[NEET committee] Post NEET, govt school students in TN govt medical colleges dropped to zero in 2019: CPI(M) opposes BJP leader plea in Madras HC

The sudden drop in medical admissions of students from Tamil Nadu following the introduction of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a cause for worry and the State government has a duty to study the root of this problem, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)/ CPI (M) has submitted before the Madras High Court ( K Nagarajan v. Union of India and ors ).

. The CPI(M) further added that after the introduction of NEET, the number of government school students securing government seats in medical colleges dropped drastically.

Before introduction, ninety percent of students getting admission to government medical colleges in the State, were from government schools, aided schools or low-cost private schools teaching the State Board syllabus.

However, after the introduction of NEET, the number of government school students securing government seats in medical colleges dropped to a paltry five in 2017, seven in 2018 and zero in 2019.

. The submission was made in a plea by CPI(M) seeking impleadment in a petition moved by State General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Karu Nagarajan challenging the constitution of a nine-member Committee by the ruling DMK government to study the impact of NEET on socially deprived students.

. In its impleadment application, CPI(M) through its State Secretary, K Balakrishnan opposed Nagarajan's petition as premature and liable to be dismissed in limine. The following submissions were made in the plea.

. Drop in number of students getting medical admissions a cause for worry . Before the introduction of NEET in 2017, there were 22 government Medical Colleges in Tamil Nadu. Ninety percent of students getting admission in these colleges were from government schools, aided schools or low-cost private schools teaching the State Board syllabus. In 2016, a total of 600 students from Tamil-medium government schools joined medical courses. However, after the introduction of NEET, the number of government school students securing government seats in medical colleges dropped to a paltry five in 2017, seven in 2018 and zero in 2019.

Even students who were able to score well in Board Exams were not able to clear NEET. Reference was also made to the case of Anitha, a NEET aspirant who died by suicide three years ago after failing to clear NEET. The CPI (M) highlighted further that Anitha had performed well in school stating that she would have secured a medical seat before NEET. In another case, Pradeepa , who died by suicide in 2018, was handpicked by a private school and offered a free seat for Class 12, the CPI (M) recounted. She could not clear NEET to get a seat under the government quota as she could not afford costly coaching, the party added.

As per a survey conducted by the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD during 2019 - 2020, it was found that Tamil Nadu had a 51.4% General Enrollment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education. Tamil Nadu's performance was better than the national GER of 27.1 %. As per AISHE statistics for the year 2018-19, that GER among female students was 48.3%, Scheduled Caste category was 41.6% and in Scheduled Tribe category was 37.8%. While so, the sudden drop of admissions of students from a State like Tamil Nadu is definitely a cause to worry for the State government. The State, being a forerunner in the field of higher education, has a duty to study the root cause of the problem and to find a solution to alleviate the same .

. Issues with NEET's implementation . The CPI (M) is not against bringing uniformity in education and setting quality standards in medical education. However, an exam like NEET cannot be introduced without first ensuring uniformity in the education system and creating a level playing field. In a country with different educational boards, curricula and syllabi, viz., State Board, CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE, etc., it is illogical to fix one common exam.

The NEET is largely based on the NCERT prescribed syllabus for classes 11 and 12. Most State governments, including Tamil Nadu, follow their own syllabus, which drastically differs from NCERT or the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

There are instances of students and their parents engaging impersonators to crack the NEET. In this regard, the CPI (M) also cited an investigative study by ‘India Today’ magazine reported in 2018 titled “how medical colleges scam NEET, sell seats to underachievers”. The study exposed how unscrupulous elements appear to be brazenly circumventing NEET, pre-blocking seats for low-ranking MBBS aspirants in exchange for heavy donations. The study shows the ultimate failure of conducting NEET, the party added.

. NEET Impact Committee reviews law, does not violate Supreme Court order . The constitution of the High-Level Committee under the chairmanship of the retired High Court Judge, Justice AK Rajan is intended to study the impact of NEET on the students from government schools studying in rural areas and who are from poor economical backgrounds. The High-level Committee will study whether NEET has affected socially backward students. The Committee is tasked to study these issues and suggest alternative procedures to benefit students, the feasibility of implementing such alternatives and the legal steps to implement the same.

The High-Level Committee was rightly constituted to study the impact of NEET in the backdrop of the suicides committed by government school students, who performed well in school but failed to clear NEET.

Reviewing a legislation is much more important than drafting a legislation. No law is good if it does not cater to the needs and requirements of society. The periodical review of NEET has become of utmost necessity at this point of time, given the suicides by NEET aspirants and reports of NEET malpractices.

The constitution of committees is not new. Earlier, a commission headed by a retired judge, Justice P Kalaiarasan was constituted to probe into the allegations of under representation of government school students in medical colleges in the State selected through NEET. The committee, after a detailed study, recommended a 10% internal reservation for students. Following this, the State passed a Bill last year for a 7.5% reservation for students from government schools.

The Justice AK Rajan committee is merely a fact-finding body, to review and study the impact of NEET in Tamil Nadu. It does not affect the rights of any person. The petitioner's assertion that the exercise is futile and a waste of public money shows his lack of application of mind.

The High-Level Committee constituted does not violate the Supreme Court's judgment on NEET, but is only aimed at studying the ground reality of NEET implementation. There is no bar in law or the Constitution to constitute such a committee to find out the impact of a law or a procedure, which in turn may enable the government to act on the best interests of its subjects.

. The case is slated to be heard next on Tuesday, July 13.

. During the last hearing, the Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy agreed to hear on merits various parties that have moved impleading petitions in the matter, although they may not be formally impleaded.

."Both of you get boxing gloves:" Madras High Court agrees to hear all seeking to be impleaded in challenge to TN Committee studying NEET impact. Apart from CPI (M), others who have sought to be impleaded in the matter include the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kalagam (MDMK) and an aggrieved student.

. Meanwhile, in a counter-affidavit, the Central government has supported the petitioner's case that the constitution of the NEET impact committee not only violates Supreme Court judgments but is also an exercise in futility.

.Tamil Nadu govt Committee to study NEET impact a slight against Supreme Court, an exercise in futility: Central govt to Madras High Court

[NEET committee] Post NEET, govt school students in TN govt medical colleges dropped to zero in 2019: CPI(M) opposes BJP leader plea in Madras HC

Meera Emmanuel

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