TN Assembly Approves 7.5% Quota For State Govt Students In Medical Admissions Amid Voices Against NEET Exams

The 7.5% quota aims to help government school students who cleared the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) but were not able to land a seat.

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Chennai: The Tamil Nadu state assembly has passed a bill that provides a 7.5% quota to the students of state government schools in medical undergraduate courses from this academic year.  The bill was passed on Tuesday within the existing reservation in medical undergraduate courses. The quota is being considered in private medical colleges also. It aims to help students who cleared the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) but were not able to land a seat. The issue of lesser representation of students from humble backgrounds especially those graduating from government schools has been raised previously. There have been allegations that implementation of NEET in Tamil Nadu has benefitted those who can afford private tuitions while aspirants who can't, are at a grave loss.

Opposition On NEET

"NEET deprives dreams to the poor and rural students who score high marks in school education but are unable to get through NEET exam because they are not able to get any private coaching. 11 students have committed suicide in Tamil Nadu due to the fear of this exam,": DMK's Tiruchi Siva had said to media persons on Monday. DMK President MK Stalin arrived at the State legislative assembly on Monday wearing a mask with 'Ban NEET, save TN students' printed on it. The party MPs had earlier staged a protest at the Parliament premises in Delhi demanding that the NEET exam be scrapped. DMK MP TR Baalu had raised the issue in Lok Sabha that students that pass through the Tamil Nadu State Board face challenges as the exam is conducted on the basis of CBSE syllabus. While speaking in the Lok Sabha, the DMK leader said, "Within a month after plus 2 results, they have to enter into NEET exam and they are clueless. Without knowing any subject matter of the CBSE syllabus, they are helpless and commit suicide. Future doctors of India have committed suicide.” "I'd like to draw the attention of this House and the government to the plight of 12 students who had committed suicide - all from the rural background - because of the NEET exam. They had passed plus 2 through the State Board and NEET is conducted on CBSE syllabus," he added. Recently, suicides among medical aspirants ahead of NEET reignited the demand for scrapping it in the state. Several parties and celebrities questioned the system. The furor rose to a point where barely a day ahead of the exam, the TN education minister revealed that the government had requested center for the state students to be exempted. However, the NEET exam was conducted on Sunday throughout the country. Now, how helpful does the quota prove to be for underprivileged students, remains to be seen. (With Agency Inputs) WATCH | Manoj Tiwari demands ban on PFI post revelations in its funding