Against interests of poor, rural students: Tamil Nadu Governor returns NEET exemption Bill to Legislative Assembly

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has returned to the Legislative Assembly a Bill seeking to exempt the State from the purview of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam for medical admissions. .A press note released from the State Raj Bhavan on Thursday said that the Governor examined the Bill and the report of the High-Level Committee in detail.The release stated that the Governor is "of the opinion that the Bill is against the interests of students especially the rural and economically poor" students of Tamil Nadu.The Bill was thus returned to the Assembly Speaker on February 1..In his communique, the Governor cited the Supreme Court decision in Christian Medical College v. Union of India in which it was held that NEET is in the interest of social justice and prevents economic exploitation of the poor. The top court had also observed that NEET checks "several maladies which crept into medical education, to prevent capitation fee by admitting students which are lower in merit and to prevent exploitation, profiteering, and commercialisation of education.".Getting the State exempted from the centrally-organised exam for medical admissions was one of the election promises of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, currently in power in Tamil Nadu. Last year, it had appointed a committee to examine the extent to which NEET affected the underprivileged. In July, the Madras High Court dismissed a petition challenging the State government's constitution of the nine-member committee.After the committee produced a report, the government enacted a Bill on September 13 seeking exemption from NEET for the State's students..In October, the High Court had issued notice in a plea registering protest against the "false promises" made by the DMK government regarding the cancellation of NEET in Tamil Nadu. The Court was urged to restrain the State government from making any further reckless and baseless statements for political mileage. A direction to compensate the families of students who took their own life owing the government's promises on NEET was also sought..Madras High Court seeks response from Tamil Nadu, DMK on PIL against "false promises" by State govt on NEET