An 18-year-old girl allegedly killed herself in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram on Thursday, 6 June, after failing to clear the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) a day after two other girls ended their lives in the state for the same reason, reported PTI.
In wake of the reported suicides, DMK President MK Stalin demanded that NEET should be scrapped and alleged that the test was against social justice and equality. He further claimed that it was destroying students’ dreams related to medical education, reported PTI.
All the three girls took their lives within two days of the NEET results being declared.
The 18-year-old, identified as M Monisha, took her life after she could not crack the exam for the second time this year.
“She could not succeed in her previous attempt last year, and the girl this year got a very low score in NEET,” a district police official said.
The student, belonging to Koonimedu Kuppam near Marakkanam, had completed her Class 12 from a reputed school at Tiruchengode in Erode district.
Belonging to the fisherfolk community, she studied hard for the exam for a year and was dejected due to her failure, the official said.
Preliminary enquiries revealed that the girl's mother had died recently. She was close to her father and may have felt that he would be dejected about the outcome, the official said.
On 5 June, Rithu Shree from Viliyankadu in Tirupur district and Vaishya from Pattukottai district had ended their lives for the same reason. Both had scored above 90 percent marks in the 12 standard board examinations.
Rithu, from Venliyangkadu in Tirupur, was a student of Jaivabbai Government higher secondary school who scored 490 out of 500 in her Class 12 board examination and 461 out 500 in her Class 10 boards. She was found hanging by her neighbours at her residence.
NEET Against Social Justice, Equality: MK Stalin
Stalin, who recalled the DMK government doing away with entrance tests for professional courses in 2007 benefiting large number of students, reaffirmed its demand for scrapping the NEET exam in lieu of three girls committing suicide allegedly over failing to clear the exam, reported PTI.
In a statement, Stalin reportedly said, “NEET, which is destroying students' medical dreams and creates inequality, should be scrapped without further delay.”
The NEET was against social justice and equality, Stalin said and further wanted Education to be moved to the State list.
"The NEET results this year prove that it creates severe mental stress for the students and their parents and has become a weapon that is destroying social justice," he said.
Stalin, acknowledged that there has been an increase in the number of medical aspirants clearing the exam this time. However, there was no satisfactory answer on how many of them will get admission in government medical colleges.
He further claimed that as compared to the students belonging to poor and oppressed classes, more candidates from the forward class passed the exam.
He also claimed that more students from the CBSE board had cleared NEET as there has been a decrease in their counterparts from state board passing the exam, reported PTI. He said, “This is creating a situation of inequality after 70 years of independence.”
He also criticised Centre's "undue haste" in implementing the 10 percent quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), claiming it would increase social inequality.
"Therefore, it is the duty of the government to take legal steps to scrap NEET and create an atmosphere where such a test does not exist," he said.
DMK to Raise Issue in TN Parliament
On 6 June, Stalin said that the party MPs will raise the issue in the Tamil Nadu Parliament and urge on finding a solution.
In a statement, he accused the Modi-led Central government, of being silent on the continuing suicides due to the introduction of NEET, The Hindu reported.
The statement further said that the two students taking their lives how the NEET has shattered the medical dreams of thousands of Tamil Nadu students.
While he accused the Centre of turning a blind eye to the issue, he blamed the state government of not taking any effort to obtain exemption from NEET for Tamil Nadu.
He further urged the BJP-led Centre to get the Presidential consent for the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly demanding exemption from NEET, The Hindu reported.
(With inputs from PTI and The Hindu.)
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