DMK Leader TKS Elangovan Calls for Abolition of NEET Exam Amid Allegations of Fraud
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 23: DMK leader TKS Elangovan has voiced his party’s desire to abolish the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). He argues that the exam favors wealthy students and is plagued by fraud. Elangovan stated, “We want the NEET exam to be abolished. Whoever gets good marks in school should be given admission to professional colleges. Why is there any need for NEET? If there is a NEET, then there is fraud.”
Elangovan further explained that only rich students can afford to join institutes that offer training for NEET, while poor students with good school marks may not gain admission to medical colleges.
Amid the controversy, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a criminal case to investigate irregularities in the NEET-UG and UGC-NET exams. The central government has tasked the CBI with probing the alleged irregularities in the NEET 2024 exam, which was held on May 5, 2024. The exam was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) at 4,750 centers in 571 cities, including 14 cities abroad, with over 23 lakh candidates appearing.
The NTA is facing criticism over alleged irregularities, leading to protests and demands to disband the agency. An unprecedented 67 candidates achieved a perfect score of 720 marks, raising further concerns.
Opposition leaders, including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have criticized the central government. Vadra claimed that under the BJP’s rule, the education system has been handed over to corrupt entities. She stated, “The situation has become such that the BJP government cannot conduct even an examination fairly. Today, the BJP government has become the single biggest hurdle in front of the future of the youth.”
In Jharkhand, Congress workers protested against the alleged irregularities, burning an effigy of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The CPI (M) has also demanded Pradhan’s resignation and called for the scrapping of the centralized NEET exams.
