Tamil Nadu: Auditorium In Ariyalur Medical College To Be Named After Anitha Who Committed Suicide Due To Low Scores In NEET Says Chief Minister MK Stalin

Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced that a newly constructed auditorium in the Government Medical College in Ariyalur district would be named after medical aspirant S Anitha, who committed suicide in 2017 due to low scores in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

Before the introduction of NEET, medical admissions in the state were based on plus-two marks.

Her death had intensified opposition to NEET in the state. Both the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) have consistently opposed NEET. They say that the exam discriminates against students from the state board and those from poor backgrounds.

A bill brought by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government to exempt the state from NEET, is pending with the President.

In February 2023, the Tamil Nadu government filed a plea in the Supreme Court asking it to declare that NEET was a violation of the basic structure of the constitution, against the principles of federalism and also against the fundamental right to equality.