Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin once again urged the Centre to exempt the state from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for admissions to medical colleges and also to do away with the system at the national level.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding exemption of NEET for the state, the chief minister said that the selection process for professional courses should only be through the 12th standard marks rather than through a separate entrance exam, which is an unwanted additional stress on students.
“In this regard, we had passed a Bill unanimously in our Legislative Assembly to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET and to provide medical admissions based on 12th standard marks. This has been sent for Presidential assent but the assent is still pending,” Mr Stalin said in the letter.
He also wrote to Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, seeking his support to Tamil Nadu’s demand for NEET exemption.
The irregularities during the recent NEET exam validated the state’s opposition to it, he said. “Many other states have also started voicing their views on the need to do away with this selection process,” the chief minister told the PM.
Considering the above, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed an unanimous resolution on Friday urging the Union Government to provide its assent to the Bill for exempting Tamil Nadu from NEET and also to amend the National Medical Commission Act to give up this selection process at the national level, he said.
Meanwhile, in separate letters addressed to his counterparts in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Telangana and West Bengal, Mr Stalin requested them to consider passing a similar resolution in their respective assemblies to abolish the NEET.
“Considering the importance and seriousness of the issue, I request you to consider passing a similar resolution in your state Legislative Assembly also to urge the Union Government to abolish the NEET exams in the interest of the students of our states,” Stalin said in the letter.
Further, he also wrote to Rahul Gandhi and mentioned about the resolution passed in the state Assembly.
“The recent reports of irregularities in the examination conducted by the NTA has shattered the dreams of many hard-working aspirants of medical courses in the country. This system is also depriving the rural poor youth to fulfil the dreams of becoming a medical graduate,” Mr Stalin said in his letter to Mr Gandhi.
He pointed out that the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to exempt it from the NEET examination and enclosed a copy of the same.
“I request you to voice this concern and the demand of Tamil Nadu in the Parliament and also suggest to the states that are in the INDIA alliance to pass similar resolutions in the respective assemblies in the interest of the youth of the nation,” Mr Stalin told Mr Gandhi.
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