Union Minister Nirmala Sitaraman has said, the Centre would offer its help to Tamil Nadu to exempt the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test NEET for medical admission for this year.
Responding to the queries of media on the sidelines of a function in Tambaram, Chennai, she said, the state should promulgate an ordinance to exempt NEET. However, she said it cannot be a permanent feature, only a one-off measure.
Following the Union Minister’s view, state health minister Dr C Vijayabhaskar met Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy in Chennai. In the meeting, the draft ordinance is said to have been finalized. The state Health principal secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan is scheduled to visit Delhi this evening and the ordinance copy is to be presented to the Union Home Ministry for its vetting. State Health minister Dr C Vijayabhaskar told news persons this afternoon in Chennai that he is confident of getting the recommendation of the Union Home Ministry for Governor’s assent for it.
Earlier, the Tamil Nadu Government issued a notification giving sub-quota for state education board students 85 percent of the undergraduate medical seats.
It justified the action saying only a few of the state board students could pass in the NEET examination as the syllabus has been vastly at variance from the CBSE curriculum.
However, the judiciary struck it down saying it is inconsistent with the constitutional provisions. Its two bills seeking to permanently exempt NEET is yet to get Presidential assent.
