Chennai: Justice AK Rajan, a retired judge who led a high-level panel on the impact of the medical entrance exam in Tamil Nadu, said ‘NEET is not necessary’. Based on Justice Rajan’s report, the Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted a bill, scrapping NEET and making Class 12 marks the basis for enrolment in Tamil Nadu medical colleges. In spite of the fact that the Bill has yet to receive approval from the President, Justice Rajan spoke with TNM’s Anna Isaac about why Tamil Nadu is one of only a few states in India that vociferously opposes NEET.
During the detailed interview, Justice Rajan explained that the NEET affects rural and poor students disproportionately. ‘Unless you study in coaching classes for two or three years you can’t clear NEET. For that you have to pay money. It goes in lakhs. They can’t afford so much,’ he told TNM.
In addition to burdening students with another exam, the judge said, ‘You can’t compare a student living in rural Ramnad district or Salem or Krishnagiri district, a person studying in a government school in those areas with a student studying in a city like Chennai, or Madurai or Coimbatore in a posh school. They are not equal. They cannot be treated equally. Equal treatment is provided by Class 12 exams.’ The retired judge claimed poor and rural students lack the resources to take a competitive exam like NEET.
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The judge emphasized that NEET would affect Tamil Nadu’s health in the long term. ‘Who will serve in rural areas? Only people who are from those areas will have the inclination to go and serve that area. If these persons are prevented from entering medical colleges, in another 10 years we won’t have doctors posted for PHCs and they will be deprived of qualified medical practitioners. Ultimately, it will affect the health of Tamil Nadu,’ he said.
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