The trouble began after admit cards were issued to students who had applied for the exam and many students from Tamil Nadu students were allotted exam centres in other states.
Students had petitioned in the Madras High Court which directed CBSE to arrange for exam centres in the state itself. CBSE challenged the decision in Supreme Court which rejected the Madras High Court directive. Supreme Court accepted CBSE's plea that there was no time left to arrange for new exam centres.
The court ordered students to appear at the centres allotted to them and directed CBSE to make sure that Tamil Nadu students were allotted exam centres in their home state itself from next year.
With NEET exam scheduled on this weekend, students did not have much time to arrange accommodation and travel. The situation was particularly trying for students from economically weaker sections.
Keeping in mind the difficulty being faced by the students, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has announced that all such students would be issued second class train tickets. Also students would be paid another 1000 rupees for other expenses.
He said these students and one attendant travelling with him or her would be provided second class train fare and given an assistance of Rs 1,000 towards other expenditure.
வெளி மாநிலத்திற்கு "நீட்" தேர்வு எழுதச் செல்லும் மாணவ, மாணவியர்களுக்கும் மற்றும் அவர்களுடன் செல்லும் நபர் ஒருவருக்கும் பயணப் படியாக இரண்டாம் வகுப்பு ரயில் கட்டணமும், (பேருந்தில் பயணம் செய்பவர்களுக்கு, இரண்டாம் வகுப்பு ரயில் கட்டணத்திற்கு மிகாமலும்), 1/2 #NEET pic.twitter.com/SGqedPEIhE
- Edappadi K Palaniswami (@CMOTamilNadu) May 4, 2018
இதர செலவினங்களுக்காக மாணவர் தலா ஒருவருக்கு 1,000 ரூபாய் வீதமும் வழங்க உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளேன். 2/2 #NEET
- Edappadi K Palaniswami (@CMOTamilNadu) May 4, 2018
Mr. Palaniswami said the direction was given following reports that those allotted centres outside Tamil Nadu were facing difficulties.
Students could get the train fare and Rs 1,000 assistance from the district Chief Education Officer through their school either before or after their journey to write NEET, he said.
Support also poured in from people on Twitter, many volunteering to support and bear the expenses of one or more students traveling to other states for the exam.
#NEET: Many Kindhearted people are voluntarily coming forward to help our TN Brothers and Sisters who're going to write NEET. I collected few details about the sponsors. Share max. Best wishes to our students.
- Ashik (@iAshik1) May 4, 2018
Thanks pic.twitter.com/MLu2d7YgTi
Prasanna, the Indian actor in Tamil Film Industry, has also volunteered to sponsor travel expenses of at least two NEET aspirants from the state.
Wud love to sponsor travel expenses for atleast 2 underprevilleged students or Govt school students appearing for #NEET this year. Inbox me the details like hall ticket, place where ur exam hall assigned will book the tickets for u.
- Prasanna (@Prasanna_actor) May 4, 2018
In the NEET 2018 information brochure, 10 cities from Tamil Nadu have been listed as NEET exam centres. CBSE has maintained that allotment of exam centres is system generated and students could be allotted an exam centre other than the three cities selected during application process.
The CM in another tweet said that the students face any difficulty, they may contact the toll free number '14417' which was launched by School Education Department earlier as a 24 hour education guidance centre.
இதில் ஏதேனும் சிரமம் ஏற்படின், மாவட்ட முதன்மைக் கல்வி அலுவலரை தொடர்பு கொண்டோ அல்லது பள்ளிக் கல்வித் துறையின் கீழ் இயங்கும் கட்டணமில்லா தகவல் / ஆலோசனை மைய தொலைபேசி எண்ணான 14417 என்ற எண்ணிற்கு தொடர்பு கொண்டோ உரிய உதவிகளைப் பெறலாம் என்பதை தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன். #NEET
- Edappadi K Palaniswami (@CMOTamilNadu) May 4, 2018
Mr. Palaniswami's announcement comes a day after PMK demanded that the state government bear the travel expenses of students who have been allotted centres in other States.
A section of students have been allotted centres in Kerala and Rajasthan to write NEET, according to the PMK.
PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss had said yesterday that about 200 students, including those from Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts, were allotted centres in Rajasthan and Kerala.
Mr. Ramdoss called the Supreme Court stay order as "shocking".
"Tamil Nadu government should bear the air travel and lodging expenditure of the students if it could not get the Union government to allocate centres within the state for students," he had said.
The PMK leader had alleged that allotting NEET centres forTamil Nadu students in Rajasthan and Kerala was "social injustice."
DMK working president M K Stalin had also hit out at the Centre for not making arrangements to ensure that students from Tamil Nadu took the eligibility test in centres within the state.
(With Inputs from PTI)
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