Virugambakkam MLA Prabhakar Raja of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has come under scrutiny for allegedly pressuring government school students to endorse an anti-NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) campaign.
DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin, who is also a Minister in his father’s cabinet launched a signature campaign against NEET calling for its withdrawal.
In a video circulated in social media, the school’s headmaster can be seen introducing the DMK’s anti-NEET campaign to students, calling it an obstacle to students’ medical aspirations due to disparities in the curriculum.
“No matter how much you score in Class 12, they’re not giving MBBS seat based on that. There is this exam called NEET. For that exam, there is additional syllabus than our existing syllabus. So, we’re not able to write for that syllabus. Hence, our students are not able to pass in that exam. Our government (DMK government) is taking continuous efforts to abolish NEET. You might’ve seen in TV, our Chief Minister and other Ministers including School Education Minister are continuously for the past 2-3 years are saying that we don’t want NEET.“, the headmaster says.
The headmaster further cited Udhayanidhi Stalin’s call for a signature campaign to oppose NEET. When he inquired with the students about who had recently made headlines by addressing this matter, anticipating a resounding chorus of “Udhayanidhi Stalin,” the students instead appeared perplexed and gave no clear response.
“What did our Sports Minister Udhyanidhi Stalin speak about NEET? Nobody is watching TV News is it?“, the dejected headmaster asks and goes on to elaborate about Udhayanidhi Stalin’s signature campaign against NEET.
MLA Prabhakar Raja then takes the stage and reiterates the DMK’s stance, asserting that entrance exams like NEET should be abolished.
“What class is going on now?” asks the DMK MLA to which the students respond “commerce”. It is noteworthy to mention that commerce group students do not study the subjects (physics, chemistry and biology) which is required for NEET. Having realized the fiasco, the DMK MLA goes on to say “The subject you are studying is not going to make you doctors. But in our society we need doctors. Fever, headache, in this new age, there are new diseases coming isn’t it?”
He draws parallels with the removal of engineering entrance exams during his college days, crediting the DMK for that move. Raja also can be heard criticizing the growth of expensive coaching institutes that prey on NEET aspirants.
Furthermore, Raja highlighted that Tamil Nadu stands as a solitary state vehemently opposing NEET, with a significant number of medical seats and doctors. He argued that a substantial 40% percentage of foreign nationals flock to India for medical facilities, in that nearly 30% depend only on Tamil Nadu’s medical system.
Raja then goes on to emotionally instigate students invoking the tragic case of Anitha, a student who took her own life due to the NEET controversy. He stated that despite achieving a high score of 1200 in her 12th-grade examinations, Anitha’s “dreams of becoming a doctor were thwarted by the NEET system”.
The MLA further instigated students to participate in the DMK’s signature campaign and become advocates against NEET.
Critics have accused Prabhakar Raja of exploiting the impressionable minds of students for political gain, characterizing his actions as “cheap politics” within the school premises.
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