With just two days left for the NEET exams, aspirants from Tamil Nadu are in a major fix with CBSE allotting centres for students outside Tamil Nadu in states like Kerala, Karnataka and Rajasthan.

The Madras High Court on April 27 ordered that the exam centres of TN students be kept inside TN but CBSE moved to the Supreme Court yesterday and gained permission for reallocating exam centres outside Tamil Nadu.

Parents and students stressed

Rithesh Raj, an 18-year-old has been studying at a private coaching centre for the last one year with a dream of clearing the NEET exams. Rithesh now is scared that he might forget everything he studied with a new pressure that his exam centre is at an unknown location.

"I had applied for a centre in Trichy, Chennai and regions within Tamil Nadu, but I am given a centre in Kerala. It is very difficult, the travel, location and climate all this needs to be taken care of. I have to go early to the place to just figure things necessary. For people from a poor background, it will be a financial burden as well."

Parent of another student, Muthukumar said, "We don't understand why they have taken such a decision. This causes unnecessary stress for students and parents. We are not familiar with other states. This will also be a burden for parents financially. We will have to travel with them. Students will not be able to concentrate on their preparations."

Guruswamy, an Advocate who filed a PIL writ petition in the Madras High Court said, "This will have tremendous pressure on the students of Tamil Nadu. The centres should have been one of the three choices that they gave in the application. Now the students will face difficulties. It is only TN students who are facing this issue. The CBSE has argued that they don't have enough time to reallocate centres."

Calling the arguments of the CBSE sheer lie, "CBSE has intentionally done this. They know well in advance the number of students appearing for the NEET exam and based on that the centres should be arranged. This is done because TN Government and students have been protesting against NEET and CBSE is lying that it does not have time to reallocate the Centre," said Dr Ravindranath, General Secretary, Doctors Association for Social Equality.

Ramu, father of a student who is to appear for NEET, through a video message which has now gone viral said, "My son had opted for Trichy Madurai or Pondicherry as locations for NEET but he has been allotted a centre in Kerala."

The father of the 17-year-old added that this is a panic situation as the students at the last minute have to travel a long distance while already they are under tremendous pressure because of the entrance exam.

Most students affected are from southern districts of Tamil Nadu and have been raising concerns about how difficult it would be for them to go for the exams.

PMK leader and MP Anbumani Ramadoss criticised this move and said, "The problem is TN is going through a series of issues like the Cauvery issue, the hydrocarbon issue, farmers issue and NEET issue. For the NEET issue, the HC said that all NEET centres should be in TN for students from the state. But the SC has said it can be outside also.

Tamil Nadu is one of the biggest states and maximum medical colleges and why should our students go to Andra and Karnataka and other states to write their exams? This is a complete betrayal of the interests of Tamil Nadu and we are having a very very impotent CM and impotent Government."

Makkal Needhi Mayam Chief Kamal Hassan took to twitter and said, "In this digital era, sending poor Tamil students to Kerala and Rajasthan for writing NEET entrance exam is an injustice. They can very well write from here, the government and court can arrange for the same."

, . ? . Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) 3 May 2018





Opposition party leader MK Stalin urged the state government to help students with their travel arrangements. "This is an injustice done to the students of Tamil Nadu. The students are burdened with the need to arrange for transportation and stay at these unknown places. The government should ensure help is provided to these students," added Dr Ravindranath.

'Travel arrangements are taken care of'

Meanwhile, TTV Dhinakaran, independent MLA and leader of Amma Makkal Munetra Kahagam said that they will organise travel arrangements for students appearing for NEET exam in Kerala. The Tamil Nadu government has announced that Rs 1000 will be given for students appearing for NEET exams outside Tamil Nadu.

Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, said, "We don't want NEET that is our stand. But as NEET is conducted we will provide all support from our end. Government solatium will be given for those students writing exams outside the state.

If Rs 1000 is not sufficient then the students can apply for a higher amount and the government will consider this."

TN Government will be providing second class tickets to the students and one guardian and also Rs 1000 solatium.

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