NEET is here to stay, help students crack it: Vanathi tells politicos

Coimbatore: Battling widespread criticism for introducing National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) in the state, especially after medical aspirant Anitha's suicide, BJP appears to be on a damage control mode.

BJP's state general secretary Vanathi Srinivasan on Saturday inaugurated a free NEET coaching centre in Coimbatore. The centre has been set up by Makkal Sevai Maiyam, an NGO run by her, exclusively for students of city corporation schools, who come from poor economic background.

Vanathi reiterated that NEET was here to stay and that it was beneficial to students from all walks of life, who aspire to get into medical colleges. She also hit out at political leaders, who opposed the common entrance test alleging that they were politicising the issue for gaining brownie points. "Instead of politicising NEET unnecessarily, I appeal to those politicians seeking to gain mileage by raking up the issue, to help students crack the exam by offering them free coaching facilities,'' she said on the sidelines of the inauguration.

The coaching centre would conduct classes on Saturdays and Sundays for select students to prepare them for questions asked in NEET covering both CBSE and State board syllabus. To start with, the centre would coach 30 students from 14 schools run by the city corporation. The students have been selected after a preliminary test to gauge their aspirations and aptitude. The BJP leader urged the students to make the most out of the free facility.