Ministers visited the families of two students who allegedly died by suicide on Saturday and condoled their death.
Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam condoled the death of the students on Twitter. In the tweet, he said the State government’s stand had always been against conducting NEET, and it would always stand by the students. Mr. Panneerselvam said that there were numerous opportunities for students to come up in life and requested them not to take wrong decisions.
Minister for Electricity P. Thangamani visited the house of M. Motilal, 21, in Thiruchengode, and condoled the death of the student who was preparing to take NEET on Sunday.
Talking to mediapersons, Mr. Thangamani said, “The Chief Minister advised me to pay condolences on behalf of the State government. This is a sad incident. We condole the death and such incidents should not happen in the future.” He added, “Since former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s period, the State government’s stand has been against the conduct of NEET and the Chief Minister has been writing to the Centre in this regard.”
On solatium for the family of the deceased, Mr. Thangamani said that it would be announced by the Chief Minister.
In Dharmapuri, Minister for Higher Education K. Anbalagan, District Collector S. Malarvizhi and other senior officials paid respects to the body of Adithya, 20. Talking to reporters, Ms. Malarvizhi said the parents told her that the candidate had scored good marks in his previous attempts and that they were not aware of the reason behind his suicide. Adithya’s mortal remains were brought to his native Poosaripatti in Salem for the funeral. DMK youth-wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin paid respects to the student’s mortal remains.
Actor Suriya launched a scathing attack against NEET, following the death of the students. In a statement, he compared NEET to the religious text, Manusmriti, and said it did not just deny opportunities to students but also took their lives. “These deaths become a lifetime punishment for the parents who make their children submit to exams like NEET. Parents and teachers should be vigilant, as the education system has no care for the students,” Mr. Suriya said.