A 19-year-old boy allegedly killed himself on Wednesday, who could not join medical college regardless of having cleared the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test earlier and trying to improve his score this time around, police stated.
Latching on to the incident, Tamil Nadu parties reiterated their demand to cancel the test. As per the police statement, the body of the boy, identified later as Vignesh, was found floating in a well at a village near here.
“He had gone to sleep last night as usual. His family members found him missing from the home early this morning and his body was later found floating in a well in his village,” an officer in the district police office said.
When asked whether he has found any suicide note, he told PTI “no note has been found yet, however, enquiries indicate that this is a suicide.” The body was sent to a government hospital for autopsy, he said.
DMK President M K Stalin expressed grief over the NEET aspirant’s suicide. He said one more life has been lost over the national test.
“When the merciless Central government would stop the NEET. How many more lives should we lose?” he asked and called on the student community to face life boldly and give up suicidal tendencies.
Tamil Nadu political parties, including the ruling AIADMK, has been opposed to NEET on grounds that it violates social justice, the backward classes and interests of rural students who could not afford coaching classes.
PMK founder leader S Ramadoss, expressing shock and said Vignesh was studious and his NEET score was 370 last year.
Though the boy got admission in a private medical college, his family, belonging to the Most Backward Classes, could not afford it, he said, adding that the boy was preparing to sit for the test this year too.
“The Central government has been saying that NEET is to upgrade the standard of medical education and prevent commercialisation of medical education. If it is true that the quality of medical education has been rising, many who scored much less than Vignesh in NEET must not have been allowed to join private medical colleges by pumping in loads of money,” Ramadoss said in a statement.
Had admission been given on the basis of the Class 12 marks, the boy would have for sure got a placement in a medical college, he said. Vignesh passed 12th standard two years ago and he was from Elanthankuzhi village in Ariyalur district.
“The opportunity to join medical college must not have been denied to Vignesh just because he did not have money to join a medical college though he cleared the NEET,” Ramadoss said.
The PMK top leader, an ally of the ruling AIADMK-led alliance in which the BJP is also a constituent, alleged NEET exam was being conducted only for private coaching institutions to indulge in profiteering.
The Tamil Nadu government must provide a solatium of Rs 50 lakh to Vignesh’s family and a government job to one of his family members, the PMK leader appealed.
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