MUMBAI: A week after the Tamil Nadu government introduced a Bill to scrap the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Tuesday urged the state government to scrap NEET to protect the interest of rural and poor students.
“NEET is conducted across the country for admission to medical courses, but in the recent past, it was found there were several malpractices and irregularities in the conduct of the examination. In my opinion, the existing pattern of NEET is adversely discriminating rural aspirants. I think Maharashtra should study the Tamil Nadu legislation and bring in a new law,’’ Patole said.
Stating that an estimated 16 lakh students appear for NEET, Patole said, in the recent past, cases of irregularities and paper leaks were witnessed in Nagpur and Jaipur. Further, the strength of students from other national boards too has increased to a great extent, he added. “I have been told that coaching classes for NEET are charging huge fees which students from rural areas are unable to afford. I have asked the chief minister to scrap the NEET immediately and grant admission on the basis of marksheets given by state boards,” he said.
