Tamil Nadu chief minister Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Tuesday stated its demand for scrapping the NEET, saying the exam should be abolished altogether.
The party also demanded greater powers for states over medical education, insisting that education should be shifted from the Concurrent List to the State List of the Constitution. The statement came amid student protests over the NEET exam in Delhi and renewed political debate over the entrance examination.
TVK said its “uncompromising and firm stand” was that the national-level entrance test for medical aspirants should be scrapped altogether.
TVK reiterates demand to abolish NEET
Calling for structural reforms in the education sector, the party said states should have full authority over matters relating to education, including medical education. If an immediate transfer of powers is not legally feasible, it proposed an interim arrangement.
“If there are any legal or procedural hurdles in doing so, a Special Concurrent List should be created as an interim measure until they are resolved to grant powers to state governments.”
The party said such a move would ensure that state governments have complete control over education policy, including medical education.
“This is our vision for both a permanent and an interim solution. Our victorious leader (Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay) has already emphasised this,” the party said.
The remarks were made in a statement issued by the party, according to PTI.
TVK targets DMK over NEET promise
Without naming the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), TVK accused its political rival of misleading voters over the issue of NEET. The party said it would not follow what it described as deceptive electoral politics.
It would never indulge in the “fraudulent politics” of deceiving people for votes by making false promises to “scrap NEET ourselves”.
The criticism appeared to be aimed at the DMK’s promise ahead of the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections to abolish NEET after assuming office.
TVK maintained that its position was based on securing constitutional powers for the states rather than making promises that could not be implemented.
Party responds to criticism
The statement also hit back at critics whom it accused of appropriating the efforts and ideas of others for political gain.
The party said those indulging in the unethical politics of “putting their own label” on others’ hard work, ideas and struggles should immediately stop targeting the TVK.
The remarks came against the backdrop of criticism by Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin over the government’s handling of rapper ‘Therukkural’ Arivu, who has been vocal in opposing NEET.
Before being escorted away by the police, Arivu briefly raised anti-NEET slogans outside the Tamil Nadu Secretariat at Fort St George in Chennai.
The renewed political exchanges underscore that the NEET issue continues to remain a key point of contention in Tamil Nadu, with parties offering approaches to medical admissions and the distribution of powers between the Centre and the states.
