Dayanidhi Maran Gives North Vs South Twist To NEET Controversy, Talks About ‘Real Issue’

New Delhi: DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran on Thursday added a North vs South twist to the ongoing NEET-UG 2024 controversy.

While welcoming the Supreme Court ruling, which cancelled the score-cards of 1,563 candidates who got grace marks and gave them a chance to reappear for the exam, he alleged that students in North India were aided by their parents in copying in the exams and they were also getting higher marks.

“Here (in Southern states) students were asked to remove their earrings saying that NEET is a very strict exam. But in North India, students were helped by parents themselves to copy in exams. Even students from there are getting higher marks…,” he told reporters.

He further stated that NEET, which has long been opposed by DMK government, has become a national issue. “In Tamil Nadu people who didn’t listen to us, are now listening to us. They cracked jokes on us and said NEET is a Tamil Nadu issue and not a national one,” he said.

In 2022, the Tamil Nadu assembly passed a resolution exempting the state from the NEET examination, alleging that it gives an ‘unfair advantage’ to the students of North India. The DMK had also raised concerns over disadvantages faced by rural and disadvantaged students, language barriers, stress-related student suicides, curriculum misalignment, impact on the state’s education system, and its political implications.

Maran also mentioned the NEET-related suicides that have taken place in Rajasthan’s Kota. “Young students who specifically come for NEET training die by suicide because of this exam. You know what the BJP government did to solve this problem? They are putting springs in ceiling fans to stop student suicides.”

He said that the real issue was the unnecessary pressure being put on students. “Chaos is happening in NEET. Grace marks were given as per their wish,” he added.

Also Read: NEET-UG 2024: NTA To Cancel Grace Marks Awarded To 1,563 Students, Re-Exam On June 23

Also Read: No Student Will Face Any Disadvantage, Says Dharmendra As Centre Recommends NEET Re-Test