Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister, MK Stalin, expressed his deep concern and sorrow in a letter addressing the tragic suicide of 19-year-old S Jegadeeswaran, an aspiring NEET candidate who took his own life at his residence in Chromepet on a Saturday evening. The young man's suicide was reportedly a result of his profound distress over his inability to clear the qualifying examination, despite attempting it twice.
"I was profoundly saddened to learn of the untimely demise of Jegadeeswaran from Chromepet, an aspirant for the NEET examination. As I contemplated how to offer solace to his grieving parents, fate delivered yet another devastating blow, with his father Selvasekar also succumbing to suicide the following day. The plight of Jegadeeswaran's family, friends, and relatives is deeply distressing. It is truly heart-wrenching that a talented student who harbored dreams of becoming a doctor has now tragically become another victim in the list of NEET-related suicides," Stalin said, as reported by ANI.
He also said that no student should ever be driven to such a dire outcome under any circumstances. Stalin assured the students that efforts are being undertaken by the Tamil Nadu Government to address the challenges posed by NEET. "We can definitely remove NEET which is an obstacle to your goals," said Stalin. He underscored the commitment to exploring legal avenues to rectify this situation.
Simultaneously, Tamil Nadu is in the midst of a fervent debate regarding the anti-NEET bill. The state has witnessed an intense debate over the NEET issue, with the examination drawing significant controversy for its perceived bias against economically disadvantaged and rural students. The examination has been criticised as having a discriminatory impact on these groups, often labeled as "anti-poor" and "discriminatory."
Tragically, Tamil Nadu has been shaken by the loss of nearly twenty students to suicide since 2017, with reasons ranging from the inability to clear the exam to the immense anxiety surrounding it.
In 2021, the DMK government made strides by successfully passing a crucial bill aimed at addressing this matter. The contentious legislation sought to secure an exemption for Tamil Nadu from the central NEET examination. Despite its passage, the bill faced rejection from Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi in February 2022. Undeterred, the legislation was reintroduced and approved once again before being resubmitted to the Governor. Presently, the legislation is awaiting the consideration of President Droupadi Murmu.
Recently, during an event held on August 13 to honor the NEET rank-achievers from Tamil Nadu, Governor R N Ravi conveyed a strong message to a parent among them. He firmly stated that he would not provide approval for the state government's Bill aimed at exempting Tamil Nadu from the centralized medical entrance exam, NEET.
“I will be the last man to give clearance , never ever! I do not want my children to feel intellectually disabled,” Ravi told Ammassiyappan Ramaswamy, the father of a NEET rank-holder, who urged the Governor to clear the Bill.
Meanwhile Tamil Nadu's Health Minister Ma Subramanian has said that the bill has nothing to do with Governor. "Left with no other option (this time), the Governor had sent the bill to the President. His job is over with that. He has got nothing to do with NEET (bill). There is no need for his consent as well," the minister said in a statement.
Notably this year more students from Tamil Nadu qualified the NEET exam and 4 ranks out of the top 10 were bagged by Tamil Nadu students.
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