்னுடைய உத்தரவின் பேரில், திரு. கிருஷ்ணசாமி அவர்களின் உடலை அவரது சொந்த ஊருக்கு எடுத்துச் செல்வதற்கு தேவையான நடவடிக்கைகளை மேற்கொள்ள அனைத்து உதவிகளையும் உடனடியாக செய்யுமாறு, தமிழ்நாடு அரசின் தலைமைச் செயலாளர் அவர்கள் கேரள அரசின் தலைமைச் செயலாளர் அவர்களை தொடர்பு கொண்டு, 1/2

— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@CMOTamilNadu) May 6, 2018

Further, the Chief Minister announced that the TN government will undertake Kasthuri Mahalingam's educational expenses.

Tamilnadu Government will bear the education expenses of the student Kasturi Mahalingam. #NEET

— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@CMOTamilNadu) May 6, 2018

Local news in Kerala reported that the state’s police will accompany the body till the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, who shares a personal friendship with Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, had also spoken to the Kerala Chief Minister and asked for arrangements to be made to bring Krishnasamy’s body back to their hometown.

Amidst the clamour, some voices have spoken out against the government and blamed the death on the allotment of test centres outside the state for Tamil Nadu candidates.

(This article was first published on The News Minute and has been republished here with permission.)

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