Tamil Nadu Assembly seeks abolition of NEET; BJP MLA walks out

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution against the contentious medical entrance test - National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test - reiterating the state's long-held stance against the exam, citing that it undermines students from poor, rural and marginalised sections.

Besides the ruling TVK and its allies including Congress, the main Opposition DMK, AIADMK and others too supported the anti-NEET resolution. The lone BJP MLA staged a walkout.

The resolution, which was moved by state health minister KG Arunraj, urged the BJP-led Centre to abolish NEET for admission to undergraduate medical courses.


"NEET has diverted the focus of students from school curriculum to coaching alone," Arunraj said, alleging that it has led to "proliferation of coaching centres which charge exorbitant fees".

"This test gravely undermines medical education opportunities to the rural, socio-economically disadvantaged students," Arunraj said while stating that Tamil Nadu under successive governments has consistently emphasised that NEET is against social justice, equality and rights of states.

The resolution urges the Union government to amend central laws and abolish the uniform NEET system. The Vijay government has proposed that admissions to medical courses in the state be based on Class 12 examination marks - a stand the previous DMK regime also took. The resolution points out that the Tamil Nadu assembly unanimously passed Bill No 43 of 2021, seeking exemption for the state from NEET for admission to undergraduate medical courses. However, that bill has been kept pending without presidential approval, it said.