Tamil Nadu’s ruling party, the DMK, and the opposition AIADMK have both intensified their calls to abolish the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG), criticizing the national-level exam for medical college admissions. This dual attack follows the recent declaration of the 2024 NEET-UG results by the National Testing Agency on June 4, which saw 67 students achieving a perfect score of 720/720, including six from a single exam center in Haryana. The results have sparked widespread controversy, with allegations of exam leaks at certain centers leading to demands for a probe and a potential re-examination.
Chief Minister MK Stalin of the DMK reaffirmed the state government's long-standing opposition to NEET-UG, advocating for a return to the former system where states conducted their entrance exams. Stalin emphasized the importance of state governments and the school education system in determining criteria for professional course selection, arguing that NEET and similar national-level exams disadvantage poorer students.
Echoing Stalin’s sentiments, AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), criticized the NEET-UG results, pointing to alleged malpractices in northern states. EPS highlighted irregularities from the allocation of exam centers to the distribution of question papers. He also questioned the timing of the results' release, coinciding with the announcement of Lok Sabha election results on June 4.
Both political leaders underscored the need for a more equitable system that reflects the diverse educational contexts of different states. Stalin argued that national-level exams like NEET undermine the state education system's role, while EPS emphasized the potential for corruption and malpractice in the current centralized system.
This unified stance by the DMK and AIADMK against NEET-UG highlights a significant regional pushback against centralized educational assessments, calling for a reevaluation of the system to better serve the varied needs of students across India. The controversy surrounding the recent NEET-UG results has only intensified the debate, with increasing calls for systemic change.
