Starting from Anitha to Jagadeswaran, 22 students have committed suicide under the pressure of the NEET examination. "This is happening not only in Tamil Nadu but all over India," said State Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Udhayanidhi Stalin. In response to the central government’s decision to reduce the qualifying percentage for postgraduate courses for NEET PG counseling to zero, the junior Stalin launched the “Egg Campaign” by holding an egg on which "NEET" is written. In the regional dialect, "egg" means zero, representing the idea that one only requires a zero percentile to secure a medical seat. This was criticized by Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who advised against creating false hopes for students.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Party, the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, launched a 'signature campaign’ against the NEET examination. Its main objective is to collect 50 lakh signatures in 50 days from different parts of the state. This campaign was initiated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
The signature campaign was launched jointly by the DMK youth wing, medical wing, and student wing. The first postcard was signed by junior Stalin at Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai, and in a similar manner, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin signed a postcard against NEET at a social media influencers' meeting in Chennai. DMK’s signature campaign and egg campaign are viewed as political theater for the upcoming elections, as commented upon by AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Health Minister C. Vijayabhaskar. He also expressed that they too opposed the NEET examination.
Congress introduced the NEET exam in 2012, but the DMK party did not oppose it due to its alliance with the party. However, now they are campaigning against the examination. The Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, and his son, Junior Stalin, voiced their opinions on the Twitter platform, urging people to spread the movement across Tamil Nadu to signify their anti-NEET stance against the central government.
(Input from various media sources)
(Rehash/MBT Desk)