Chennai: With one more medical aspirant in Tamil Nadu dying by suicide, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday said he will reach out to his counterparts in other States to explain his Government’s stand on abolishing NEET and instead conduct medical admission on the basis of Class 12 scores.
A 17-year-old girl Soundarya of Vellore district, who had given the NEET, was found dead on Wednesday. Her parents said she was depressed after writing the exam.
Expressing his deep anguish over her death, Stalin in a video message said he was heartbroken. “It feels as if my chest is being pierced with a spear every time I hear the death of medical aspirants. Your life is invaluable to your family and the nation. I appeal to students not to take extreme steps,” he said.
The Chief Minister alleged that the Central Government was “cold hearted” insisting on NEET-based admission despite the test being flawed. “Qualification can be acquired by studying. You don’t need qualification (in NEET) to study,” he argued.
According to him, those who had allowed NEET were now indulging in selfist propaganda to perpetuate this “unjust system”. The State Government appealed to aspirants, who needed counselling, to contact the helpline number 104 to overcome stress.
Stalin will be getting in touch with other Chief Ministers to prevail upon them that medical admission can be done without NEET on the basis of class 12 marks alone.
