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DMK, AIADMK amp up pitch against NEET-UG in Tamil Nadu, say scrap the exam
The NEET-UG results have triggered a massive uproar across the country, with many aspirants and parents demanding a probe and seeking a “re-exam
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK and the Opposition AIADMK on Friday attacked the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate, or NEET-UG, saying the national-level examination for admission to medical colleges should be scrapped.
The double-barrelled attack on NEET-UG comes days after the National Testing Agency declared the results of the 2024 NEET-UG on June 4 in which 67 students shared the all-India rank one by scoring perfect 720/720 marks, including six students from the same exam centre in Haryana.
The results have triggered a massive uproar across the country, with several aspirants and parents demanding a probe and seeking a “re-exam”, alleging that the paper was leaked at certain centres where students got high scores.
Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin waded into the row, reiterating the state government’s position to scrap the national-level entrance examination and revert to the previous system of letting states conduct their entrance examination.
The controversy, said Stalin in a post on X, “have once again vindicated our principled opposition to the exam”.
“Issues such as question paper leaks, clustering of toppers at specific centres, and award of marks, which are mathematically impossible, under the guise of grace marks highlight the pitfalls of the current Union Government’s centralisation,” he said.
The chief minister said these events emphasise the need to restore the preeminence of state governments and the role of the school education system in determining criteria for professional course selection.
Stalin said NEET and other such national-level entrance exams were anti-poor.
“They undermine federal polity… are against social justice… (and) impact the availability of doctors in deserving areas,” he added.
Leader of the Opposition in the assembly and AIADMK general secretary, Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) said there had been allegations of malpractices at multiple levels in northern states, right from allocation of exam centres to distribution of question papers.
“While a case has been filed regarding these irregularities… such procedural irregularities confirm the anti-NEET position which AIADMK has been continuously taking,” Palaniswami said, asking the newly formed government to come up with a clear explanation about the alleged irregularities and to cancel the NEET examination.
The AIADMK leader also questioned the decision to release the results on June 4, the day the Lok Sabha election results were to be announced.
