NEET deprives dreams of poor and rural students: Tiruchi Siva

Demanding a ban on NEET, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Tiruchi Siva on Monday said that the common test deprives the future of poor and rural students who are unable to qualify the exam due to lack of private coaching.

Ahead of monsoon session 2020 of Parliament which commenced today, DMK MPs including TR Balu, Tiruchi Siva and Kmozhi staged a protest against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test examination (NEET) and demanded the exam be scrapped.

They arrived at Parliament wearing masks with 'Ban NEET, save TN students' printed on them.

"Today DMK MPs staged a demonstration in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Parliament complex insisting scrapping of NEET exams. This common test deprives the future dreams of poor and rural students who score high marks in their school studies but in the NEET exam because they are not getting any private coaching, they are not able to get through," Siva told reporters here.

"In Tamil Nadu, 11 students have committed suicides due to the scare of this examination. So, DMK insists that the NEET examination should be scrapped so as the new national education policy that has been approved by the cabinet and the government is very keen on implementing. It would retread the country instead of progressive attempt," he added.

DMK and CPI(M) have also given adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over 'suicide of 12 teenage students due to NEET'.

Siva also opposed the lingual policy and said: "Stop lingual policy of imposing Hindi and Sanskrit on non-Hindi speaking people all these things are not acceptable."

"We have also insisted that environment impact assessment notification which is also opposed widely across the country by environmentalists and many stakeholders," he said.

Meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu, DMK MLAs arrived at the State Legislative Assembly, wearing masks with 'Ban NEET, save TN students' printed on them. DMK President MK Stalin was also seen wearing the mask.

While speaking to media, the DMK President said "Many students died by suicide due to NEET exam issue. I appealed to pass a resolution for those students too who died suicide but it was rejected. There are many issues like NEET, National Education Policy 2020. I don't know how it'll be discussed in only 2 days."

"They (AIADMK) have said in their election mfesto, and passed a resolution (to give exemption to NEET exam for state students) but they have not given pressure to the central government. They are doing drama in NEET issue. This current state government is a slave government," he added.

The State Assembly session will be convened till September 16th for a duration of three days amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore all safety measures have been taken to conduct the session as per guidelines issued for COVID-19.

( With inputs from ANI )