Page 30 - EW December 2023

Education News

have moved beyond paper to projects cially rural schools — suffer severe
stage. disadvantage in writing NEET.
Meanwhile according to the On November 26, addressing the
state’s labour ministry data, 177 fourth state conference of the Doc-
factories were closed in the past tors’ Association for Equality (DASE),
decade rendering 29,084 workers chief minister M.K. Stalin said: “The
jobless. Moreover according to the medical entrance examination was
state education department, 6,845 imposed on Tamil Nadu and could
government primary and 1,362 destroy its medical infrastructure.” He
higher primary schools have downed added that Tamil Nadu is determined
shutters. to scrap this test, recalling the rising
Against this backdrop, organising number of NEET-linked student sui-
BGBS 2023 in November — the final cides across the state in recent years.
stretch before General Election 2024 On more than one occasion the
(previous BGBS conclaves were held state’s legislative assembly has passed
between January-April) — is being resolutions demanding NEET exemp-
interpreted as Banerjee’s last ditch tion for Tamil Nadu, arguing that
effort to mobilise electoral support a single qualifying test is contrary
before the Lok Sabha elections. to social justice. On September 13,
But few monitors of West Bengal’s 2021, the assembly passed the Tamil
unruly political scene believe that Nadu Under Graduate Medical Col-
the impressive investment proposals lege Degree Courses Bill, 2021, which Chennai-based career counsellor.
of BGBS 2023 will strike a respon- exempts school-leavers from the state Similarly Tamil Nadu’s former di-
sive chord within the electorate and from writing NEET. However, as the rector of medical education Dr. R.
serve as a game changer for this fiery Bill challenges a Central law it re- Narayanababu concedes that the
leader who needs to win an over- quires the assent of President Murmu, “standardised nature of NEET puts
whelming number of Bengal’s 42 Lok who is obliged to act on the advice of students from rural and economically
Sabha seats to make an impact in the Central government. weaker backgrounds at a disadvan-
national politics. This political consensus opposing tage.”
Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata) NEET has the backing of academics rior to introduction of NEET in
in Tamil Nadu. “Before NEET was PTamil Nadu in 2016, admissions
TAMIL NADU introduced, some 200-300 govern- in medical colleges were on the basis
NEET exceptionalism ment school students were admitted of marks obtained in state board ex-
ams. This made it easier for students
into medical colleges in Tamil Nadu.
However, since NEET was introduced in schools affiliated with TNSBE to
he dravida munnetra kazhagam in 2016, less than 1 percent of govern- qualify for entry into medical colleges.
(DMK)-led Tamil Nadu govern- ment school-leavers have been admit- According to the Justice A.M. Ran-
Tment is determined to scrap the ted into the state’s medical colleges. In garajan Committee appointed in 2021,
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test private colleges as well, of the 6,132 before NEET, 98.23 percent of stu-
(NEET) — the national exam to deter- seats, only 65 were awarded to gov- dents admitted into medical colleges
mine admission into all 704 medical ernment school students. However, were from state board schools, and
colleges countrywide, including public in 2023 after the legislative assembly less than 1 percent were from CBSE-
and private medical colleges in Tamil enacted a Bill mandating a 7.5 percent affiliated schools. Since introduction
Nadu. “horizontal reservation” in undergrad- of NEET, the number of students
For the past seven years since uate medical admissions for candi- from CBSE-affiliated schools has risen
NEET was introduced, a political con- dates who had studied in government sharply, says the Committee’s report.
sensus opposing this national test has schools, 500-plus students from gov- Yet while the concern of Tamil Na-
emerged statewide. All major political ernment schools were admitted into du’s politicians and academics for the
parties — especially the DMK and op- the state’s medical colleges. This 7.5 state’s students is commendable, it’s
position All India Anna Dravida Mun- percent quota has proved a huge boon quite obvious that the declining num-
netra Kazhagam (AIADMK) — have for government school students,” says ber of state board students qualifying
fiercely opposed NEET on the ground Manickavel Arumugam, an alum in NEET is rooted in inferior teaching-
that students from 37,500 Tamil of the Guindy Engineering College, learning standards in TNSBE-affiliat-
Nadu Board of Secondary Education National University of Singapore and ed schools. This lacuna needs to be
(TNBSE)-affiliated schools — espe- Annamalai University and currently a addressed, rather than secession from

30 EDUCATIONWORLD DECEMBER 2023