Chennai: In a significant move, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday presented a resolution in the Tamil Nadu State Assembly, calling on the union government to abolish the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and allow state governments to conduct medical admissions based on class 12 marks.
This resolution comes in response to widespread allegations of irregularities in the conduct of NEET and growing demands from various political leaders across the country.
Citing letters from prominent political figures such as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav, Stalin highlighted the nationwide discontent with NEET. “The voice of Tamil Nadu has become the voice of the country now,” he remarked, emphasizing the broader consensus against the current medical entrance examination system.
During the assembly session, Stalin pointed to the extensive irregularities in NEET, which have severely undermined the credibility of the examination. He referenced the cancellation of PG NEET exams and the large-scale discrepancies that have left students disillusioned with competitive exams. “The faith of the students in competitive exams has been completely shattered by the enormity of irregularities in the conduct of NEET,” Stalin stated.
Reiterating his longstanding position, Stalin argued that NEET disproportionately disadvantages rural and economically underprivileged students, thereby hindering their chances of pursuing a career in medicine. This, in turn, affects the availability of healthcare services in rural areas, exacerbating existing disparities.
Stalin also criticized the union government for delaying the president’s assent to the Bill passed by the Tamil Nadu government in 2022, which sought an exemption from NEET for the state. The delay, according to Stalin, reflects the central government’s reluctance to address the legitimate concerns raised by the state.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Stalin mentioned that the union government only acknowledged the irregularities and dismissed the chairman of the National Testing Agency (NTA) after the Supreme Court’s intervention. This, he argued, underscores the central government’s initial denial and subsequent recognition of the issues plaguing NEET.
Chief Minister M K Stalin’s resolution in the Tamil Nadu State Assembly marks a crucial step in the ongoing debate over NEET.