Chennai , 11 August (H.S.):

The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution urging the Union government to abolish the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for undergraduate medical admissions and allow the State to admit students based on their Class XII marks.

BJP MLA M. Bhojarajan opposed the resolution and staged a walkout before it was put to vote. The resolution marks yet another attempt by Tamil Nadu to challenge the centralised medical entrance examination, which successive State governments have opposed.

Moving the resolution, Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Minister K.G. Arunraj urged the Centre to make necessary amendments to the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020, the National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2020, and other relevant Central laws.

The amendments, the resolution said, should enable Tamil Nadu to conduct admissions to medical courses on the basis of marks secured by students in the Class XII examination.

The State government argued that NEET was against the principles of social justice and equality and had adversely affected students from rural and socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Tamil-medium students and those unable to afford specialised coaching were particularly disadvantaged by the system, it said.

The resolution also pointed to alleged irregularities in the conduct of NEET and the proliferation of coaching centres charging exorbitant fees. It said the entrance examination had shifted students’ focus away from the regular school curriculum towards intensive NEET-oriented coaching.

Tamil Nadu has repeatedly sought exemption from NEET. In 2021, when the DMK was in power, the Assembly passed the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill seeking to exempt the State from the examination.

The Bill was subsequently reserved for the consideration of the President, but presidential assent was withheld.

Through Tuesday’s resolution, the State government has renewed its demand that the Centre remove NEET as the basis for medical admissions and restore a system based on higher secondary examination marks.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman