Jayalalithaa objects to Centre's Neet plan

Chennai: Expressing strong protest against the Union ministry of health and family welfare’s move to reintroduce national eligibility cum entrance test (Neet) for medical and dental courses, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday said any such attempt would be tantamount to infringing upon the state’s rights and admission policies to medical educational institutions in Tamil Nadu.

“I would further state that as the Central Government has already filed a review petition, seeking a review of the judgement of the Supreme Court and the same is pending, it will not be proper to consider any proposal to introduce Neet for admission to both undergraduate and postgraduate courses as the same would amount to circumventing the judgement of the Supreme Court,” she said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

She said that despite her requests, the then previous UPA regime had filed the review petition on July 28, 2013, and it is pending disposal.  Jayalalithaa said  “these media reports are yet again creating confusion and frustration in the minds of thousands of students of TN, she added.

Jayalalithaa noted that since 2005, the Tamil Nadu government had taken a number of steps to ensure a level playing field for students from rural areas and deprived backgrounds, considering these initiatives, the entrance examination for professional undergraduate courses was subsequently abolished.

She said that the introduction of Neet or any common entrance test would nullify the implementation of such progressive policy initiatives and prevent furthering of the socio-economic objectives of the State.  “The national test will be out of tune with the prevailing socio-economic milieu and administrative requirements of Tamil Nadu,” she said.