Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has reiterated his call for the central government to exempt the state from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical college admissions and has also advocated for eliminating the NEET system nationwide.
The CM’s letter to PM Narendra Modi requested the exemption of NEET for the state, advocating for selection into professional courses solely based on 12th standard marks to alleviate unnecessary stress on students.
Stalin wrote in the letter, “In this regard, we had passed a Bill unanimously in our Legislative Assembly to medical admissions based on 12th standard marks. This has been sent for Presidential assent, but the assent is still pending.”
The recent NEET exam irregularities validated the state’s opposition to it. “Many other states have also started voicing their views on the need to do away with this selection process,” the CM told the PM.
Stalin wrote separate letters to Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Telangana, and West Bengal, urging them to pass resolutions abolishing NEET.
Stalin added, “Considering the importance and seriousness of the issue, I request you to consider passing a similar resolution in your state Legislative Assembly also to urge the Union Government to abolish the NEET exams in the interest of the students of our states.”
Stalin also wrote to Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, seeking support for Tamil Nadu’s NEET exemption demand.
He said, ” The recent reports of irregularities in the examination conducted by the NTA have shattered the dreams of many hard-working aspirants of medical courses in the rural poor youth to fulfill the dreams of becoming a medical graduate.”
He added, “I request you to voice this concern and the demand of Tamil Nadu in the Parliament and also suggest to the states that are in the INDIA alliance to pass a similar resolution in the respective assemblies in the interest of the youth of the nation.”
He highlighted that the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly had adopted a resolution urging the Centre, and he included a copy of it.
