Caste should be eradicated from education places: TN minister Jayakumar

Days after the government ordered action against schools in the state for making students wear caste wristbands, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar on Friday said that the caste system should be eradicated from schools and places of education.

"Caste should be eradicated from schools and education places. There should be no difference among students on the basis of caste. The state government is working on this," he said in a press conference here when asked about caste bands being used in schools in the state.

Earlier, Director of Education in Tamil Nadu, S Kanappan had written to all Chief Education Officers to identify and take action against schools where children were made to wear wrist bands of different colours to identify their caste.

According to the letter, the officer trainees of IAS 2018 batch had lodged a representation to the government which stated that students in some schools were being made to wear colour coded wrist bands indicating their caste.

"These wristbands, which come in shades of red, yellow, green and saffron indicate whether they belong to a 'Lower Caste' or 'Upper Caste'. In addition to this, rings and forehead 'Tilaka' on the head were also used as caste marker," the letter read.

The minister said the Tamil Nadu government is firm not to implement NEET exam in the state.

"Tamil Nadu government is firm not to implement NEET exam in the state. We have also urged the Centre to give exemption to Tamil Nadu. Congress and DMK worked and sowed the seed to get NEET exam here. They did drama and now are saying that AIADMK is doing this," he said in a press conference here.

In 2016, the all India entrance exam was made mandatory for granting admission to medical courses. Earlier, the admissions were granted on the basis on Class 12 state board marks. Several students have allegedly committed suicide after the NEET was rolled out.

When asked about the release of convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination, Jayakumar said, "We are firm to release them. We have written to the governor regarding this. We cannot force the governor to the decision. We believe he will take a decision in the right time.