Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin today tabled a Bill in the Assembly, seeking a permanent exemption from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for students from Tamilnadu, even as the opposition AIADMK staged a walkout.
‘Today, I have presented the resolution against NEET. You (AIADMK) also brought this resolution. I urge opposition parties to extend their support to this resolution,’ Stalin said.
The Bill further seeks to provide admission on the basis of marks obtained in the qualifying examination (Plus Two), through normalisation methods.
The Chief Minister said this would ensure social justice, uphold equality and equal opportunity, protect all vulnerable student communities from being discriminated against, and bring them to the mainstream of medical and dental education, and will ensure robust public health care across the State particularly the rural areas.
‘NEET is not an equitable method of admission’, the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill said.
Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami alleged that students and their parents were totally confused whether the NEET exam would be held in Tamilnadu, adding that they were not given the opportunity to discuss a medical aspirant’s death in the Assembly.
‘There is no clear stand taken by the DMK government on NEET,’ Palaniswami said, as he held the government responsible for a 19-year-old student’s death.
‘Students didn’t prepare well for the exam as DMK-government said that NEET will be scrapped. We have decided to walk out in protest. We will support NEET resolution,’ the former CM said.
The student’s death turned into a political storm in the State with the opposition blaming the ruling DMK government. The ruling government and its allies in turn have blamed the Centre.