CPI(M) State Secretary writes to PM on NEET

CPI(M) State Secretary K. Balakrishnan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting that the two bills seeking to exempt Tamil Nadu from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), passed by the State Assembly, be forwarded to the President to obtain his assent.

In a statement, Mr. Balakrishnan said there had been an “unwarranted and unexplained” delay of 15 months in forwarding the Tamil Nadu Admission to MBBS and BDS Courses Bill, 2017, and the Tamil Nadu Admission to Post-Graduate Courses in Medicine and Dentistry Bill, 2017, to the President. “The Tamil Nadu legislature unanimously passed these two bills. They are a reflection of the will of the people,” he said.

Mr. Balakrishnan cited a letter the President wrote to CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member T.K. Rangarajan in April 2017, stating that his office had not received the bills from the Home Ministry.

Quoting from the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Modern Dental College case, he said the court had upheld the right of the State legislature to enact laws relating to education.

He noted that it was a constitutional obligation of the Central government to forward the bills passed by the State legislature for Presidential assent.

In-service quota

He pointed out that the Commission on Centre-State Relations had suggested that a period of six months be made applicable for bills reserved for Presidential assent.

The CPI(M) leader said the in-service quota for PG medical admissions was being affected by NEET. “With no incentive of such nature for PG admissions, service of qualified doctors cannot be guaranteed and the strong public health system built over six decades in Tamil Nadu will be slowly destroyed,” he said.