Udhayanidhi Stalin expressed sorrow over the death by suicide of a 19-year-old NEET aspirant, and reiterated his stance against the NEET exam.

Udhayanidhi Stalin condemns NEET, blames 'fascist' Centre for Salem student's suicide

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin expressed sorrow over the suicide of a 19-year-old girl in Salem, linked to her struggles with the NEET. Stalin condemned the Union government's inaction on NEET, calling it "fascism."

by · India Today

In Short

  • Udhayanidhi Stalin expressed sorrow over 19-year-old NEET aspirant’s suicide
  • He condemned Centre’s inaction on NEET calling it “fascism”
  • Punitha allegedly ended her life after failing to clear the NEET exam

Continuing his government’s staunch opposition to the NEET exam, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin expressed deep sorrow over the death of S. Punitha, a 19-year-old from Salem, who died by suicide after struggling to clear the NEET exam.

In a tweet, Udhayanidhi offered condolences to Punitha’s grieving family and reiterated his stance against the NEET exam, calling for its immediate cancellation.

Udhayanidhi stated, “No matter how many lives are lost due to NEET in Tamil Nadu, the Union Government’s refusal to address this injustice is the height of fascism. The Union Government should immediately cancel the NEET exam, which has been playing with the lives of Tamil Nadu students for seven years.”

Punitha, from Bodinaickenpatti near Edappadi in Salem district, was deeply upset after failing to secure a seat through the NEET exam. Aggrieved by her situation, Punitha ended her life by hanging herself at home on October 8. The police have registered a case and investigation is underway.

TAMIL NADU’S STANCE AGAINST NEET

The Tamil Nadu government has long been vocal in its opposition to NEET, passing a unanimous resolution against it in June this year following controversies over leaked NEET-UG 2024 examination papers and the postponement of NEET-PG 2024. The DMK government and its allies have repeatedly demanded the state’s exemption from NEET.

Tamil Nadu believes that the NEET exam in its current form discriminates against the poor as well as Tamil medium students and does not provide a level-playing field for students across financial backgrounds.

In a May 15, 2024, editorial published in Murasoli, the DMK mouthpiece, the Dravidian party claimed that 119 students preparing for NEET have died by suicide in the past eight years. The editorial emphasized, “Scrapping NEET is the only solution to prevent student suicides and address incidents of cheating in the exam.”