Mustering support for his government’s fight against the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday wrote to his counterparts in 12 States, calling for united efforts to restore the primacy of the States in administering the education sector as originally envisaged in the Constitution.
His letter was addressed to the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana and West Bengal.
“Our considered position has always been that the Union government’s decision to introduce the NEET goes against the very spirit of federalism and violates the constitutional balance of power by curbing the rights of the State governments to decide on the method of admission to the medical institutions founded, established and run by them,” Mr. Stalin said in the letter, a copy of which was circulated to the media.
“In this regard, we consider that the State governments need to assert their constitutional right and position in deciding the method of admission to their higher educational institutions,” he said.
A copy of the Justice A.K. Rajan Committee’s report on the adverse impact of the NEET and a copy of the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Act, 2021 — adopted in the Assembly last month on the basis of the report — were also enclosed with the letter.
Mr. Stalin also requested his counterparts to ensure that the students of their States, especially those hailing from rural areas and the marginalised sections, were not put to hardship in obtaining admission to higher education institutions. “We need to put up a united effort to restore the primacy of the State governments in administering the education sector, as envisaged in our Constitution. I look forward to your cooperation in this crucial issue.”
He also instructed the DMK MPs to hand over the “translated report of the Justice A.K. Rajan Committee to highlight the State government’s efforts” and to seek the support of the respective States.
