Now Reading: Tamil Nadu students call for anti-NEET protest on Sept 1
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Tamil Nadu students call for anti-NEET protest on Sept 1
The Tamil Nadu Students Youth Federation will hold a memorial gathering at Besant Nagar beach in Chennai on September 1, the ninth death anniversary of S. Anitha, who died by suicide in…
The Tamil Nadu Students Youth Federation will hold a memorial gathering at Besant Nagar beach in Chennai on September 1, the ninth death anniversary of S. Anitha, who died by suicide in 2017 after failing to get an MBBS seat under NEET-based admissions. The Federation has called on students and youth across the state to mark the day as anti-NEET day and continue peaceful opposition to the test.
At a press conference on August 26, the Federation said leaders from political parties and film personalities would be invited. They noted that while other states did not protest earlier, this year saw the Jantar Mantar protests in New Delhi over examination irregularities. The Federation claimed the premise of NEET creating meritorious students was false.
The gathering aims to send a unified message that Tamil Nadu remains opposed to NEET. The Federation appealed to all students, youth, and the public to attend, and urged all student organisations, irrespective of party lines, to participate.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Tamil Nadu has been the most consistent opponent of NEET since its national rollout in 2016-17. The state assembly passed bills in 2017 and 2021 seeking an exemption, but both await presidential assent. S. Anitha's death became a rallying point after it emerged that she scored high marks in her class 12 board exams but could not secure a medical seat because NEET was the sole criterion. The Federation is using this anniversary to sustain political pressure ahead of the next admission cycle. The real test will be whether the gathering draws cross-party attendance, as past anti-NEET protests have seen support from both the ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK. The next parliamentary session could see renewed calls for a NEET exemption bill.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
