Arguments being adduced against the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical admission are not new to Tamil Nadu. Similar criticisms were made 35 years ago when the then AIADMK government, led by M.G. Ramachandran, decided to ensure admission to professional courses through an entrance examination.
Critics of NEET say the mode of selection is unfair to rural students and goes against the concept of social justice, causing hardship to students who would not have access to coaching classes essential for preparing for the test.
The Tamil Nadu Professional Course Entrance Examinations (TNPCEE) was introduced from 1984-85. In March 1984, the then Education Minister, C. Aranganayagam,explained that the decision on the entrance test was in response to large-scale criticism of the interview system that was in vogue.
The DMK and the Dravidar Kazhagam came out against the move. M. Karunanidhi, DMK president, argued that the idea of an entrance test was against “principles and policies” of E.V. Ramasamy and C.N. Annadurai, who fought for the welfare of BCs.
There were expectations in certain quarters that just as MGR went back in 1980 on his 1979 move of introducing income criterion for BCs to enjoy reservation, he would withdraw his decision this time too. But the Chief Minister was determined to see to it that the entrance test system was put in place.
In August 1984, MGR rebutted the criticism against the entrance test, stating that the new system had helped more BC students enter engineering and medical colleges that year. For engineering courses, 256 students got admission under the open category, besides 958 through the quota, as against 140 and 648 in 1983-84. Likewise, for medical courses, 137 BC students were selected in the open category and 869 under the then 50% quota, as against 105 and 881 respectively the previous year.
In June 2005, it was left to then CM Jayalalithaa to state that students from rural areas were affected by the entrance examination. She announced that the common entrance test would be abolished. But the TNPCEE was in force till 2006-07.
The DMK government (2006-2011) brought in a law to repeal the entrance test and since 2007-08, admission is being held on the basis of performance of students in the qualifying higher secondary examination. Only in respect of medical and dental courses, it underwent a change in 2017 with the introduction of NEET.
Three years ago, in a paper ( https://www.thehinducentre.com/incoming/article23697651.ece/BINARY/P- olicy%20Watch%20No_3.p- df) published by The Hindu Centre for Politics & Public Policy, R. Srinivasan, an academic, argued that “the onus of creating social justice should rest on the school system by reorienting it to remove the relative educational backwardness of certain communities.”
