Good news coming soon on Neet, says M Thambidurai

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Government on Monday made “last ditch efforts” to get students from Tamil Nadu exempted from appearing before Neet by holding back-to-back discussions with Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad for a “permanent solution.”

After the meeting, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai and Health Minister C Vijayabhaskar said they are expecting “some good news” from the Union Government on the Neet issue on Tuesday. They also said they were fighting for a “permanent solution and not temporary solution like exemption for two years.”

Thambidurai, Vijayabhaskar and Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan met Nadda and Prasad in the morning and requested that Tamil Nadu be exempted from Neet permanently. In the evening again, the trio met Nadda at his office and discussed the issue again.

“We are expecting some good news. The Health Minister has promised of good news and we are hoping to get permanent exemption for Neet. We want permanent exemption and that has been our stand,” the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker told reporters.

Though Thambidurai said they were trying for “permanent exemption”, sources said the Centre was suggesting an ordinance to get exemption from the Neet a maximum of two years.

“Still, the legal issues are being discussed and no decision has been taken,” a source in the Union Government said.

The development came even as the Madras high court cancelled the government order reserving 85 per cent of seats in medical colleges to state board students.
Vijayabhaskar said the state government was going through the judgment copy and would take appropriate decision on going for an appeal very soon.

Tamil Nadu has been seeking exemption from Neet, saying it would affect the students from the state. In February, the assembly had passed two bills seeking to pave the way for the continuation of undergraduate medical admissions on the basis of Class 12 marks, exempting Tamil Nadu from the ambit of Neet.