Tamil Nadu assembly passes Bill for medical admissions without NEET

MBBS Without Neet

Tamil Nadu assembly passes Bill for medical admissions without NEET

The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday passed a bill to dispense with the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) and provide for admission to medical courses based on Class XII marks to ensure social justice, as the death by suicide of a medical aspirant fearing outcome of the test he was to take echoed in the House with the main opposition AIADMK targeting the government over the incident.

Tamil Nadu assembly passes Bill for medical admissions without NEET

Chief Minister M K Stalin introduced the Bill and all parties, including the main opposition AIADMK and its ally PMK, besides others like Congress, supported the bill, which seeks to provide for admission to UG courses in medicine, dentistry, Indian medicine and homeopathy on the basis of marks obtained in the qualifying examination, (Class XII).

 

Background: Tamil Nadu’s Stance Against NEET

The Tamil Nadu government has been vocal in its opposition to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) since its nationwide implementation in 2016. The state argues that NEET undermines the principles of social justice and equitable access to medical education, particularly for students from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly, in a series of legislative moves, has been trying to restore state control over medical admissions by prioritizing Class 12 board examination marks instead of NEET scores. These efforts have culminated in the passage of multiple Bills aimed at exempting the state from the NEET mandate.

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Key Legislative Developments

1. Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill (2021):
   • In September 2021, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a Bill seeking to exclude the state from NEET. The Bill proposes that medical admissions be conducted solely on the basis of Class 12 marks, arguing that this system is more equitable for students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
   • The Bill was introduced following a report by a high-level committee led by Justice A.K. Rajan. The committee’s findings indicated that NEET disproportionately benefits students who can afford private coaching, putting rural and underprivileged students at a significant disadvantage.
2. Resolution Passed in June 2024:
   • On June 28, 2024, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution urging the Union Government to abolish NEET and amend the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act to allow states the autonomy to conduct admissions based on Class 12 marks.
   • This resolution reflects the state’s persistent stance that NEET is not suitable for Tamil Nadu’s unique socio-economic context, where many students come from rural backgrounds and lack access to specialized coaching.
3. Pending Presidential Assent:
   • The Bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly require Presidential assent to become law. Despite repeated efforts, the Union Government has yet to grant approval, citing the need for a standardized national examination to ensure uniformity in medical education.
   • As of November 2024, Tamil Nadu’s exemption Bill is still pending, leading to ongoing debates between the state and central governments over the control of medical admissions.

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Rationale Behind Tamil Nadu’s Opposition to NEET

The Tamil Nadu government’s objections to NEET are rooted in concerns over equity and access:

1. Disadvantages Rural and Economically Weak Students:
   • NEET is seen as favoring students who can afford expensive private coaching. According to the Justice A.K. Rajan Committee report, students from rural areas and government schools are disproportionately affected as they lack the resources to compete with their urban counterparts.
   • The data shows a significant decline in the number of students from government schools securing medical seats after the introduction of NEET.
2. Impact on Social Justice:
   • The state argues that NEET goes against Tamil Nadu’s long-standing policy of using Class 12 marks for admissions, which has historically benefited students from marginalized communities.
   • By reverting to the previous admission system, Tamil Nadu aims to promote inclusive education and uphold its commitment to social justice.
3. Increased Stress and Pressure on Students:
   • The intense competition associated with NEET has reportedly led to increased mental stress among students, with several cases of suicides being reported in Tamil Nadu linked to NEET results.
   • The state believes that using board exam marks for admissions is a fairer and less stressful process for students.

The opposition BJP staged a walkout, protesting against the government move.

Earlier, as soon as the House convened, Leader of the Opposition K Palaniswami referred to the death by suicide of 19-year old Dhanush in his native Salem district on Sunday and targeted the government on the matter.

He said that though the DMK had promised “cancelling” NEET, it was not done and several students had not prepared well. Some of his remarks were expunged by Speaker M Appavu. Palaniswami sought a job for a person from the family, besides cash assistance.

The opposition party MLAs, who came to the House wearing black badges, staged a walkout, led by Palaniswami.

On Sunday, hours before he was to appear for NEET for a third time, 19-year old Dhanush, belonging to a village near Salem, died by suicide, fearing the outcome of the test he was to take. The incident triggered a blame game with the AIADMK holding the DMK regime responsible for the death and the state government targeting the Centre.

Stalin, replying, said NEET was conducted for the first time in Tamil Nadu when Palaniswami was the Chief Minister and it was not held even when the late J Jayalalithaa was the CM.

Recalling the death by suicides of students, including S Anita in recent years, he said all these happened when Palaniswami was the CM. The student, Dhanush, who took the extreme step, could not clear the exam twice when the AIADMK was in power.

Stalin also targeted the AIADMK over rejection of Bills enacted during its regime in 2017 to get the state exempted from the ambit of NEET and also for hiding it from the House. Stalin introduced the Bill and appealed to all to support it for social justice, indicating that the present initiative would be fully different from what was done before during the AIADMK regime.

The Bill, referring to recommendations of a high-level committee, said the government has decided to enact a law to dispense with the requirement of NEET for admission to UG Medical degree courses and to provide admission to such courses on the basis of marks obtained in the qualifying examination, through “Normalisation methods”, 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 to ensure a robust public health care across the state, particularly the rural areas.”

Stalin, who welcomed the support of the main opposition party to his government’s move on NEET, recalled that in the past, when the DMK was in the opposition, it supported the then AIADMK government on the issue of jallikattu, the bull-taming sport.

BJP’s Nainar Nagenthiran insisted NEET had its benefits like increased pass percentage and led his party’s walkout protesting against the bill.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

This article was Originally Published on Business Standard

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