Citing the political stalemate in Tamil Nadu, the DMK on Saturday sought the Centre’s intervention to get presidential assent for a state bill exempting Tamil Nadu from the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET).
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, DMK working president MK Stalin requested him to get the assent from President Pranab Mukherjee on the Tamil Nadu legislation on NEET.
He said NEET, if introduced in the state, would not be advantageous for the rural and poor students.
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Pointing out that the Tamil Nadu government had recently unanimously passed a bill in the assembly against NEET, he said, “As the NEET examination is scheduled to commence on May 7 and the last date for application was March 1, 2017, I seek your urgent intervention to protect the interests of the students.”
“At this crucial juncture, when the exam date is fast approaching, there is a total political and Constitutional stalemate in the state and the fate of the NEET legislation is hanging in the air,” he added.
As a leader of the party which had abolished the Common Entrance Test for professional courses in 2007, Mr. Stalin said he was of the view that Tamil Nadu had to be exempted from NEET, both for MBBS, BDS and PG courses.
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He urged Mr. Modi to restore ‘education’ from the concurrent list to the state list “as a befitting tribute” to the co-operative federalism being espoused by the Centre.
A single test for MBBS, BDS and PG medical courses all over the country “would definitely disrupt the interests of rural students who aspire to become doctors”, Mr. Stalin said.
“While the need for brilliant doctors cannot be faulted with, it is equally very important to also have barefoot doctors to provide medical services and healthcare in rural areas to have a more effective public healthcare system,” he added.
In Tamil Nadu, currently, admission to MBBS and BDS is given on the basis of 12th standard marks while admission to PG courses in medicine and dentistry is given on the basis of the results of an entrance exam and experience.