* Says Centralised exams cause paper leaks
Chennai, July 23:
Reaffirming Tamil Nadu’s firm opposition to the NEET, State Health Minister K G Arunraj on Wednesday said centralised medical admissions through a single national agency create systemic vulnerabilities and undermine state autonomy.
Addressing reporters, Arunraj argued that conducting one exam for lakhs of students across the country increases the risk of irregularities, including question paper leaks. “Conducting a single exam for lakhs of students across India through a centralised body inherently creates vulnerabilities,” he said.
Calling for structural reforms, the Minister urged that education and medicine be restored to the State List or placed under a specialised concurrent framework. He maintained that state governments should be allowed to manage admissions for institutions they fund, instead of relying on a centralised mechanism.
On the ongoing student protests against alleged NEET irregularities, Arunraj appealed to the Union government to engage constructively with demonstrators rather than suppressing peaceful dissent.
Touching on public health, he said Tamil Nadu has recorded around 9,000 dengue cases so far in 2026, a significant drop compared to 23,000 cases in 2024 and 11,000 in 2025. However, with localised spikes being reported, he said intensified mosquito control drives are under way and urged the public to eliminate stagnant water sources.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Minister for Public Works and Sports Development Aadhav Arjuna strongly criticised police action against students protesting in New Delhi over the NEET paper leak issue.
In a statement, he termed the crackdown on peaceful demonstrators as a “crushing of democracy” and reiterated the state’s consistent opposition to NEET. He said the resistance that began in Tamil Nadu has now gained nationwide momentum.
The Minister also condemned the detention of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, who had joined protesting students in solidarity, calling it an attack on democratic rights.
Urging the Centre to acknowledge the legitimacy of the student movement, Aadhav reiterated the demand to scrap NEET and restore education to the State List, asserting that Tamil Nadu would continue to stand firmly for students’ rights and welfare.