Three women students in Tamil Nadu committed suicide after they failed to clear the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, The Indian Express reported on Thursday. While two of the students ended their lives hours after the results were declared on Wednesday, one woman killed herself the following day.
The women were identified as Rithu Sree from Velliangadu in Tirupur district, M Monisha from Viluppuram district, and Vaishya from the town of Pattukkottai in Thanjavur district. Rithu Shree’s parents said she was bold, brave and ambitious, and expressed shock at her death, The Hindu reported. The police did not find a suicide note on her.
The deaths triggered protests by student organisations on Thursday. The protestors asked the state government to seek exemption for Tamil Nadu from the medical entrance test, PTI reported.
The Students’ Federation of India, which is affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), accused the Centre and the state governments of ignoring the fact that students studying in the state board find it diffiicult to crack the NEET, which is conducted for admissions to undergraduate medical and dental courses.
“Chief Minister K Palaniswami has to intervene immediately to seek exemption for TN from NEET,” the organisation said in a statement. “The government has to seek president’s nod for two resolutions passed in the state Assembly.”
The Democratic Youth Federation of India alleged that the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government has been silent on the matter despite promising during the Lok Sabha election campaign that it would seek exemption for students. The group demanded compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the families of the students who have killed themselves. The SFI and the DYFI also called for protests across the state.
On Wednesday, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief MK Stalin had said the party’s legislators would bring up the matter in Parliament. He had also lashed out at the Narendra Modi government for being silent when students commit suicide in Tamil Nadu, The Hindu reported.
“Over 75,000 students from Tamil Nadu failed to clear NEET,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying. “Two students had taken their lives in frustration; this is an example of how NEET is destroying TN youngsters’ medical aspirations. A resolution was passed in the Tamil Nadu assembly demanding the Centre to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET. The Narendra Modi-led government should immediately get president’s approval for the resolution.”
Puducherry Chief Minister Narayanasamy, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam chief TTV Dhinakaran, and filmmaker Pa Ranjith have also expressed their displeasure over the introduction of NEET in the state.
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