Tamil Nadu Governor returns Bill exempting state from NEET

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has returned to the state government an Assembly bill seeking exemption to the state from the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET), saying it went against the interests of rural and economically poor students.The state assembly had passed the bill in September last year, saying the exam favours affluent classes who can afford private coaching. The Governor has returned the bill and the report of a High-Level committee constituted by the state government in this connection to the Assembly Speaker M Appavu, a Raj Bhavan release said. The Supreme Court in Christian Medical College, Vellore Association Vs. Union of India (2020) also has comprehensively examined the issue specially from the Social Justice perspective and upheld NEET as it prevents economic exploitation of poor students and is in furtherance of social justice, it added.

The Governor, during his Republic Day address, commented that the enrollment of government school students in state-run medical colleges has increased following the test's introduction. "Before introduction of NEET, the share of students from government schools to the seats in government medical colleges was hardly 1 percent. Thanks to the affirmative action of 7.5 percent reservation for government school students that number has improved significantly," the Governor said on January 26. The ruling DMK has been staunchly opposing NEET on several grounds including infringement of state's rights. Also, the party had time and again said that the test went against students belonging to backward classes and rural regions.