The
DMK Government passed a resolution in the state assembly during September 2021 seeking
exemption from NEET for the state and submitted the Bill to the Tamil Nadu Governor.
The Governor returned it back to the state Government for reconsideration on
Feb 1, 2022. The press note released by the office of the Governor says that he
“is of the opinion that the Bill is against the interests of the students,
specially the rural and economically poor students of the state”.
After
four days, the DMK Government convened a meeting of representatives of all the
parties in Tamil Nadu legislature to discuss the issue. The BJP and the AIADMK did not participate in it.
The next day the Government has
announced that a special session of the assembly is to be convened on Feb 8th
to pass a resolution seeking exemption once again and send it to the Governor.
A
detailed analysis of the medical admissions for the previous year revealed that the students belonging to the
families from the backward, most backward and the scheduled castes got the
maximum number of seats in the state medical colleges ( Swarajya June
2021). In the case of allotments under general category also, the students from
the above categories got more seats over and above the quotas prescribed by the
state.
Earlier
when the admissions were taking place on the basis of the plus two examination
marks, the number of students who entered the medical colleges from the
Government schools were very minimal. During 2006-16, only 213 students got
admissions, an average of just 19 students per year.
It
is true that the Tamil Nadu students faced difficulties initially when the NEET
was introduced. It was due to two reasons. One, both the Dravidian parties and
their allies were continuously assuring that NEET would not introduced in the
state. Hence the students were not fully prepared. Second is the poor school
education system. The school syllabi remained outdated without revision for twelve
years.
But
after the revisions during 2018 and the introduction of coaching for NEET in state
schools, the performance of students increased fast. As a result, the success rate of the students
who had written the exams during 2020 was higher than the national average. In just
one year, the success rate of the state students increased by 9 percent. Besides
around thirty students from the state were
able to join the premier all India medical institutions.
More
number of students from Tamil Nadu are appearing for NEET every year. Around 1.08
lakh students went for the NEET during 2021. Besides the number of students writing
the exam in Tamil is also on the rise.
As
the selection process is going on, the allotment details of all the students who
wrote NEET in 2021 are not available. The allotments for students from the
Government schools eligible for 7.5% reservation is almost over. Available
details show that 535 seats (435 medical and 100 dental) have been allotted.
Details
reveal that students from the backward, most backward and scheduled caste
backgrounds have got higher number of seats than the seats prescribed in the
quotas this time also. Students from backward castes have got 43 percent seats
as against 30 percent prescribed, most backward castes 31 percent as against 20
percent and scheduled castes 19 percent as against 18 percent. Only in the case
of scheduled tribes category, there was deviation by one seat.
As
a result, all the seats in the Government medical colleges of the state have
gone to the students from the above categories this year. It is the students from very poor families and
underprivileged sections living in difficult circumstances, with majority from
the rural and upcountry areas, who have
got admissions.
Anusha
is from Perumpedu Kuppam in Thiruvallur district whose parents are daily wage-
earners. She studied in the local Government school in Tamil medium and prepared
for NEET from home without joining any coaching centre. She has got admission
in the Government Medical College, Villuppuram. She says that NEET is not
difficult.
Sathya
is a physically challenged girl from Ganesapuram in Vellore district. Her
parents work in a quarry breaking stones as daily labourers. Studied in the
local school, she has got a seat in the Government Medical College, Vellore.
Kalaiarasan
is from Surappalli Sinnanur in Salem
district. Parents are working in looms. Studied in Alamathur Government school,
he has got admission in the Madras Medical College, Chennai.
Joseph
Sundersingh, who lost his father, is from Thirukkadaiyur in Mayiladuthurai
district living with his mother earning daily wages. Studied in Government schools through Tamil
medium, prepared for NEET from home, is going to join Government medical
college.
Sneka
stood first in the state from the Scheduled Tribes category. Her father manages
family with five daughters through juice business on the road side and selling
of utensils during summer. She has selected Stanley Government Medical College,
Chennai.
The
above are just a sample from the socially and economically disadvantaged groups
who are joining the medical course. A great
majority of them are going to be the first time graduates in their
families.
Moreover,
higher number of students from the economically less developed districts in the
state are joining medical courses this year. Students from the districts of Dharmapuri,
Pudukkottai and Thiruvallur districts have got 33, 31 and 26 medical and dental
seats respectively. Thiruvannamalai, Kanchipuram, Villuppuram and Tenkasi district
students have also got good number of admissions.
For
the first time in medical education, Tamil Nadu is witnessing a historic
transformation. Students from the very ordinary backgrounds are entering the
medical colleges in metros and cities. The list of toppers at all India level
for the OBC (non- creamy layer) category shows that two out of ten are from
Tamil Nadu.
The
admissions during the previous year and the allotments for the Government
school students this year clearly prove that maximum number of students from
the economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds are entering medical
courses only due to the NEET system. With more medical colleges in the state from
this year, we will be witnessing a very high number of students from these
sections every year in future.
So
the argument of the DMK Government and its supporting parties scrapping NEET is
not based on facts. The conclusions of the state appointed Rajan Committee are
biased. Tamil Nadu needs NEET to enable students from the poor and the ordinary
backgrounds to get into medical colleges on the basis of merit, without paying
higher amounts. The Governor has taken a wise decision in returning the Bill.
We all have to support the Governor in the interests of true social justice for
Tamil Nadu.
(
Swarajya, Feb 6,2022)
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