The State government has impressed upon the Centre to grant exemption from NEET for this year as was done last year, said Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar on his return from New Delhi on Thursday.
The Minister said he had met Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda thrice in a day to reiterate that the State should be exempted from admission through NEET score. Exemption from NEET-based admission was sought keeping in mind the State’s emphasis on social justice, he said.
On Wednesday, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and represented the State’s case.
Admission to MBBS and BDS have not been held this year to over 3,050 seats in the State following a series of litigation for the last two months. Although the State passed two Bills to exempt students from NEET in the Assembly earlier this year, it is yet to receive presidential assent.
Last year, the State received a year’s exemption and though students took the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, the scores were used only for admission to deemed universities.
The Minister told reporters that he, along with the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha and a senior AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai, had met the Prime Minister, the Union Health Minister, and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to impress upon them the need to exempt the State from NEET.
“Across the country, each State conducts its own entrance test. Tamil Nadu is the only State which does not conduct an entrance test for admission, the Minister said.
