4 NEET aspirants in TN die by suicide in a week

Four students, who were planning to appear for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) died by suicide this week in Tamil Nadu. The entrance exam for medical courses was held across India on Sunday despite the rise in coronavirus cases.

Tamil Nadu has earlier appealed to the Centre to exclude the state from NEET due to the coronavirus crisis. It has asked permission to offer medical admission on the basis of Class XII marks.

Political leaders have slammed the Centre for going ahead with the exams. DMK chief MK Stalin had said that “NEET destabilises students”.

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam expressed grief. “Students should learn to face any situation with guts and parents should help them in this”.

The Supreme Court declined to admit petitions seeking to defer or cancel NEET. A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said the authorities will take all possible steps for conducting NEET safely amid the pandemic.

For nearly a decade, Tamil Nadu had abolished the medical entrance exam, saying that it leads to stress among students and that poor students can’t afford private coaching. Students were admitted to medical colleges on the basis of Class 12 marks.

The BJP government, however, refused exemption.

If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.