Arguments over a medical exam

‘DMK playing dirty politics here’

The then-Minister Kapil Sibal in the Congress-led UPA government introduced the NEET Bill. Narendra Modi, who was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at the time, raised some doubts about the NEET system and requested time to prepare for it. Accordingly, Modi has prepared Gujarat students for NEET within two years. When the Supreme Court banned NEET, the UPA government filed a review petition against it. It was the Supreme Court that ordered the BJP-led NDA government to implement NEET after hearing all the sides. 22 people are said to have committed suicide due to NEET in Tamil Nadu. Suicide is not the solution to anything. The DMK government should take steps to bring reforms in the education system without inciting suicide. BJP strongly condemns DMK government for playing dirty politics in NEET issue, inciting suicide and playing with future of students.

—Narayanan Thirupathy, vice president, State BJP

‘Erosion of social justice model in public healthcare, education’

The only two objectives of NEET — reforming medical education and eradicating capitation fees — have been defeated. Now, a person with enough bank balance to pay Rs 25 lakh fee per annum can legally purchase a medical seat if he scores 120 out of 720 in NEET. Private medical colleges, which collected Rs 10 lakh as capitation fee and Rs 2.5 lakh fees per annum are now collecting Rs 25 lakh per annum legally as fee, converting black money into white too. Instead of destroying capitation and reforming medical education, will a person who spends Rs 1 crore in five years on MBBS be willing to work in the public health system and serve the people? Or will he/she work to recover the invested money? NEET is destroying an inclusive social justice model of education and public healthcare that has been followed for nearly a century since the days of the Justice Party.

—Dr Ezhilan Naganathan, MLA, Thousand Lights

‘Cannot scrap it for Tamil Nadu alone’

It’s not possible to scrap NEET for one state as the order was given by the Supreme Court for the whole country. Except for Tamil Nadu, no other State opposes NEET. Instead of scrapping it, the school syllabus could be improved for the benefit of medical aspirants. Also, why is the State government frequently promising students that NEET would be scrapped? Instead, the government should give proper training for students of government schools who cannot spend on private NEET coaching. Private school students have already started preparing for the next NEET exams.

— KR Nandhakumar, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Nursery, Primary, Matriculation, Higher Secondary, and CBSE Schools Association

‘Apt only for those with money’

The Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Act, 2021, passed unanimously by the State Legislative Assembly is to fulfill the election promise. The percentile system adopted in the admission process based on NEET allows the less-scorers but are financially sound, to secure admission under the management quota in private institutions. NEET has allowed the private coaching centres to lure children. The entire savings of the family is lost without any purpose.

— PB Prince Gajendra Babu, secretary, State Platform for Common School System-Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN)