NEET 2020: TN Govt Urges Centre To Exempt State Students; Know 3 Recent Suicide Cases That Have Shocked Everyone

NEET 2020: Tamil Nadu Government has requested centre to exempt students of the state as at least 3 anxious aspirants there have died by suicide.

Representational Image (Getty/PTI)

Erode: The Tamil Nadu government has urged centre for exempting students in the state from appearing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), School Education Minister K A Sengottiyan revealed said on Saturday.  The Minister was talking to media persons at Gobichettipalayam where he distributed old age pension orders when he divulged the TN government's stance over the matter. K A Sengottiyan stated that Chief Minister K Palaniswami has requested the central government to exempt students from the state from writing the exam. However, despite the government's apprehension, the NEET is going to be conducted on September 13 in 238 centres and 1,17,990 students are expected to appear for the test, he added. After responding to questions about NEET, the Minister also spoke about NEP 2020. He said, "Tamil Nadu is only for a two-language formula" addressing the concerns over the three-language policy which is opposed by people in the state as it is being widely considered as an indicator of Hindi imposition.

Recent Suicides Among NEET Aspirants In TN

The statement has come when Tamil Nadu has reported cases of suicide among anxious NEET aspirants.

• Back in August, a 19-year old resident of East Venkatasamy Road who was preparing for NEET succumbed to her fears and depression over the exams to be held in September. She was found hanging in her room on Tuesday evening by her mother, who immediately lodged a complaint with the police.

DMK MLA N Karthik had met the family expressing the party chief M K Stalin's deep shock over the incident while urging the Centre to immediately cancel the NEET examination.

• Then on September 9, another case of suicide was reported wherein another 19-year-old teenager anxious over the exam ended his life. The boy is reported to have cleared the competitive exams earlier but could not land a seat in a medical college and then in an attempt to improve his score, had decided to re-appear for the test.

"He was anxious about the score he could get this time around though he has passed the exam earlier. The body of the boy, identified later as Vignesh, was found floating in a well at a village nearby," police had informed.

Soon after the reports surfaced, Tamil Nadu parties reiterated their demand for scrapping the test.

• In the third report on Sept 12, another medical aspirant allegedly died by suicide on Saturday as she was 'apprehensive' over the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET). The student has been identified as Jothisri Durga and she was found hanging at her residence and a purported suicide note left behind by her said she was 'apprehensive' though others had high 'hopes' on her, they said.

Responses From Political Parties

Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam of the ruling AIADMK government has also expressed his shock over the deaths.

"Students should learn to face any situation with guts and parents should aid them in this," the deputy CM stated.

Stalin, the DMK President and leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly has expressed his opposition of NEET by stating that "is not an exam at all."

"We can realise from the death of Anitha (a medical aspirant who died of suicide in 2017) to Jothisri Durga that NEET is severely affecting students," he wrote in a tweet. "I repeat, suicide is not a solution; NEET is not an exam at all. #BanNeet_SaveTNStudents," he added.

PMK MP Dr Anbumani Ramadoss condoled the deaths of the aspirants.

"#SayNoToNEET #BanNEET," the PMK Youth Wing leader tweeted. His father and party founder Dr S Ramadoss has also demanded for the exam to be ended.

MDMK founder and Rajya Sabha MP Vaiko came down heavily on the BJP-led Centre, alleging that the suicides were happening because of the "imposition" of NEET on students.

Kamal Haasan, Film Actor and president of Makkal Needhi Maiam party wrote on Twitter: "Central Government needs to think of alternatives and implement them expeditiously. It is our duty to give our children hope and mental strength."

(With Agency Inputs)

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