In light of the recent cancellation of the NEET-PG exam, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin has voiced strong criticism of the centralised selection system for professional courses. The postponement of NEET-PG, which has plunged thousands of aspiring doctors into uncertainty, underscores a deeper systemic failure, Stalin stated on Sunday.
Stalin’s remarks come after the National Board of Examinations (NBE) postponed the NEET-PG entrance exam just hours before it was scheduled to take place. The postponement followed the recent cancellation of the UGC-NET, further compounding the distress of students across the country. In a message posted on his official ‘X’ page, Stalin expressed his concern: “The cancellation of NEET-PG by NBE, following the cancellation of UGC-NET, has thrown thousands of our doctors into deep despair. Let us not forget the fact that these happenings are not one-off events but the final nails in the coffin of an incompetent and broken system of centralised selection.”
Stalin asserted that the ongoing crises in the higher education sector are a wake-up call to reform the selection process for professional courses. He advocated for restoring the states’ rights to determine their own selection processes, which he believes would lead to a more equitable and efficient system. “The unravelling of the scam was an opportunity to plan for a better future by building a fair and equitable selection process for professional courses, ensuring the primacy of school education and making it the base for careers, and restoring the rights of states to determine their selection process for professional courses,” he added.
The Centre announced the postponement of NEET-PG late on Saturday, citing it as a “precautionary measure” due to recent allegations questioning the integrity of certain competitive exams. However, no tentative date for the rescheduled exam was provided, leaving students in a spot of bother.