Puducherry Students Protest Against NEET-based Admissions
- A dalit student recently committed suicide as she failed to get a MBBS seat.
- A bunch of students from Puducherry staged a protest against the implementation of the mandatory medical entrance exam NEET following which about 40 of them have been taken into custody.
Medical aspirants of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu are deeply disappointed with the centre’s decision on implementing NEET-based admissions in the states. Enraged students, soon after a Dalit medical aspirant committed suicide for not getting an MBBS seat as no exemption was given, staged protests against the centre's forceful decision.
The protest was carried out at the head post office demanding cancellation of NEET from the next academic session. Students from various professional colleges, government-run colleges and polytechnics took to the streets while covering a distance of more than one kilometre. Unable to control the situation, the authorities took the help of the police to control the agitating students. Around 40 students had been taken into the custody.
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On the other hand, students also seek justice for Anitha, the medical aspirant who committed suicide. They further cautioned the centre of the fact that the protests will continue until the government scraps the NEET mandate from the next academic session.
The government of Tamil Nadu had made sincere efforts to seek exemption from NEET and conduct admissions based on class 12th score. It requested the centre several times and passed ordinances in the regard. However, the central government was not in favour of granting any exemptions to Tamil Nadu as it would result in other states fighting for the same. With no choice left, the Tamil Nadu state government began the admission process for medical courses based on NEET merit list.
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A number of other issues have also come into the limelight with regards the admission process. A plea was filed in Madras HC claiming that the state government granted admission to non-local students under government quota. The petitioner also demanded a separate merit list for BDS and MBBS courses.