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Madras HC orders notice on TN BJP’s plea to quash committee to study NEET impact
The former justice AK Rajan-headed committee was constituted by the new Tamil Nadu government to study the impact of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) on students from socially backward classes
The Madras high court has ordered a notice on a petition moved by the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit, challenging the former justice AK Rajan-headed committee constituted by the new Tamil Nadu government to study the impact of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) on students from socially backward classes. The court has directed the state to respond in a week and the Union government is also at liberty to submit its stance on the issue.
The interim orders were passed by the first bench comprising chief justice Sanjib Banerjee and justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy on a writ petition filed by BJP’s state general secretary Karu Nagarajan seeking to quash the order that constituted the nine-member committee. The court took note of the plea, which stated that there wasn’t much room for the state to look for an alternative in the light of the Supreme Court’s August 2017 judgement (in the case of R Nakkiran versus the state of Tamil Nadu) that directed the state to implement NEET.
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The justice Rajan committee had also sought suggestions and objections from the public before June 26 on the matter. The plea had stated that the committee is “arbitrary, illegal, unconstitutional and unreasonable”.
Advocate general R Shunmugasundaram submitted that the move was backed by the party’s election manifesto as well as people’s demand. Before NEET was started in Tamil Nadu in 2017, entrance to medical colleges was based on Class 12 marks. The state is of the view that medical aspirants from rural and poor backgrounds are discriminated against by competing with other students who can afford coaching for NEET from top institutions. The previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime had introduced a reservation of 7.5% for government school students who clear NEET for admissions into medical colleges.
The case hearing has been posted to next Monday.
