DMK reiterates demand to scrap NEET

The Dravidian Progressive Alliance (DMK) reasserted its call to abolish the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, contending that recent amendments to the anti-paper leak law do not resolve the fundamental issue of the medical entrance examination. During the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, DMK Member of Parliament Dayanidhi Maran lamented that Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed NEET since its inception and accused the central government of disregarding the state's concerns.

Claiming that 26 students in Tamil Nadu had taken their own lives due to the pressure of the examination, Maran urged the scrapping of NEET, arguing that it favored coaching centers while disadvantaging first-generation learners and students from state boards. He questioned NEET's ability to improve the quality of doctors, reduce infant mortality, strengthen rural healthcare, or address the scarcity of doctors, citing the disproportionate ratio of approximately 22 lakh candidates appearing for NEET annually to 1.39 lakh medical seats.

Maran also highlighted alleged irregularities in the examinations, such as those in 2024 and 2026. NCP Member of Parliament Supriya Sule joined the discussion, urging the government to address the issue with empathy, compassion, and sensitivity and proposed holding an all-party meeting and establishing a Joint Parliamentary Committee to investigate the controversy.