NEET 2018: Hundreds of TN students forced to take exam in Kerala

NEET students in Tamil Nadu, who should have been worrying more about the examination are now busy trying to figure out the location of the centre as the Supreme Court stayed a Madras High Court's direction to the CBSE to set up additional centres for the national eligibility-cum-entrance test (NEET) in the state.

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is scheduled to be held across the country on May 6. The CBSE had earlier issued admit cards to Tamil Nadu students allocating then examination centres in states like Kerala, Karnataka and Rajasthan.

While staying the high court order, the top court also directed the CBSE to ensure that the same doesn't happen from next year.

Tamil Nadu government has announced second-class train tickets and Rs 1,000 as assistance for students who are traveling outside the state for the exam.

Reports say that about 1,500 students have been allotted seats in Kerala, Karnataka and Rajasthan.

The Madras High Court had on April 27 asked CBSE to ensure that students be given exam centres in Tamil Nadu, but CSBE had moved an appeal in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court directed the CBSE to ensure that the same doesn't happen from next year.

The petitioner had contended that most of the candidates were from rural areas and belonged to poor families and that they might not be able to afford their stay in other states.

He had prayed to the court to quash the April 18 public notice issued by the CBSE, which conducts the NEET, and for a subsequent direction to re-allot the examination centres for the candidates from Tamil Nadu.

The petitioner had sought a direction to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for re-allotment of the NEET examination centres for the candidates from Tamil Nadu, who were assigned centres outside the state.

Tweeting about the issue, actor Kamal Haasan said, "In this digital, internet age, asking students from Tamil Nadu to go to Rajasthan and Kerala to write NEET is injustice. Why can't they write from here?"

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Tamil Association has said that it is ready to help students from Tamil Nadu in terms of travel, accommodation and food for NEET exams.