Chennai: Hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by Tamil Nadu Students Parents Welfare, the Madras High Court yesterday asked the State government why the assembly was not informed that two bills seeking exemption from NEET exams was denied assent from President in September 2017.
The two bills- Tamil Nadu Admission to MBBS and BDS Courses Bill and The Tamil Nadu Admission to Post Graduate Courses in Medicine and Dentistry Bill – were passed by the state assembly in February 2017 seeking the Centre to exempt Tamilnadu from the entrance test.
The observation was made by Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad. Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba filed an affidavit saying that Tamilnadu government had acknowledged receipt of true copies of two bills on NEET returned after president declined his assent.
The judges also noted that State government had even written to Centre asking the reasons for denial of the bills and that the Centre is yet to reply to it. The court questioned why the government had not informed the assembly about it as secretaries of the related departments cannot deny knowledge of such communications.
Observing further there was no impediment on the state to once again pass the bills in the assembly and send it back for the Presidents assent, the bench said it was the prerogative of the President to give assent or return. His action cannot be questioned by any one.
Senior counsel R Viduthalai appearing for the petitioner said that the president has constitutional duty to reveal as to why he had denied assent to the bills and further alleged the Centre and the State governments were hand in glove in the issue.
The judges recorded the submissions and adjourned the hearing to 13 August.