NEET issue reverberates in Parliament, TN Assembly, and Madras High Court

The issue of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) that was back at the center stage in Tamil Nadu due to students’ suicide before the exams, on Monday, reverberated in the Parliament, State Assembly, and at the Madras High Court.

Also, popular actor Suriya, who came out against the conduct of NEET on Sunday night, was at the centre of a raging row over his comments that students were being forced to attend exams at centres while judges were dishing out justice through video conferencing in times of Covid-19 lockdown due to fear for their lives.

While Justice S M Subramaniam wrote to Chief Justice A P Sahi on Sunday night seeking to initiate contempt proceedings against Suriya, six former judges of the Madras High Court and over two dozen senior lawyers said any action against the actor would amount to “stifling freedom of speech and expression.”

During a hearing, Justice N Kirubakaran criticised the Tamil Nadu government's decision to provide solatium to the kin of NEET aspirants who died by suicide, saying such move would amount to glorifying suicides.

Four medical aspirants died by suicide in the past week in Tamil Nadu, ahead of the NEET exam on Sunday, bringing the issue back to focus. Opposition MPs from Tamil Nadu held a protest inside the Parliament Complex on Monday as the monsoon session began, while DMK MLAs led by party chief M K Stalin came to the assembly wearing face masks that had “Ban NEET. Save TN Students” written on them.

Stalin told reporters that the party will demand a discussion on NEET and students’ suicide during the session, that will end on Wednesday.

Suriya, whose family runs Agaram Foundation that helps thousands of students from under-privileged sections pursue higher education, appealed to everyone to join hands to raise voice against the exam, which he said, “destroys medical dream” of poor students.

“At the maximum, the news of students killing themselves due to fear of exams becomes the point of debate in the media for a day. The chanayakas who find spelling mistakes even in the dying declaration of the students will debate the issue,” Suriya said in the statement.

This is not the first that Suriya is voicing concern against the policies of the Union Government. Last year, the actor had issued a detailed statement against the draft New Education Policy (NEP) and he also came out against draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) rules, 2020.

“Manuneedhi exams like NEET not just snatch the opportunities of our students but also their lives. Such incidents serve as life-long punishment for parents who lose their children to such exams. Parents and teachers should be vigilant and cautious as our educational system has no concern towards students,” Suriya said in the statement.

In his letter to the Chief Justice, the judge said: “The said statement in my considered opinion amounts to contempt of Court as the integrity and devotion of the Hon'ble Judges as well as the Judicial System of our Great Nation are not only undermined but criticised in a bad shape, wherein there is a threat for the public confidence on the Judiciary.”