Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu seeking her consent for the legislation that seeks to do away with NEET in the state, saying each day of delay in its implementation costs not only valuable medical seats to deserving students but “invaluable human lives to our society.”
His letter came after a 19-year-old medical aspirant died by suicide after failing to clear NEET and his father also ended his life, unable to take the shock.
The anti-NEET legislation was first passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly in September 2021 and Governor R N Ravi returned it to the House in February 2022. However, the bill was re-enacted within a week and sent back to the Governor who forwarded it to the President after three months.
“This letter to Hon'ble President Droupadi Murmu is one among our various efforts to remove NEET injustice. We will not rest until we remove NEET,” Stalin said, adding that the state government has been consistently opposing NEET as it favours urban students and those who can afford costly coaching classes.
In this regard, a Committee under the Chairmanship of Justice Thiru A K Rajan was constituted and the committee submitted its recommendations and based on this report and various discussions, the 'Tamil Nadu Admission to Under Graduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021' was passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly (TNLA), Stalin said.
“The Bill has not been provided assent till now and the students have been forced to undergo the NEET based admission process. This has caused immense anxiety and stress in the minds of the students and parents,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the Bill was the outcome of legislative consensus, stemming from the collective will of the people of Tamil Nadu.
“Each day of delay in its implementation costs not only valuable medical seats to deserving students but invaluable human lives to our society. I, therefore, solicit your immediate intervention in the matter and urge you to accord assent at the earliest to the above Bill passed by the TNLA,” Stalin told the President.