Protests erupt in TN over Medical aspirant Anitha’s suicide

Chennai: Over 1500 workers from different parts of Tamil Nadu protested targeting the E Palaniswami government in the state and the BJP at the centre for their failure in getting an exemption from NEET for medical admission.

Anitha is believed to have committed suicide; few months after the Supreme Court dismissed her petition against the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), which she said was detrimental to interests of students from rural areas.

The top court exempted the state from NEET last year, but refused a request to continue the exemption this year.

The centre said if the Tamil Nadu government was to issue an ordinance or executive order that would effectively circumvent NEET, it would back the move. But abruptly, last week, it said the opposite in the Supreme Court, which then ordered Tamil Nadu to use NEET as its sole criterion for college admissions.

Pro NEET campaigners claim that the exam helps identify the best candidates to become doctors.