Tamil Nadu to go to court against rejection of anti-NEET bill, if required

Chennai: An all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister M K Stalin, which was boycotted by AIADMK and BJP, on Wednesday resolved to fast-track a case filed by the Tamil Nadu government in the Supreme Court against NEET for admissions into medical and dental colleges.

The meeting also decided to file a fresh case, if needed, against President Draupadi Murmu withholding assent to the Bill passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly seeking exemption from NEET for students from the state.

In his speech, Stalin said the Supreme Court verdict on Tuesday, which deemed ten bills withheld by Governor R N Ravi, as having received assent, has given “great hope to us” and gave an assurance that the government will continue with its legal battle against NEET in the apex court.

The state had filed an original suit in the Supreme Court against NEET arguing that the exam has adversely affected the students in Tamil Nadu, particularly students from rural areas.

“NEET exam is not something that cannot be done away with. It is an exam that is being conducted by some vested interests to help the coaching industry by misleading the Union Government. Even that exam is not being conducted properly is evident from the number of cases filed by CBI with regard to irregularities,” Stalin told the meeting.

The meeting, which came days after Murmu rejected the Bill passed by the state assembly, also asked the government to continue with its legal struggle to get exemption from NEET for students from the state. AIADMK and BJP boycotted the meeting alleging “double standards” by the ruling DMK.

NEET is an emotive issue in Tamil Nadu as people believe that a nation-wide entrance test for admission into medical and dental colleges puts students from rural areas in a disadvantaged position as they have to compete with those from urban areas who have the luxury of attending coaching classes to crack the exam.

Over two dozen students have ended their lives either due to the fear of appearing for the exam or due to the fear of losing in the past six years.

After the DMK came to power in 2021, the Assembly passed a bill seeking exemption for NEET but Governor R N Ravi returned the legislation following which the House re-enacted and sent it back to him. Ravi sent the Bill to the President of India in May 2022 and since then it was pending before the Centre.