Tamil Nadu / Tamil Nadu Assembly passes Bill to exempt medical aspirants from NEET

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021 (Anti-NEET bill) was passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday, 13 September. Chief Minister MK Stalin had introduced the bill, which seeks permanent exemption from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

This comes after a 20-year-old student died by suicide in Tamil Nadu's Salem district, hours before he was scheduled to appear for NEET.

All parties, including the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), except for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), voted in favour of the bill.

Speaking in the Assembly, the CM cast aspersions on the AIADMK and stated, "You were in alliance with Centre, you still are. When it came to voting for CAA and farm laws, you should've imposed condition of exemption from NEET. You didn't have courage to raise your voice, you ruled in silence until death of aspirants."

He said that the government is taking all 'constructive steps to cancel NEET exam and enrol students in medical education on basis of Class 12 marks'.

AIADMK Welcomes the NEET Bill

AIADMK welcomed the NEET bill and Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami said, "We have passed a similar Bill earlier and it didn't work out in multiple stages, hence we bought the 7.5% horizontal reservation for government school students in medical colleges."

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs staged a walkout opposing the Bill.

“Today, I have presented the Bill against NEET. You (AIADMK) also brought this resolution. I urge Opposition parties to extend their support to this resolution,” Stalin also said in the Assembly.

"This is being done to ensure social justice, uphold equality and equal opportunity, protect all vulnerable student communities from being discriminated and bring them to the mainstream of medical and dental education, and in turn ensure a robust public health care."

AIADMK Welcomes the NEET Bill

AIADMK welcomed the NEET bill and Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami said, "We have passed a similar Bill earlier and it didn't work out in multiple stages, hence we bought the 7.5% horizontal reservation for government school students in medical colleges."

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs staged a walkout opposing the Bill.

“Today, I have presented the Bill against NEET. You (AIADMK) also brought this resolution. I urge Opposition parties to extend their support to this resolution,” Stalin also said in the Assembly.

"This is being done to ensure social justice, uphold equality and equal opportunity, protect all vulnerable student communities from being discriminated and bring them to the mainstream of medical and dental education, and in turn ensure a robust public health care."

The Tamil Nadu government recently said in a policy note that a committee had proposed that the state make a new law to provide admission to professional degrees like medicine on the basis of marks obtained in the qualifying exam and to get exemption from NEET.