NEET takes centre stage in TN politics again, parties slam delay in Governor's assent for quota

CHENNAI: The issues relating to the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) have assumed centre stage once again in Tamil Nadu with political parties expressing serious concern over the delay in Governor Banwarilal Purohit giving consent to the legislation providing for 7.5 percent reservation for government school students in medical admissions. Leaders have also expressed concern over the NEET results.

PMK founder S Ramadoss, in a tweet, said the post of Governor is unnecessary and quoted the famous saying of DMK founder CN Annadurai in Tamil "aattukku thaadiyum, naattukku governarum thevaiyillai" (the goatee is unnecessary for a goat and so also the governor post for the country). PMK youth wing president Anbumani Ramadoss urged the state government to send a team of ministers to the Raj Bhavan to exert pressure on the Governor to get the assent for the 7.5 percent reservation bill.

VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan in a statement here said the NEET results have clearly proved that this test would be beneficial only to private coaching centres and not to students and as such, the state government should take immediate steps to scrap this test.

Referring to Jeevith Kumar, a government school student who cleared the NEET with national rank, Thirumavalavan said, "He has succeeded in this test only in the second attempt and that too after spending lakhs of rupees of private coaching. NEET is against the rural students and it's suitable only for the rich."

Thirumavalavan also charged that the state government had shown little interest in getting the Governor's assent for the Bill providing for 7.5 percent reservation to government school students who clear NEET. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami should clarify the government's stand on NEET.

Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani referred to the serious concern expressed by a judge of the Madras High Court regarding the delay in giving assent to the 7.5 percent reservation bill. "Those who are responsible for the delay in this issue will have to pay a heavy political price for it," he said.

Strongly condemning the delay on the part of the Governor in giving assent to the bill, TNCC president KS Alagiri alleged that the BJP government at the Centre had a motive in delaying assent for it. "After the introduction of the NEET, the number of Tamil medium students joining medical courses in Tamil Nadu has been coming down drastically. If the legislation gets assent, around 300 government school students will benefit," he said.