Backing the DMK government’s stand in abolishing the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to abolish NEET and similar national-level examinations. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on June 5 had urged PM Modi to cancel NEET, and all other national-level examinations. Stalin requested the Union government to allow Tamil Nadu to fill both medical and professional seats with the marks secured by students in their Class 12 final examination. Backing the state government’s stand, Pannerselvam wrote to PM Modi and pointed out that late CM J Jayalalithaa too had strongly opposed the examination. Although, the AIADMK government adopted two Bills in 2017, it was all in vain, he said.
In the letter, Panneerselvam also pointed out that it is unlikely that students studying in government schools and those belonging to socially and economically marginalised sections of the society will clear national-level examinations like NEET without proper coaching. As NEET is based on the NCERT-CBSE curriculum, Tamil Nadu students who take up state board curriculum will face difficulty in clearing the examination, thus reducing their chances in securing medical seats, he said.
He added that sanctioning 11 medical colleges for Tamil Nadu and cancellation of Class 12 CBSE examinations was a timely and well received decision by the government. Both the Dravidian parties – DMK and AIADMK – who have opposed NEET for a long time, also said that the exam was against social justice and deprives opportunities to students of all sections of society.
Pannerselvam in the letter further added that the Union government should take a uniform decision to not just abolish NEET but all national-level examinations. Meanwhile, CM Stalin on June 5 announced the formation of a high-level committee to assess the impact of NEET on medical college admissions over the last few years in the state. The committee will study the impact of NEET among government school students and students from socially and economically marginalised backgrounds.