‘Sanskrit’ then ‘NEET’ today
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin has put forward the right explanations to the people in the local body election campaign that by rejecting the argument of NEET – Filtered Entrance Examination System for Improving the Quality of Medical Studies,. Once a student gets a place in medical college, he cannot become a doctor. He can become a doctor only if he passes the examinations conducted throughout his studies. Tamil Nadu doctors who have passed these exams are working as world renowned doctors. At the same time if you want to join medical colleges through NEET selection system you have to go to training centers and prepare entrance at huge expenses. That too could not pass a year of training. It takes two or three years, ”he said, pointing out the social barriers created by NEET.
Past histories show that it was only by breaking down such social barriers that non-brahmin students were able to study medicine.
Last Feb. 4, 2022, the English daily ‘Hindu’ published a historical record in the Focus on Tamil Nadu. News on Sanskirit as Prerequisite:
“There was a pre-requisite to be proficient in Sanskrit to join a medical course in Chennai province. This is a barrier to students studying medicine who do not know Sanskrit. This condition was removed during the reign of Justice party when King Ramarayaningar was the Chief Minister, ”the statement said. Ki.A.Po. Viswanathan a Tamil scholar and former secretary of the Justice Party, told a student from his family that he could not study medicine because he did not know Sanskrit, is mentioned in his autobiography. If NEET is obstacle today then Sanskrit was that obstacle earlier.
The Governor of Tamil Nadu says that ‘NEET’ is needed. He sends back the bill passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, putting forward a contrary opinion by the Justice A.K. Rajan panel’s recommendation that without ‘NEET’, the rural poor – ordinary people will suffer without any data. Article 200 of the Constitution states that the bill may be returned if it is against the judgment of the court. The Governor did not hesitate to misuse that section. The apex court dismissed the petition filed by the Vellore Christian Medical College, a minority educational institution, seeking exemption from NEET and ruled that the college needed NEET. Several legal experts, including Retired High Court Judge S.S. Chandru, have pointed out that it is improper now to link that case with the bill passed in the Tamil Nadu State Assembly
The argument that NEET was brought in to stop the fee robbery of private medical colleges is also meaningless. The door has been opened generously to fee robbery as private medical colleges and private universities have been exempted from enrolling those who get low marks without getting the ‘NEET’ qualifying marks for the exam. The one with the lowest score will get enough space if he has the money. At the same time, NEET has snatched away the opportunity to study at low fees by passing the ‘NEET’ exam in government colleges. Only students who have to pay a high fee at the training centers and wait at least 2 years and write the exam at least 2 times can join the Government Medical College. Even students coming through the 7.5 percent reservation of Government Schools are forced to write the ‘NEET’ exam.
Above all, the Union government should not deprive a state government right to formulate its own educational policy; Tamil Nadu has been guiding its educational policies to other states by linking its education policy with social justice through structures such as free education, nutrition, free textbooks, free bus travel, free uniforms, free bicycles and free computers. Therefore, the consensus of Tamil Nadu is that Tamil Nadu will never accept the competitive selection system called ‘NEET’ which has come to undermine the social justice that is the lifeblood of this education policy. The Delhi rulers need to understand this.
Puratchi Periyar Muzhakam 10.02.2022 Issue
