Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to the Chief Ministers of others 12 asking to raise a collective demand to reclaim states’ rights over education as stated in the constitution and oppose NEET. The letter comes in the light of the NEET controversy which has been raging in Tamil Nadu for several years now. Stalin said that DMK MPs will meet Chief Ministers of different states in person. The letter has been sent to the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, West Bengal, and Goa.
In the letter, Stalin enclosed the AK Rajan committee report which studied the impact of NEET on students from underprivileged and socially backward backgrounds.
“The Committee was also requested to suggest alternative admission procedures which would benefit all students, the feasibility of implementing such alternatives and the legal steps to be undertaken to implement such fair and equitable methods. Based on the recommendation of the Committee, the Tamil Nadu State the same also for your perusal,” CM Stalin wrote.
Speaking about NEET entrance, CM Stalin wrote “Our considered position has always been that the move by the Union Government to introduce NEET goes against the spirit of the federalism and violates the constitutional balance of power by curbing the rights of the State Governments to decide on the method of admission in the medical institutions”.
CM Stalin, in the letter, requested his counterparts from other states to go through the documents and extend their support in this matter “to ensure that the students of the respective States, hailing those from rural areas and marginalised sections of the society are not put to hardship in obtaining admissions to higher educational institutions”.
CM Stalin’s letter also added that states needed to achieve primacy with regard to administration in the education sector, as envisaged in the constitution. Stalin signed off saying that he requested the cooperation of all state leaders in this regard.
DMK Members of Parliament have been instructed to hand over the translated copy of the AK Rajan report in person to the Chief Ministers and also brief them on the efforts taken by the Tamil Nadu government in the matter of NEET.
Full text of letter:
"I am enclosing herewith the report submitted by Justice A.K. Rajan Committee, which was appointed by the Government of Tamil Nadu for studying whether the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) based admission process has affected the socially backward students in the past few years. The Committee was also requested to suggest alternative admission procedures which would benefit all students, the feasibility of implementing such alternatives and the legal steps to be undertaken to implement such fair and equitable methods. Based on the recommendation of the Committee, the Tamil Nadu State the same also for your perusal.
Our considered position has always been that the move by the Union Government to introduce NEET goes against the spirit of federalism and violates the constitutional balance of power by curbing the rights of the State Governments to decide on the method of admission in the medical institutions 2 founded, established and run by them. In this regard, we consider that the State Governments need to assert their constitutional right and position in deciding the method of admission to their higher educational institutions.
I request you to kindly go through the documents and extend your support in this regard to ensure that the students of our respective States, hailing those from rural areas and marginalised sections of the society are not put to hardship in obtaining admissions to higher educational institutions. We need to put up a united effort to restore the primacy of State Governments in administering the education sector, as envisaged in our Constitution. I look forward to your cooperation in this crucial issue."