Chennai: Anitha, a Dalit student from Tamil Nadu who was among the state toppers in the 12th board exam scoring 1176 marks out of the total 1200 marks has allegedly committed suicide.
Anitha, despite topping the TN board, could score just 86 out of the total 700 marks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2017 exam and hence could not get admission in a medical college. NEET is the national level exam mandatory for admission to MBBS and BDS courses.
Anitha, hails from Kuzhumur village in Ariyalur, one of the backward districts of Tamil Nadu. She went to the Supreme Court challenging the NEET. She had moved the Supreme Court seeking an exemption from the test for students like her who had studied under Tamil Nadu's own education board.
She had also told the court in her petition that the NEET question paper was heavily CBSE-based and was unfair to state syllabus students.
The Supreme Court however ruled that medical admissions in Tamil Nadu will be based on the national admission test.
Daughter of a daily wage labourer, Anitha, would have qualified for a MBBS seat had admissions been held on the basis of Plus Two marks. She was reportedly dejected over not being able to join a medical college and ended her life when family members were away.
Medical college admissions in Tamil Nadu were conducted solely based on the Plus Two examination marks until last year. Though the Central government introduced NEET last year, Tamil Nadu was exempted from it. This year too, the State government sought exemption and the Legislative Assembly passed amendments to continue the existing practice in medical college admissions.
The villagers stage road roko holding the State and centre responsible for Anitha's death.
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