india

Updated: Nov 04, 2019 22:08 IST

Madras High Court on Monday asked the Centre why the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) could not be scrapped as it observed that the examination was discriminatory against the poor.

“When the present central government is reversing almost all schemes brought by the previous government, why it could not reverse NEET too?” the high court’s division bench asked during the hearing on the NEET impersonation case.

The NEET scam came to light in September after the dean of Government Theni Medical College received two emails on September 11 and 13 saying that an MBBS student studying at the institution had hired an impersonator to write the exam.

The college authorities held an enquiry after which and a police complaint was lodged and the case transferred to Crime Branch- Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) on September 28 by the state government.

Four students and their fathers have been arrested so far in connection with the case.

The high court had added the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a respondent in the case last month, saying impersonations could be taking place in other parts of the country.

The division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice P Velmurugan on Monday posed the question after the Tamil Nadu government informed it that of the total 3081 candidates who have cleared NEET, only 48 did not go for private coaching classes.

The government also submitted that coaching centres were charging anywhere between Rs 250,000 to Rs 500,000 per student.

At this, the judges observed that the doors of medical colleges were closed for poor students and NEET was perpetuating this and disadvantages them. They also wondered whether the poor could afford such expensive coaching classes.

“Only those who have money could clear the test,” the bench noted adding “un-equals are being treated as equals by allowing multiple attempts in NEET.”

On the exorbitant fee collected by the coaching centres, the bench observed that NEET was brought to prevent the purchase of medical seats by the wealthy. But the money is now being passed through the coaching centres, the judges said.

In an apparent reference to the recent strike by government doctors, the bench also flayed the Tamil Nadu government for doing an injustice by paying pittance as salary to the doctors.

“They (government doctors) are doing a divine job and must be paid accordingly. Teaches and even personal assistants of high court judges are being paid more while doctors get Rs 57,000 a month,” it said.

The bench also asked CBI as to whether it had received any complaint regarding NEET impersonation and posted further hearing to November 7.