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DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan criticised NEET for widening educational inequality
July 24, 2026: DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan on Friday reiterated his party’s opposition to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), calling for medical admissions to be based solely on Class 12 board examination marks. Speaking in Chennai, he argued that NEET had weakened the school education system by favouring students who could afford expensive coaching centres. Referring to the case of Anitha, a student from Ariyalur who died by suicide after failing to secure a medical seat despite excellent school marks, Elangovan said the current system was unfair to deserving students.
Highlighting the imbalance in medical admissions, Elangovan said nearly nine lakh students qualified for NEET this year, while only about 91,000 medical seats were available. He claimed that although government medical colleges allocate seats strictly on merit, many private colleges prioritise financial capability over academic performance. He maintained that admissions should instead be determined entirely by students’ Class 12 marks.
Elangovan also commented on the Cauvery water dispute ahead of proposed talks between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka leaders in early August. He said international principles governing shared rivers prevent upstream states from blocking water to downstream regions and stressed that decisions on water allocation rest with the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Cauvery Water Management Authority, not individual state governments. He warned that projects such as the Mekedatu dam could reduce water availability for Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.