An all-party meeting, chaired by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday, resolved to take all necessary legal measures to secure an exemption for the state from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). This includes the possibility of initiating fresh legal proceedings in the Supreme Court. The Opposition AIADMK and BJP boycotted the meeting, dismissing it as mere “drama.”
The meeting followed a significant Supreme Court ruling on April 8, which declared that Governor R.N. Ravi’s act of withholding bills re-passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly was “illegal”—a verdict hailed as a major victory for the DMK-led government.
“Yesterday’s Supreme Court judgment regarding the Governor’s conduct has strengthened our resolve. I am confident that if we persist with our legal fight without wavering, we will succeed in securing NEET exemption,” Stalin said during the session.
NEET, a nationwide entrance exam for medical admissions, was made mandatory in Tamil Nadu in 2017 under the then-AIADMK government.
Stalin also criticized the exam, calling it a tool driven by vested interests to benefit the coaching industry by misleading the Union government. He pointed to multiple irregularities in recent years, including paper leaks now under CBI investigation, as evidence of the exam’s flawed implementation.
The DMK government is pressing for Tamil Nadu’s exemption from the centralized exam — a stance backed by all major parties in the state except the BJP.
During the meeting of legislative party leaders, a resolution was unanimously passed urging the state government to persist with its legal campaign against NEET.
“This all-party meeting unanimously resolves that the Tamil Nadu government must continue its legal efforts to obtain NEET exemption,” stated the resolution, which was introduced by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.
In 2023, the DMK-led government approached the Supreme Court opposing NEET. The latest meeting comes shortly after CM Stalin informed the Assembly on April 4 that the Union government had rejected the anti-NEET bill passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly and forwarded for Presidential assent.
“The Governor, acting as a puppet of the Union government, obstructed our efforts despite the bill overcoming numerous hurdles. In light of the recent Supreme Court verdict, we will intensify our legal battle for justice,” Stalin wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) in Tamil.
The meeting concluded with a decision to consult legal experts and pursue all legal avenues, including filing a new petition in the Supreme Court if required. The state government also plans to push forward with the case filed in July 2023 challenging the NEET system.
Among those who attended the meeting were DMK’s allies — the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) — and BJP ally Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).
