President withholds assent for T.N.’s anti-NEET Bill; CM Stalin to hold all-party meeting on April 9

President Droupadi Murmu withholds assent to Tamil Nadu's NEET exemption Bill, sparking accusations of undermining State legislature and social justice.

President Droupadi Murmu has withheld assent to Tamil Nadu’s Bill seeking exemption from the mandate of NEET-based admissions for medical courses in government medical colleges. The assent was withheld based on the recommendations of the Union government.

Announcing this in the Legislative Assembly on Friday (April 4, 2024), Chief Minister M.K. Stalin accused the Union government of overlooking explanations offered by the State.

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Mr. Stalin said the Tamil Nadu government would consult legal experts regarding further course of action. A meeting of floor leaders of all political parties will be held on April 9 at the Secretariat in Chennai to discuss further steps, he said and urged the leaders to attend the meeting.

The Chief Minister said, based on the recommendations of the high-level committee formed by the Tamil Nadu government headed by retired High Court judge, Justice A.K. Rajan, the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill was passed unanimously in the Assembly on September 13, 2021. However, the Bill was returned by the Governor for reconsideration. Following this, an all-party meeting was held on February 5, 2022, and the Bill was re-adopted in the Assembly on February 8, 2022. It was then sent to the Union government for the President’s assent.

Mr. Stalin said the Tamil Nadu government had provided all necessary explanations to various ministries of the Union government, including Health, AYUSH, Home Affairs, and Higher Education. “However, the Union government has refused to approve our NEET exemption law, which is a setback for our students. The Union government’s approach, which undermines the dignity of the State legislature, is a black chapter in the history of cooperative federalism. The Union government has completely disregarded the views of the people of Tamil Nadu and the resolutions of this Assembly,” he said.

Mr. Stalin said, Tamil Nadu has been a pioneer in the field of medicine in India. The system to admit students to medical education followed in the State for decades, was the foundation of these achievements. “In 2006, the entrance exams for all professional courses, including medicine, were abolished, and admission based on the marks obtained by the students in Class XII was introduced. This system introduced by Kalaignar [M. Karunanidhi] ensured social justice and equal opportunity for students from all sections of society,” he said.