E-Paper
Tamil Nadu adopts bill against NEET again, hits out at Governor
According to the reports, over a dozen medical aspirants from the state have died by suicide in past five years, either after failing to clear the NEET or fear of failing.
Barring the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), all political parties in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday unanimously passed the Bill seeking exemption from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) after governor R N Ravi had returned it for the consideration of the House last week. With a voice vote, speaker Appavu passed the Bill to be resent to the governor. When the Bill is sent to the governor second time, he will have to forward it to the President for his assent and with his approval it becomes a law.
“NEET is a form of untouchability which sends some students to the cemetery and some to jail,” said chief minister (CM) M K Stalin at the special legislative assembly, convened to deliberate the issue.
Meanwhile, during the three-hour session, the BJP’s four legislators walked out. But the NDA allies — the AIADMK and the PMK — supported the state’s move to abolish the exam as Tamil Nadu seeks to restore Class 12 marks as the sole eligibility criteria, like it was before the Supreme Court mandated NEET in the state in 2017.
According to the reports, over a dozen medical aspirants from the state have died by suicide in past five years, either after failing to clear the NEET or fear of failing. “We are not just gathered here to oppose NEET but also to preserve our state’s rights and reinforce cooperative federalism,” the CM said.
Reinforcing that the state won’t stop until the exam is scrapped, Stalin pointed out the CBI probes, arrests of impersonators and alleged irregularities while conducting the exam.
“The exam discriminates against the students from marginalised sections. NEET only favours those who can afford coaching. It’s an obstruction for the rest. NEET tells students from poor and rural backgrounds that you cannot be a doctor. You don’t have that right,” said the CM.
“The governor should have forwarded the Bill to the President,” Stalin criticised Ravi for holding the Bill for 142 days even after constantly being urged to take action. R N Ravi had returned the Bill on February 1.
“His (governor’s) reasoning is not correct and he is disrespecting the democracy. I expect that he will discharge his duties constitutionally now,” he said.
The state unit of the BJP has taken a stance that NEET is not against social justice and keeps a check on private medical colleges. In the assembly, before walking out, BJP’s Nainar Nagendran complained that the term unanimous cannot be used in relation to passing the Bill since they have not supported it. “Today only because of this (NEET), SCs/STs and MBCs have received more number of medical seats. In this situation, the DMK government is only politicising this issue and brought in this resolution today,” Nagendran said after walking out.
The governor’s four-page note addressed to the state legislative speaker M Appavu described the report tabled by the retired justice A K Rajan committee — constituted by the ruling DMK government — as “utterly unconvincing.” Calling the report a “jaundiced view” of the high-level committee, he had said it is based on “sweeping assumptions.”
During the Tuesday’s session, state health minister M Subramanian gave a point by point rebuttal to the governor’s comments for returning the legislation.
Ravi had also cited the Supreme Court order favouring NEET in the case of Christian Medical College Vellore Association Vs Union of India (2020). “When the honourable Supreme Court found NEET to be in national interest and for protection of the weaker sections of the society, will it be open for the state government to seek an exemption from NEET, particularly when the same has been held to be mandatory and applicable across the country,” the governor remarked.
There was a heated debate between the members, after the AIADMK said that it was the UPA government which introduced NEET, however, senior leaders of the ruling and opposition parties put their differences aside while passing the Bill.
The previous AIADMK regime did submit the Bill but the same was rejected by the President.While questioning former health minister C Vijayabhaskar in the assembly, Stalin asked why they had “hidden the rejection from the public for a year?” Though the AIADMK didn’t respond directly to his charge, but former chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami was up on his feet to set the record straight that their party has always been against NEET.
Following the President’s rejection, the then AIADMK regime in August 2020 had passed a 7.5% reservation for government school students in medical colleges. After the DMK came to power last May, Stalin had continued with the quota. Afterwards, the CM had constituted the Rajan committee to examine how NEET impacts students and the report had dramatically concluded that continuation of NEET will lead to breakdown of Tamil Nadu’s healthcare system. Based on the report’s data, public opinion and expert consultation, the new Bill was formed.
BLURB When the Bill is sent to the governor second time, he will have to forward it to the President for his assent and with his approval it becomes a law
