The Supreme Court on Tuesday, January 3, dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a Chennai-based advocate seeking directions to prohibit the signature campaigns launched by Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), inside school campuses in the state. “We are of the considered opinion that this is not a fit case to invoke our jurisdiction under Article 32 of the Constitution of India. We, therefore, decline to entertain this writ petition,” ordered a bench of Justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan.
The plea said that the DMK announced the signature campaign as a protest against the conduct of NEET exams in Tamil Nadu and targeted to collect 50 lakh signatures in 50 days. “Taking advantage of being in the ruling party, political activity should not be allowed inside the school campus, and that too, this particular signature campaign in protest against NEET should not be allowed to obtain from the school students,” it said.
“The signature campaign being conducted at school premises and signatures are being obtained from the school students at schooling hours and in school premises .... and it is being done without the permission of parents of the wards.”
The PIL questioned if school students can be allowed to participate in political activity and whether their signatures could be obtained without parents’ permission.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed two Bills banning NEET in the state and reverted to medical admission on the basis of marks in the plus two examinations. After Governor RN Ravi withheld assent to the first Bill, the Assembly passed another Bill abolishing NEET in the state, which was forwarded by the Governor to the President for her assent.
During the run-up to the 2021 Assembly elections, the DMK had promised the people of Tamil Nadu that it would abolish NEET in the state.