Tamil Nadu: Bills for Exemption from NEET sent to the President

Chennai: Having successfully won the confidence motion of the Tamil Nadu assembly on two bills seeking to exempt the state from the Supreme Court-mandated NEET for MBBS and post-graduate courses, Chief Minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami has now dispatched them for President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee’s approval . Meanwhile, Governor, C Vidyasagar Rao, gave his approval on Friday. The decision for self exemption of the state of Tamil Nadu has been taken on the grounds that majority of its students come from rural areas, who due to economic backwardness struggle for access to coaching classes, to equip themselves for the examination based on the CBSE .

Health Minister, C Vijay Bhaskar, had on January 31 moved the bills to exclude Tamil Nadu from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental courses.

On Saturday, after visiting former Chief Minister,Jayalalithaa's memorial, Palanisamy in one of his first official announcements said: "We have now sent the bills to the President for approval. It was signed by the governor yesterday."

Earlier,Health Minister, Vijayabaskar, informed the assembly that the state had taken a policy decision to continue the present procedure of admissions to MBBS and BDS courses on the basis of the marks obtained in the higher secondary examination (Class XII).

Tamil Nadu for its PG admissions, will admit students based on the NEET entrance examination. It will also reserve 50% of the specialty seats for doctors working in government medical colleges.If selected, the doctors are to serve the government till superannuation. In case of non-service doctors, the term of serving would be for a period of two years, after completion of course.

Since professional education is a subject on the concurrent list, the state has to obtain the President's assent for the bills that have to be vetted by the central ministries of law and health and family welfare first. The immediate example of the state government tinkering with a central law to suit its purpose was the amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, in order to conduct Jallikattu reports TOI.

With the Centre's help, Tamil Nadu was able to get the ordinance cleared by the relevant union ministries and obtain presidential consent, within two days.

The issue of entrance examinations to professional colleges was also abolished by the state in 2005,arguing that it was in the interest of students, particularly those from rural areas and weaker sections.

Former Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa had also opposed NEET and written to Prime Minister Modi that NEET would be a direct infringement on the state's rights and would cause grave injustice to students,who have already been covered by a fair and transparent admission policy. The state had put forward a similar arguments in the court, though it was struck down, reports TOI.