Won’t withdraw NEET even if we die, says Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai

He then reiterated thrice, “Even if we die, we will not withdraw NEET. Even if we die we will not cancel NEET. NEET is good for poor students,” he said. A key ally of NDA in Tamil Nadu, PMK, has also vehemently opposed NEET. Annamalai’s statement on NEET is contradictory to PMK’s stand on the matter.

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Annamalai’s claims

Amidst mounting criticism against the exam and concerns over student wellbeing, the BJP leader’s staunch defense of NEET has sparked further discourse on the contentious issue.

Annamalai said that NEET facilitated access to government medical colleges for impoverished students, claiming that many poor students could enter these institutions for the “first time” due to the exam.

However, this is factually incorrect as many students from rural and underprivileged background have already enrolled into government medical colleges, before the NEET era.

The report of the Tamil Nadu government-appointed committee found that the number of rural and poor students joining medical education has drastically reduced post-NEET.

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Taking aim at DMK

Annamalai also alleged that the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had established only five government medical colleges and seventeen private medical colleges while the BJP has established fifteen medical colleges.

“For the first time, poor students are going to medical colleges due to NEET. Since 1967, DMK brought only five government medical and 17 private colleges to Tamil Nadu. We brought 15 government medical colleges. Our intention is to ensure poor students go to government medical colleges through competitive exams” he said.

Tamil Nadu has the highest number of medical colleges, both government and private, prior to NEET’s implementation. Additionally, the state’s high doctor to patient ratio has been attributed to its robust healthcare infrastructure predating NEET.

“If we have to survive in politics by removing NEET then we don’t have to be in such politics. Everyone has accepted NEET. It is our ideological commitment”, the state BJP chief further asserted.

Annamalai also said that without NEET, students from underprivileged backgrounds  would be forced to attend private medical colleges, which require exorbitant fees.

“A poor rural woman’s child has to go to government medical college only through NEET. Else you will have to go to TR Baalu’s private medical college or Balaji medical college or MK Stalin’s benami. How many people can pay up to ₹ 1 crore and go to such colleges? Only those who have money. So, NEET is the only way a poor woman’s child can go to medical colleges”, he added.

Tamil Nadu has 37 government medical colleges, approximately 26 of which were established before the implementation of NEET. The NEET has been a topic of contention in Tamil Nadu for quite some time.

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DMK’s opposition to NEET

The ruling DMK party in the state have been opposing NEET for a long time citing the impacts on the students and the state’s educational system.

According to DMK, NEET benefits students from urban and affluent backgrounds who have access to coaching centres and resources. This discriminates against students from rural and disadvantaged areas who lack these resources, putting them at a disadvantage in the competitive exam.

Since the exam is conducted in languages like English and Hindi, it poses a language barrier for students who have studied in regional languages.

The intense competition and high stakes of NEET result in immense stress among students. There have been several tragic incidents of student suicides due to NEET-related stress, which have raised concerns about the toll on students’ mental health and well-being.

According to the party, NEET enforces a standardized syllabus, which does not align with the curriculum followed in state boards. This puts state board students at a disadvantage as they need to adapt to a different pattern of preparation.

The death toll due to student suicides over NEET in Tamil Nadu stands at 16. A 19-year-old student in Chennai died by suicide in August last year after failing to clear NEET exam twice.

(Edited by Shauqueen Mizaj)