NEET Mess: Madras HC's Appeal To Wards Against Suicide Fails To Save Load-Man's Daughter With Big Dreams

On August 24, the Madras High Court had appealed to the students who had failed to clear NEET examination to not take any drastic step like suicide and directed the state government to identify all such students and counsel them to not take any wrong decision.

“This Court is only concerned with the mindset of the children and their parents who were all along been dreaming and working tirelessly to secure a seat in medical college. When the goal already fixed has become impossible, definitely one would feel let down and frustrated and would be compelled to think as if the whole world has come to an end, which is quite natural.

“Thinking that getting a medical seat itself is life, the children or their parents should not take any wrong step like suicides...This Court appeals to the parents and children not to lose their heart and not to take any wrong decisions,” Justice N Kirubakaran had said while hearing the petition of a minor who had scored 98.6% in class XII but failed to crack NEET.

A week later, on September 1, 17-year-old Anitha hanged herself to death.

Anitha was one of the many students from the State Board for who Justice N Kirubakaran has rightly expressed concern while fixing the guilt on the state government which had failed to revamp the syllabus on par with other systems and to teach as per core syllabus given by Medical Council of India for NEET exams.

Anitha, who had scored 1176 out of 1200 marks in class XII, ended her life even as she had taken on the legal battle in the Supreme Court by impleading herself in the NEET case demanding that the medical admission in Tamil Nadu be held on the basis of Plus Two scores as was the practice for the past decade.

However, with the Supreme Court having decided in favour of a common entrance test and the Centre rejecting the request of Tamil Nadu for exemption, admissions were held solely on the basis of NEET scores. Anitha had secured only 86 out of 720 marks. The state syllabus was just not at par with CBSE syllabus.

Madras High Court advises students, parents

Much like Anitha, S. Kiruthika had approached the Madras High Court seeking the same relief -- admission to MBBS I year course for the academis session 2017-18 on the basis of Plus Two scores.

Kiruthika had scored 98.66 % marks in plus 2 exams but could secure only 154 marks out of 720 marks in the NEET examination.

Justice Kirubakaran expressed his appreciation for the hardwork she must have out in and at the same time criticised the Tamil Nadu government for last minute efforts get NEET exemption without properly giving coaching to students as per MCI core syllabus.

Bound by the Supreme Court's decision, Justice Kirubakaran dismissed Kiruthika's petition but not before expressing his concern for students who had failed to clear NEET examination and fixinf duty on the state to motivate them.

“The world is big and the avenues and chances are very many. The world has become a small global village. Chances are available not only in the State or in the Nation but throughout the world. Therefore, this Court appeals to the parents and children not to lose their heart and not to take any wrong decisions. If they are very much particular about medical course alone, they can very well prepare themselves for future NEET examinations and be successful.

“Non-achieving one goal itself is not an end. The children and parents should feel that the God has reserved something great for children in future and that is the reason why they are placed in this unavoidable situation. Therefore, the children and parents should not feel let down and they themselves should realize the reality and march forward. Though it is very difficult, they should fix other goals which could be easily achieved by them in their life. This Court wants to remind the students like the petitioner who could not get a medical seat and their parents of a proverb Failure is the stepping stone of success,” Justice Kirubakaran added.

“Definitely, the children and their parents would have been frustrated and this Court understands the sorrow and pain of the children for having not achieved their life's ambition. Before anybody could take away wrong decision, it is the duty of the Government to give counselling to those children and parents identifying them through their application. The Government can also rope in prominent personalities through the media and advice the children not to take any wrong steps and to motivate them appropriately.

“This alone is the need of the hour. This Court appeals to the educationalists and cinema personalities, to give advisory to the affected students to overcome the frustration and to motivate them. The political leaders, instead of continuing the issue as political one, they are also expected to make appeal to the affected students and parents and counsel them and it would have soothing effect,” said he.

The court was highly critical of the education system of Tamil Nadu and also the Centre in conducting NEET as it said, “It has been a wrong practice in Tamil Nadu that many of the Schools, especially private schools have been teaching XII syllabus throughout the two year course viz., XI and XII to secure higher marks in Higher Secondary public examination. The schools deliberately failed to teach XI syllabus to the students and therefore, the students who qualified in +2 examinations do not have idea about XI syllabus and this is said to be the major reason for poor performance in the NEET examination in which questions were asked from XI syllabus also”.

“Well trained and qualified teachers have not been appointed and the teachers who are working were not given appropriate training to impart education. The Central Government could have avoided appointing the CBSE to conduct NEET examination, especially when the students from the CBSE are also writing the NEET examination. In that event, the Central Government should have appointed a neutral agency to conduct NEET examination in order to avoid any allegations in this regard.”

Image Courtesy : HT