DMK manifesto: Party assures scrapping of NEET, bringing quota in pvt sector

The DMK Tuesday promised to do away with the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical admissions and usher in quota in the private sector in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections.

"The NEET for medical admissions will be scrapped," DMK chief M K Stalin said, unveiling the salient features of his party's manifesto.

Addressing a press conference, he termed the manifesto as both the "hero and heroine and definitely not a villain," and assured steps for waiver of all educational loans taken by students.

Stalin also promised waiver of crop loans of small and marginal farmers and supply of farm inputs, including seeds and fertilisers in subsidy.

Opposition to NEET in Tamil Nadu from major political parties and students had taken emotive overtones in the past.

In 2017, a 17-year-old Dalit girl of Ariyalur district, S Anitha, who scored 1176 marks out of 1200 in her Class XII exam committed suicide as she could not get a good NEET score.

Daughter of a daily wage earner from a village in the district, she had also impleaded in a case in the Supreme Court against the NEET.

Her death triggered a state wide outrage, with all political parties and students coming together against NEET.

After its legal efforts and legislative measures to avoid NEET failed, the AIADMK government had set up coaching centres to train students for the entrance test.

"NEET is against the interests of students belonging to the poor, rural and oppressed classes across the country. In the interests of social justice, the DMK will strive for the abolition of NEET forthwith," the manifesto said.

In keeping with the Dravidian movement's long time demand for quota in the private sector too, Stalin said steps would be taken to implement reservation in the sector.

Noting that employment opportunities in the government and public sector units were dwindling, DMK said quota should hence be "followed compulsorily in the private sector too."
Such affirmative action was already in vogue in the U.S., the DMK claimed, adding such a measure alone would be "the just and appropriate outcome of social justice."
The DMK would hence "continue to urge the Centre to compulsorily follow the reservation system in the private sector also."
To incentivise quota implementation, DMK said corporate taxes for companies that implement quota will be cut to 21 per cent from 30 per cent. "Further cut in corporate taxes will be extended if they proportionately employ minorities and women."
On the poll reforms, DMK said it was for reintroduction of ballot papers and for "proportional representation."
Against the background of agitations by state government employees seeking reversion to the old pension scheme in place of the newly-introduced contributory scheme, the DMK chief said: "We will bring back the old pension scheme for both the central and state government employees."