A high-level committee constituted by the Tamil Nadu government to study the impact of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) on students of the state has invited suggestions or opinions from the general public.
In a public notification, the Justice A K Rajan committee has asked public to send their suggestions or opinion on the issue either by e-mail or by post before June 23. The panel is expected to study the impact of the exam introduced in the state in 2017 and submit a report to Chief Minister M K Stalin within a month.
Stalin, who had promised to scrap NEET for admissions into medical colleges in the state, constituted the nine-member committee last week to study the impact of the national-level entrance exam on aspirants from socially disadvantaged sections of the society.
The committee said suggestions can be sent to it via neetimpact2021@gmail.com. The panel will study data related to medical admissions in the state and make necessary recommendations within a month to safeguard the interests of students from the backward sections.
Once the committee submits its recommendation, the state government will explore ways to scrap the exam, sources said. After taking charge as Chief Minister, Stalin wrote to Modi seeking scrapping of entrance tests to professional courses for this year due to the Covid-19 spread.
DMK has been opposed to conducting NEET ever since it came into existence. The party has been urging the BJP government at the Centre to scrap the exams contending that it discriminates against students from the rural areas and those coming from disadvantaged sections of the society.
NEET is also an emotional issue in Tamil Nadu with several students ending their lives after failing to clear the entrance test. Almost all political parties in Tamil Nadu demand that NEET be dispensed within the state.