Chennai: The DMK on Friday reiterated its opposition to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), stating that medical admissions should be based solely on Class 12 board examination marks, while alleging that the entrance test has created inequalities in access to medical education.

DMK spokesperson T K Elangovan, speaking to PTI Videos, said NEET had undermined the school education system by giving an advantage to students who could afford expensive coaching.

NEET has impacted school education: DMK
"NEET has killed the students' education in the school system," Elangovan said, arguing that students who consistently perform well from Class 1 to Class 12 often struggle to secure medical seats, while those with access to costly coaching programmes gain an advantage.

He cited the case of Anitha from Ariyalur district, who had scored high marks in her school examinations but died by suicide after failing to secure a medical seat under the NEET system.

Seats and competition
Elangovan said around nine lakh candidates qualified for NEET this year, while the total number of available medical seats was approximately 91,000.

He claimed that government medical colleges, which account for around 46,000 seats, largely follow merit-based admission through NEET ranks, whereas many seats in private institutions involve financial considerations.

The DMK leader argued that medical seats should instead be allotted based on students' performance in school final examinations.

Raises Cauvery water concerns
On the Cauvery water dispute, Elangovan criticised Karnataka's position ahead of proposed talks between leaders of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in early August.

He said established principles governing shared river waters provide rights to lower riparian states and asserted that upstream states cannot unilaterally restrict water flow.

"International law dictates that upstream states cannot stop water flow to lower riparian states. Lower riparian areas must not be deprived of water," he said.

Elangovan maintained that decisions regarding Cauvery water allocation rest with the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Cauvery Water Management Authority, rather than any individual state government.

He also cautioned that unilateral projects such as the proposed Mekedatu dam could affect water availability for downstream regions, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.