Stalin slams govt over denial of nod to anti-NEET Bill

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin informed the state Assembly that President Droupadi Murmu had rejected the state’s Bill seeking exemption from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

The Bill, aimed at making medical admissions based solely on Class XII marks, was passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly twice in 2021 and 2022 and had been pending with the Union Government since.

Last year, the Tamil Nadu Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to scrap the NEET system and allow states to decide admission on school marks.

"Despite the Tamil Nadu Government providing all necessary clarifications... the Union Government has rejected the exemption from NEET," Stalin said in the Assembly.

"The Union Government may have rejected Tamil Nadu's request but our fight is far from over. We will consult legal experts," he said.

Tamil Nadu has argued that NEET benefits students from richer families who could afford coaching centres for preparing for the examination. Switching to using Class XII marks as the admission criteria would ensure social justice, the state has argued.